MissouriProfessionals would learn to report suspected abuse of people and animals
The measure would train several human-services and animal-control workers, require reports of suspected abuse, and track links among abuse cases.
What it does
Several human-services and animal-control groups would complete 90 minutes of training on recognizing and reporting abuse, with new workers trained within 60 days.
A broad group of professionals would report likely abuse of dogs, cats, rabbits, or domesticated birds to an operating hotline within one day.
Starting January 1, 2028, animal-control officers and humane investigators would immediately report suspected child or eligible-adult abuse to state protection agencies.
State leaders would receive two reports on hotline performance and links among reported abuse of people and animals, without legally protected information.
Argument forCross-reporting and shared training could help workers notice connected abuse involving children, eligible adults, and animals sooner.
Argument againstThe rules could add training and reporting burdens for many workers, with licensing discipline or criminal penalties for some failures.
More detail
State agencies and covered employers would require workers to complete at least 90 minutes of training about recognizing and reporting abuse. The training would cover protective-service workers who directly contact eligible adults, child-welfare employees and contractors who directly contact children, and animal-control officers or humane investigators who directly contact animals. The training would cover reporting duties, how to identify abuse, how to make reports, and links between abuse of people and animals. Required workers would receive opportunities to complete the training during regular work hours. The training may count toward continuing education required for licensing or employment. Agencies would develop or adapt training materials by December 31, 2026, and covered workers would complete the training by December 31, 2027; people starting after that date would complete it within 60 days.
Covered professionals would report suspected animal abuse or neglect to an animal-control hotline within one day. The duty would cover psychologists, mental-health professionals, social workers, school counselors and staff, juvenile officers, law-enforcement officers, probation and parole officers, home-health aides, protective-services workers, and certain foster-care support workers. A report would be required when the person has reasonable cause to suspect abuse or neglect, meaning it is more likely than not to have occurred, or observes conditions likely to cause it. Good-faith reporters would have civil and criminal immunity, and their identifying information would be confidential. Licensed reporters who fail to report could face licensing discipline. The duty and its penalties would pause whenever the hotline is not operating. Reports would be due within one day of the qualifying suspicion or observation and the provisions would expire December 31, 2030.
Animal-control officers and humane investigators would immediately report suspected abuse of eligible adults or children to state protection agencies. The duty would cover authorized county or municipal animal-control officers and qualified animal-cruelty investigators who have reasonable cause to suspect abuse or neglect of a child or eligible adult. They could also report to law enforcement or a juvenile office, but that would not replace the required report to the state agency. Failing to make a required report would be a class A misdemeanor. Reasonable cause would mean abuse or neglect is more likely than not to have occurred. The reporting duties would begin January 1, 2028, and expire December 31, 2030.
The animal-control association or its successor would report abuse-hotline and investigation information to the governor and General Assembly. The reports would cover hotline wait times, reports involving eligible adults, children, and animals, and cases where investigators found connected or related abuse. Reports could not include information barred from disclosure by state or federal law. The reports would be prepared with the health department and children's division. Reports would be due by December 31, 2028, and again by November 1, 2029; this provision would expire December 31, 2030.
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Where it stands
- Introduced
- Passed House
- Passed Senate
- To Governor
- Became Law
Looking ahead
No hearings or votes scheduled.
History
- 2026
- Jul 13Delivered to Secretary of State (G)Latest
- Jul 13Approved by Governor Mike Kehoe (G)Became Law
- May 28Delivered to Governor
- May 28Signed by President Pro Tem (S)
- May 28Signed by House Speaker (H)
- May 21House Message (H)
- May 15Truly Agreed To and Finally Passed - AYES: 128 NOES: 9 PRESENT: 4Major
- Vote recorded Third Read and Passed with Amendments (S) - SA 1 - AYES: 22 NOES: 6 PRESENT: 0. Result: pass.Upper
- Vote recorded Reported Do Pass (H) - AYES: 8 NOES: 0 PRESENT: 0. Result: pass.Lower
- Vote recorded Truly Agreed To and Finally Passed - AYES: 128 NOES: 9 PRESENT: 4. Result: pass.Lower
- May 15House Adopts (H) - SS#2 SCS, as amended
- May 15Taken Up
- May 15Reported Do Pass (H) - AYES: 8 NOES: 0 PRESENT: 0Minor
- May 15Voted Do Pass (H)Minor
- May 15Executive Session Completed (H)
- May 15Referred: Fiscal Review(H)Minor
- May 15Reported to the House with... (H) - SS#2 SCS, as amended
- May 15Third Read and Passed with Amendments (S) - SA 1 - AYES: 22 NOES: 6 PRESENT: 0Passed Senate
- May 15SS#2 Adopted (S)
- May 15SS#2 Offered (S)Minor
- May 15SS Withdrawn (S)Major
- May 15Taken Up
- May 14Placed on Informal Calendar
- May 14Motion to Table Adopted (S) - SA 2
- May 14Motion to Table Defeated (S) - SS SCS
- May 14SS OfferedMinor
- May 14Taken Up for Third Reading (S)Minor
- May 7Placed on Informal Calendar
- May 7Reported Do Pass (S)Minor
- May 7Voted Do Pass (S)Minor
- May 7Executive Session Held (S)
- May 4Referred: Fiscal Oversight(S)Minor
- May 4SCS Reported Do Pass (S)Minor
- May 4SCS Voted Do Pass (S)Minor
- May 4Executive Session Held (S)
- May 4Public Hearing Held (S)
- Apr 30Public Hearing Scheduled (S) - Monday, May 4, 2026, 3:30 p.m., Senate Lounge - 3rd FLoor
- Apr 30Re-referred to Committee: Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics(S)
- Apr 30Public Hearing Scheduled, Bill not Heard (S)
- Apr 28Public Hearing Scheduled (S) - Thursday, April 30, 2026, 8:30 a.m., Senate Committee Room 1 - 1st Floor
- Apr 21Second read and referred: Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources(S)
- Apr 13Reported to the Senate and First Read (S)Minor
- Apr 9Third Read and Passed (H) - AYES: 125 NOES: 12 PRESENT: 0Passed House
- Vote recorded Third Read and Passed (H) - AYES: 125 NOES: 12 PRESENT: 0. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 9Taken Up for Third Reading (H)Minor
- Apr 8Reported Do Pass (H) - AYES: 7 NOES: 0 PRESENT: 0Minor
- Vote recorded Reported Do Pass (H) - AYES: 7 NOES: 0 PRESENT: 0. Result: pass.Lower
- Apr 8Voted Do Pass (H)Minor
- Apr 8Executive Session Completed (H)
- Apr 7Placed on the Informal Third Reading Calendar (H)Minor
- Apr 2Referred: Fiscal Review(H)Minor
- Apr 1Perfected with Amendments (H) - HA 1, HA 2, adopted
- Apr 1HCS Adopted (H)
- Apr 1Title of Bill - Agreed To
- Apr 1Taken Up for Perfection (H)
- Mar 23Placed on the Informal Perfection Calendar (H)
- Mar 5Reported Do Pass (H) - AYES: 12 NOES: 0 PRESENT: 0Minor
- Vote recorded Reported Do Pass (H) - AYES: 12 NOES: 0 PRESENT: 0. Result: pass.Lower
- Mar 5Voted Do Pass (H)Minor
- Mar 5Executive Session Completed (H)
- Feb 24Referred: Rules - Legislative(H)Minor
- Feb 23HCS Reported Do Pass (H) - AYES: 6 NOES: 0 PRESENT: 0Minor
- Vote recorded HCS Reported Do Pass (H) - AYES: 6 NOES: 0 PRESENT: 0. Result: pass.Lower
- Feb 19HCS Voted Do Pass (H)Minor
- Feb 19Executive Session Completed (H)
- Feb 11Public Hearing Completed (H)
- Jan 22Referred: Special Committee on Urban Issues(H)Minor
- Jan 8Read Second Time (H)Minor
- Jan 7Read First Time (H)
- 2025
- Dec 9Prefiled (H)Introduced
Public SafetyGovernment & EthicsMental Health