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SECOND REGULAR SESSION
[TRUL Y AGREED T O AND FINALL Y P ASSED]
SENA TE SUBSTITUTE NO. 2 FOR
SENA TE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
HOUSE BILL NO. 2292
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBL Y
4920S.10T 2026
AN ACT
T o amend chapters 192, 210, and 273, RSMo, by adding thereto six new sections relating to
reporting of abuse and neglect by certain professionals, with penalty provisions.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapters 192, 210, and 273, RSMo, are amended by adding thereto six
2 new sections, to be known as sections 192.2510, 210.191, 273.410, 273.415, 273.420, and
3 273.425, to read as follows:
192.2510 . 1. No later than December 31, 2027, all persons pro viding protect ive
2 services to eligible adults, as the terms "pr otective services" and "eligible adults" are
3 defined in section 192.2400, and who have dir ect contact with such adults shall be
4 r equir ed to complete at least one and one-half hour of training as described in this
5 subsection. Any person beginning employment after December 31, 2027, who pro vides
6 pr otective services to eligible adults and who has dir ect contact with such adults shall
7 complete such training within sixty days of beginning employment. The training shall
8 include the following:
9 (1) Require ments to rep ort animal abuse or neglect and the penalties associated
10 with failur e to r eport under section 273.410;
11 (2) How to identify animal abuse or neglect;
12 (3) How to make a rep ort of animal abuse or neglect; and
EXPLANA TION — 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.
13 (4) The rel ationship between eligible adult abuse or neglect and animal abuse or
14 neglect.
15 2. By December 31, 2026, the department of health and senior services and the
16 department of agriculture, in consultation with the Missouri Animal Control
1 7 Association, or a successor entity , shall develop or adapt and use available training
18 materials for the training r equir ed under this section.
19 3. Persons req uir ed to complete training under this section shall be pr ovided
20 with opportunities to do so during regula r working hours. The training may qualify as
21 part of any continuing education requ irem ents otherwise r equir ed for such person as a
22 condition of licensur e or employment.
23 4. As used in this section, the following terms shall mean:
24 (1) "Animal", dogs, cats, rabbits, and domesticated birds;
25 (2) "Successor entity", any entity designated as such jointly by the department
26 of health and senior services and the childr en's division.
27 5. The pr ovisions of this section shall expir e on December 31, 2030.
210.191 . 1. No later than December 31, 2027, all children 's division employees
2 and contractors for children 's services who have dir ect contact with childr en thr ough
3 the state's child protecti on and welfar e system shall be requ ired to complete at least one
4 and one-half hour of training as described in this subsection. Any childr en's division
5 employee and contractor for children 's services beginning employment after December
6 31, 2027, who has dir ect contact with children thr ough the state's child pr otection and
7 welfar e system shall complete such training within sixty days of beginning employment.
8 The training shall include the following:
9 (1) Require ments to rep ort animal abuse or neglect and the penalties associated
10 with failur e to r eport under section 273.410;
11 (2) How to identify animal abuse or neglect;
12 (3) How to make a rep ort of animal abuse or neglect; and
13 (4) The rel ationship between child abuse or neglect and animal abuse or neglect.
14 2. By December 31, 2026, the division and the department of agricultur e, in
15 consultation with the Missouri Animal Contr ol Association, or a successor entity , shall
16 develop or adapt and use available training materials for the training re quir ed under
17 this section.
18 3. Persons req uir ed to complete training under this section shall be pr ovided
19 with opportunities to do so during regula r working hours. The training may qualify as
20 part of any continuing education requ irem ents otherwise r equir ed for such person as a
21 condition of licensur e or employment.
22 4. As used in this section, the following terms shall mean:
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23 (1) "Animal", dogs, cats, rabbits, and domesticated birds;
24 (2) "Successor entity", any entity designated as such jointly by the department
25 of health and senior services and the childr en's division.
26 5. The pr ovisions of this section shall expir e on December 31, 2030.
