HOUSE BILL NO. 1441 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE GRAGG.
2984H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT To amend chapter 660, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to duties of the department of social services.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 660, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be 2 known as section 660.850, to read as follows: 660.850. 1. As used in this section, "goal four of the Temporary Assistance for 2 Needy Families program" means the goal that encourages the formation and 3 maintenance of two-parent families. 4 2. Beginning on December 1, 2026, and every December first thereafter, the 5 department of social services shall file a report to the general assembly and the governor 6 identifying and detailing the following: 7 (1) All actions taken to implement goal four of the Temporary Assistance for 8 Needy Families program for the current year and for the three prior years; 9 (2) All actions taken and contemplated to increase the utilization of goal four of 10 the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program for the next year; and 11 (3) Year-over-year growth in the utilization of goal four of the Temporary 12 Assistance for Needy Families program. 13 3. (1) Beginning on December 1, 2026, and every December first thereafter, the 14 department of social services shall file a report to the general assembly and the governor 15 identifying and detailing the department's outreach to and coordination with other state 16 agencies and departments within state government to identify policies, programs, or 17 procedures that:
EXPLANATION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is intended to be omitted from the law. Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language. HB 1441 2
18 (a) Negatively impact two-parent family formation or maintenance, along with 19 any legislative changes that may be needed to reduce or eliminate such negative impact; 20 and 21 (b) May be modified to encourage two-parent family formation or maintenance, 22 along with any legislative changes that may be needed to implement such 23 encouragement. 24 (2) The report under this subsection shall give specific attention to the criminal 25 justice system and the ways in which fathers can assist in maximizing relationships with 26 their children during incarceration or reentry periods after imprisonment. 27 4. Beginning on December 1, 2026, and every December first thereafter, the 28 department of social services shall file a report to the general assembly and the governor 29 identifying and detailing the following: 30 (1) The ways in which the current child support guidelines contribute to an 31 obligor being unable to adequately sustain his or her own living expenses or unable to 32 adequately provide for his or her child in the obligor's own home; 33 (2) The ways in which current child support enforcement efforts are 34 unnecessarily severe or may cause the: 35 (a) Loss of a job or loss of housing, transportation, or earning capacity; 36 (b) Descent into the underground economy; or 37 (c) Impairment of the obligor's relationship with his or her child, 38 39 thereby undermining the state's goal of encouraging active two-parent involvement in 40 the child's life; 41 (3) The extent to which the current child support guidelines exceed the marginal 42 cost of the child's presence in the child support recipient's household or otherwise 43 include disguised alimony; 44 (4) The extent to which the current child support guidelines contribute to the 45 accumulation of uncollectible arrearages; and 46 (5) Steps that may be taken to reduce the accumulation of uncollectible 47 arrearages, including reductions in the guideline amounts and revisions to enforcement 48 methods, to ensure that enforcement does not impair an obligor's ability to earn money 49 or to adequately sustain his or her own living expenses or adequately provide for his or 50 her child in the obligor's own home. 51 5. There is hereby established in the department of social services an "Office of 52 Fatherhood". The director of the department shall appoint an assistant director to head 53 the office, and the assistant director shall report to the director of the department. The 54 office shall consist of staff of sufficient size so that the office may promote fatherhood HB 1441 3
55 and father-supportive measures throughout state government and local governments 56 within the state and to otherwise encourage the formation and maintenance of two- 57 parent families. The office shall be funded under the block grant authorized in 42 58 U.S.C. Section 601 and with such additional funds as the legislature may designate from 59 time to time. The office shall assess the programs, policies, and procedures of each state 60 department for the programs', policies', and procedures' impact on fatherhood, and 61 each department shall provide information to the office to assist in the assessment. The 62 office shall make an annual report to the general assembly and the governor describing: 63 (1) The office's activities for the past year; 64 (2) The office's plans for the coming year; 65 (3) Any barriers to father participation and equality in all programs and matters 66 relating to children; 67 (4) The office's plans for removing such barriers, if any; and 68 (5) Any legislative action necessary to support fatherhood and to otherwise 69 encourage two-parent family formation or maintenance. 70 6. The department of social services shall conduct a review of judicial decisions 71 and administrative actions to assess compliance with the provisions of sections 452.375 72 and 454.1005, including child custody determinations and child support enforcement 73 actions, and submit a report to the general assembly and the governor no later than 74 December 1, 2026. 75 7. The department of social services shall file any necessary waivers or changes 76 to the department's state plan with the United States Department of Health and Human 77 Services that may be needed to implement the provisions of this section. 78 8. The department of social services shall partner with organizations in this state 79 to offer grants to help implement programs that encourage two-parent family formation 80 and maintenance and two-parent reunification. Such programs shall consist of: 81 (1) Marriage education; 82 (2) Marriage and relationship skills; 83 (3) Public and coparent skills workshops; 84 (4) Public awareness campaigns regarding the value of marriage and responsible 85 fatherhood; 86 (5) Premarital counseling; 87 (6) Couples counseling; 88 (7) Shared parenting mediation; 89 (8) Family reconciliation; 90 (9) Court-ordered counseling at the beginning of divorce proceedings; 91 (10) Programs in schools; HB 1441 4
92 (11) Programs in community organizations; 93 (12) Counseling and legal assistance in cases of parental alienation; and 94 (13) Family reunification assistance for released prisoners. 95 9. The department of social services shall ensure that a similar portion of 96 temporary assistance for needy families' funds are allocated proportionally among all 97 four stated goals of the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program. ✔
Statutes affected: