The bill proposes to repeal and replace section 452.340 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri, which governs child support payments. The new section outlines the criteria for determining child support obligations, emphasizing the financial needs of both the child and the parents, the child's standard of living, and custody arrangements. It establishes that child support obligations may be retroactive and can be abated if one parent has voluntarily relinquished custody for more than thirty consecutive days. Additionally, it specifies conditions under which child support obligations terminate, such as when the child reaches age eighteen or twenty-one, marries, or becomes self-supporting. A significant addition in the new language is the stipulation that if the court awards equal periods of time with the child to both parents, it shall not order one parent to pay child support to the other for the child's reasonable or necessary expenses. This change aims to clarify the financial responsibilities of parents in joint custody situations. The bill also includes provisions for the court to consider tax dependency exemptions and establishes guidelines for calculating child support, ensuring that the process is transparent and consistent.

Statutes affected:
Introduced (6937H.01): 452.340