273.410 . 1. When any psychologist, mental health profes sional, social worker ,
2 school counselor , teacher , or other school pr ofessional, or juvenile officer , law
3 enfor cement or peace officer , prob ation or par ole officer , home health aide, adult or
4 child pr otective services worker , or volunteer or personnel of a community service
5 pr ogram that offers support or advocacy services for children in foster car e has
6 r easonable cause to suspect that an animal has been or may be subjected to abuse or
7 neglect or observes an animal being subjected to conditions or circu mstances that would
8 r easonably res ult in abuse or neglect, that person shall make a repo rt to the hotline
9 established and operated by the Missouri Animal Control Association (MACA), or a
10 successor entity , within one day . As used in this section, "rea sonable cause" shall mean
11 that abuse or neglect is mor e likely than not to have occurred .
12 2. The hotline worker shall req uest all of the following information for the
13 r eport:
14 (1) The name and description of the animal involved, if known;
15 (2) The addr ess and telephone number of the owner or other person res ponsible
16 for the care of the animal, if known;
17 (3) The natur e and extent of the suspected abuse or neglect; and
18 (4) Any other information that the person making the repo rt believes may be
19 useful in establishing the existence of the suspected abuse or neglect or the identity of the
20 person causing the abuse or neglect.
21 3. Upon receiv ing a rep ort of suspected abuse or neglect, MACA, or a successor
22 entity , shall provi de the repor t to any duly-authorized law enforcem ent official and, if
23 appr opriate, a county or municipal animal control officer or any Missouri peace officer
24 standards and training (POST)-certified or MACA-certified animal cruelty investigator .
25 4. Any person re quir ed to r eport animal abuse or neglect under this section shall
26 be immune fr om civil and criminal liability in connection with making any r equir ed
27 r eports if the person acted in good faith when making such r eport.
28 5. Notwithstanding any provi sion of law to the contrary , any information
29 identifying a person who repo rts suspected animal abuse or neglect under this section
30 shall be confidential and shall not be deemed a public record and shall not be subject to
31 the pro visions of section 109.180 or chapter 610.
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32 6. No person r equir ed to make a repor t of animal abuse or neglect under this
33 section shall knowingly make a false rep ort. The penalty for making a false rep ort and
34 the defenses to pro secution shall be the same as under section 575.080.
35 7. If an agency or political subdivision of the state determines that an employee
36 who is a mandated re porter under this section has failed to make a rep ort as requ ired by
37 this section, the agency or political subdivision shall issue a written notice to such
38 employee that shall include a finding of facts in support of the failur e to make a report
39 and an explanation of the reporting r equir ement. Such notice shall not be ret ained in a
40 permanent employment file and shall be r etained in a separate file or database
41 maintained by the agency or political subdivision. Such notice shall be considered a
42 closed r ecord under the pr ovisions of chapter 610.
43 8. Any person requ ired to make a report under this section who is subject to
44 pr ofessional licensur e and who fails to make a repor t as requ ired by this section shall be
45 subject to discipline by his or her re spective licensing board.
46 9. The duty to rep ort animal abuse or neglect and any associated penalties for
47 failur e to r eport animal abuse or neglect imposed under this section shall not be in effect
48 during any period in which the hotline established and operated by MACA, or a
49 successor entity , has yet to begin or has otherwise ceased operation and shall res ume
50 when the hotline is operational.
51 10. As used in this section, the following terms mean:
52 (1) "Animal", dogs, cats, rabbits, and domesticated birds;
53 (2) "Successor entity", any entity designated as such jointly by the department
54 of health and senior services and the childr en's division.
55 1 1. The pr ovisions of this section shall expir e on December 31, 2030.
