MO HB1296

Courts cannot enter final custody or visitation modification orders until 90 days after a military parent's deployment ends.

Deployment or potential for future deployment alone cannot be the sole basis for permanent custody or visitation changes.

Temporary custody or visitation modifications may be made during deployment, automatically reverting to original terms within 30 days of the deploying parent's return.

A deploying parent may delegate visitation rights to a family member with a close relationship to the child during deployment, with a rebuttable presumption against delegation to individuals with domestic violence history.

Courts must accommodate deploying parents through expedited hearings, electronic testimony, and expedited temporary orders when deployment is imminent and no custody order exists, while requiring the nondeploying parent to facilitate communication and provide 30-day notice of address changes.