This bill reduces the length of time a person must wait before he or she may request that his or her investigation records finding insufficient evidence of child abuse or neglect be destroyed from one year to 60 days.
Current law allows the initial request to be made directly to the circuit court.
Investigation records contained in the central registry cannot be used in a child custody or visitation proceeding, nor can they be used by an employer. A person intentionally filing a false report of child abuse or neglect is subject to the criminal penalties in section 210.165, RSMo. Notice of the new procedure for requesting destruction of investigation records when insufficient evidence of child abuse or neglect is found must be given to a person when he or she is first investigated and when he or she receives the notice of finding of insufficient evidence. When a claim of abuse or neglect is found to have been intentionally falsely filed, the division must give written notification to the subject of the investigation that the records will be destroyed upon completion of any criminal proceedings under section 210.165.