Read the full stored bill text
SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 2624
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBL Y
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENT A TIVE PRICE.
6273H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
T o amend chapter 660, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to kinship infant
care.
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. There is her eby established within the department the "Kinship
2 Infant Care Support Pr ogram" to pr ovide financial support payments to an eligible
3 car egiver who car es for an infant so that the infant's par ent or par ents may work,
4 attend school, or participate in job training. All moneys deposited into the kinship
5 infant car e support fund established in this section shall be used for such financial
6 support payments and for training and backgr ound checks r equir ed under this section.
7 2. As used in this section, the following terms mean:
8 (1) "Backgroun d check", includes:
9 (a) A state and Federal Bureau of Investigation fingerprint check; and
10 (b) The state-based child abuse and neglect regi stry and database;
11 (2) "Car egiver", a person who is a biological grandpar ent, great -grandpar ent,
12 aunt, uncle, or sibling eighteen years of age or older to an infant and who is a Missouri
13 r esident;
14 (3) "Department", the department of social services;
15 (4) "Infant", a person under one year of age who is biologically relat ed to a
16 car egiver .
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.
17 3. (1) In order for a caregi ver to be eligible for financial support payments
18 under this section, a par ent or paren ts of an infant shall:
19 (a) Engage in work, education, or job training for at least twenty hours per
20 week; and
21 (b) Have a household income at or below two hundred fifty perce nt of the federal
22 poverty level.
23 (2) The paren t or par ents shall pr ovide proo f of the r equir ements under
24 subdivision (1) of this subsection to the department as prov ided by the department.
25 4. (1) The department shall pay an eligible caregiv er an hourly rate per infant.
26 A car egiver of an infant whose par ent or paren ts are at or below one hundred fifty
27 per cent of the federal poverty level shall be given a higher hourly rate compare d to a
28 par ent or pare nts who are one hundred fifty-one percen t to two hundred fifty per cent of
29 the federal poverty level.
30 (2) The hourly rate shall be established by the department.
31 (3) Caregi vers:
32 (a) May be paid for up to sixty hours per week per infant;
33 (b) May care for no mor e than two infants at one time; and
34 (c) Shall not r eceive payments for hours alrea dy cover ed by other child car e
35 subsidies, foster care payments, or temporary assistance to needy families child-only
36 grants.
37 5. (1) In addition to all other eligibility re quir ements pro vided in this section, a
38 car egiver shall also successfully complete a backgr ound check before recei ving any
39 financial support payments under this section. Each caregi ver shall be subject to the
40 backgr ound check every five years.
41 (2) (a) The car egiver shall:
42 a. Initially complete twelve hours of health and safety training, including
43 training in infant cardiopulmonary res uscitation, safe sleep practices, abuse recogn ition,
44 shaken baby pr evention, and infant development. After the initial health and safety
45 training, the care giver shall r eceive annual training as requi red by the department; and
46 b. Attest that his or her home meets basic safety standards, including a safe sleep
47 space, fir e detectors, and safe storage for fir earms.
48 (b) The car egiver shall submit all information requ ired under paragraph (a) of
49 this subdivision in a manner pro vided by the department.
50 6. Car egivers receiv ing Supplemental Security Income or Social Security
51 Disability Insurance may participate in the kinship infant care support progr am if the
52 car egiver's disability does not preven t safe infant car e; the car egiver's total household
53 income, including Supplemental Security Income or Social Security Disability
HB 2624 2
54 Insurance, is within the applicable federal pr ogram limit; and the car egiver meets all
55 training and safety r equir ements.
56 7. The department shall:
57 (1) Creat e accessible applications that are to be completed by the par ent or
58 par ents. Such applications shall be available on paper or online and be in English or
59 Spanish. A completed application shall be appr oved or denied by the department within
60 thirty days of applying for financial support payments for a careg iver . Any application
61 that has been denied shall state the r eason or reas ons for denial;
62 (2) Pr ovide or contract for re quir ed training and backgroun d checks at no cost
63 to the par ent or paren ts or car egiver; and
64 (3) Pr ocess financial support payments within thirty days of recei ving complete
65 monthly attendance reco rds.
66 8. (1) There is hereb y creat ed in the state tr easury the "Kinship Infant Car e
67 Support Fund". The fund shall be administered by the department. The fund shall
68 consist of moneys appr opriated to it by the general assembly and any gifts, bequests, or
69 donations to such fund. The state tr easure r shall be custodian of the fund. In
70 accordance with sections 30.170 and 30.180, the state tre asure r may appr ove
7 1 disbursements. The fund shall be a dedicated fund and, upon appr opriation, moneys
72 in this fund shall be used solely as provi ded in this section and pay any administrative
73 costs associated with the kinship infant care support pr ogram. However , no mor e than
74 ten per cent of the moneys in the fund shall be used to pay for the administrative costs.
75 (2) Notwithstanding the pro visions of section 33.080 to the contrary , any moneys
76 r emaining in the fund at the end of the biennium shall not r evert to the credit of the
77 general reven ue fund.
78 (3) The state tre asurer shall invest moneys in the fund in the same manner as
79 other funds ar e invested. Any interes t and moneys earned on such investments shall be
80 cr edited to the fund.
81 9. The department shall submit quarterly updates and an annual repo rt to the
82 general assembly covering enro llment, spending, outcomes, and safety data, and
83 commission a compre hensive independent evaluation thr ee years after implementation.
84 10. The department shall pr omulgate all necessary rules and regu lations for the
85 administration of this section. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in
86 section 536.010, that is crea ted under the authority delegated in this section shall
87 become effective only if it complies with and is subject to all of the provi sions of chapter
88 536 and, if applicable, section 536.028. This section and chapter 536 are nonseverable
89 and if any of the powers vested with the general assembly pursuant to chapter 536 to
90 r eview , to delay the effective date, or to disappr ove and annul a rule are subsequently
HB 2624 3
91 held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking authority and any rule pr oposed or
92 adopted after August 28, 2026, shall be invalid and void.
✔
HB 2624 4