273.415 . 1. No later than December 31, 2027, all persons employed or serving as
2 animal contr ol officers or animal humane investigators who have dir ect contact with
3 animals shall be r equir ed to complete at least one and one-half hour of training as
4 described in this subsection. Any person beginning employment after December 31,
5 2027, as an animal control officer or animal humane investigator who has dir ect contact
6 with animals shall complete such training within sixty days of beginning employment or
7 service. The training shall include the following:
8 (1) Requirem ents to repo rt child abuse or neglect or eligible person abuse or
9 neglect under section 273.420 and the penalties associated with failur e to repo rt such
10 abuse or neglect;
11 (2) How to identify child or eligible adult abuse or neglect;
12 (3) How to make a rep ort of child or eligible adult abuse or neglect; and
13 (4) The rel ationship between child, eligible adult, and animal abuse or neglect.
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14 2. By December 31, 2026, the children 's division, the department of health and
15 senior services, and the department of agricultur e, in consultation with the Missouri
16 Animal Contro l Association, or a successor entity , shall develop or adapt and use
17 available training materials for the training requ ired under this section.
18 3. Persons req uir ed to complete training under this section shall be pr ovided
19 with opportunities to do so during regula r working hours. The training may qualify as
20 part of any continuing education requ irem ents otherwise r equir ed for such person as a
21 condition of licensur e or employment.
22 4. As used in this section, the following terms shall mean:
23 (1) "Animal", dogs, cats, rabbits, and domesticated birds;
24 (2) "Animal humane investigator", a duly-authorized county or municipal
25 animal contr ol officer or any Missouri peace officer standards and training (POST)-
26 certified or Missouri Animal Control Association (MACA)-certified animal cruelty
27 investigator;
28 (3) "Successor entity", any entity designated as such jointly by the department
29 of health and senior services and the childr en's division.
30 5. The pr ovisions of this section shall expir e on December 31, 2030.
273.420 . 1. Beginning January 1, 2028, any animal control officer or animal
2 humane investigator , as defined in section 273.415, shall immediately rep ort or cause a
3 r eport to be made to the department of health and senior services if such person has
4 r easonable cause to suspect that an eligible adult, as such term is defined in section
5 192.2400, has been subject to abuse or neglect or observes the eligible adult being
6 subjected to conditions or cir cumstances that would r easonably res ult in abuse or
7 neglect.
8 2. Beginning January 1, 2028, any animal control officer or animal humane
9 investigator shall immediately report or cause a report to be made to the children's
10 division, in accordance with the pr ovisions of sections 210.109 to 210.183, if such person
11 has reas onable cause to suspect that a child has been or may be subjected to abuse or
12 neglect or observes a child being subjected to conditions or circu mstances that would
13 r easonably r esult in abuse or neglect.
14 3. Any person requ ired to r eport under this section may also report the suspicion
15 of abuse or neglect to any law enfor cement agency or juvenile office. Such rep ort shall
16 not, however , take the place of re porting to the department or the division.
17 4. The penalty for failing to r eport as requi red under this section shall be a class
18 A misdemeanor .
19 5. As used in this section, the term "r easonable cause" shall mean that abuse or
20 neglect is mor e likely than not to have occurr ed.
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21 6. The pr ovisions of this section shall expir e on December 31, 2030.
273.425 . 1. The Missouri Animal Control Association, or a successor entity , in
2 collaboration with the department of health and senior services and the children's
3 division, shall pr ovide a rep ort to the governor and general assembly by December 31,
4 2028, and again by November 1, 2029, that shall include, but not be limited to, the
5 following:
6 (1) Call wait times for all types of abuse or neglect reporting;
7 (2) Number of eligible adults, children, and animals for which r eports have been
8 submitted under sections 273.415 and 273.420; and
9 (3) Number of r eports in which investigation determined that eligible adult or
10 child abuse or neglect and animal abuse or neglect have been found to be connected, co-
11 occurring, or otherwise relat ed.
12 2. The rep ort provi ded under this section shall not include any information
13 otherwise pr ohibited fr om disclosur e under state or federal law .
14 3. As used in this section the following terms shall mean:
15 (1) "Eligible adult", shall have the same meaning as defined in section 192.2400;
16 (2) "Successor entity", any entity designated as such jointly by the department
17 of health and senior services and the childr en's division.
18 4. The pr ovisions of this section shall expir e on December 31, 2030.
✔
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