The head of the Missouri House says lawmakers will consider bills concerning families and children this week.
That includes legislation clarifying divorce law as well as bills related to child care.
鈥淚 think we talked on Jan. 8 [the first day of session] that the Missouri House of Representatives is going to be about families, and next week is going to highlight our efforts," said Speaker Jon Patterson, R-Lee鈥檚 Summit.
One of the bills eliminates legal barriers women seeking a divorce or separation could face just because they are pregnant.
House Minority Leader Ashley Aune, D-Kansas City, said she was proud that other members filed the bill this year after she did last session.
鈥淚'm really proud of the work that they've done, and I'm really hopeful it can get across the finish line this year,鈥� Aune said.
In addition to that bill, Patterson said the House will consider bills giving tax credits related to child care.
Legislators are also expected to discuss legislation that allows the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to grant a temporary child care license to a provider after submission of an application to expand an existing site or add a new location.
The temporary license would be valid for 12 months.
The House is also planning to debate a bill that expands how old a baby can be to be relinquished at a safe location like a firehouse.
Currently, a parent can place a child up to 45 days old into what鈥檚 known as a baby box without fear of prosecution. This bill extends the age limit to 90 days old.
Also expected to be considered next week is legislation that would allow legal damages against businesses for knowingly or intentionally publishing or distributing pornographic material to minors.
It requires businesses to verify anyone attempting to access that material is at least 18 years old.
Not on the docket for this week is legislation that would eliminate child marriage in the state, but Paterson expects it to be considered this session.
Currently, minors who are 16 or 17 can marry as long as they have parental consent.
A law passed in 2018 raised the minimum age for marrying from 15 to 16 and prohibited anyone over 21 from marrying a minor.
Now, proposed legislation would set the minimum age someone could marry in Missouri at 18. Patterson said that bill is making its way through the House.
鈥淭hat's a bill that you'll see moving forward, and I am in full support of,鈥� Patterson said.
Abortion law changes are also not on the schedule for this week. The House is considering legislation to change Amendment 3, which overturned Missouri鈥檚 near-total abortion ban.
鈥淚 think we're still trying to see what the best plan is, so I don't expect that you'll see it in the next one or two weeks, but I think it's something that will address this session,鈥� Patterson said.
The House has already held a hearing on a proposed constitutional amendment that would overturn Amendment 3.
The resolution, if passed by voters, would remove the provisions that were in Amendment 3 and instead allow abortion only in cases of rape, incest, medical emergencies or fetal anomalies.
For someone to receive an abortion following rape or incest, they would first have to produce documentation that the crime has been reported to a law enforcement agency.
Aune said she believes the reason why the House hasn鈥檛 yet heard legislation related to Amendment 3 is that Republicans aren鈥檛 united on this front.
鈥淚 have heard from folks on the far right that it doesn't go far enough, and I've heard from folks who have deep concerns about the idea that we would require a police report to serve as evidence to a doctor that an abortion needs to take place,鈥� Aune said.
