HB 1907 Summary

• Expands hearsay evidence admissibility in criminal proceedings involving children under 14 and "vulnerable persons" (those with inadequately developed or impaired intelligence, substantial psychiatric disorders, or developmental levels not exceeding a 14-year-old) relating to offenses under chapters 565, 566, 568, or 573.

• Allows vulnerable persons' statements to serve as sufficient corroboration of defendant statements, admissions, or confessions without requiring the vulnerable person to testify, if the court finds the statement reliable.

• Modifies domestic assault statutes (first, second, and third degree) to explicitly include children who are family or household members as potential victims of domestic assault crimes.

• Replaces section 568.060 (abuse of a child) with new section 568.055 establishing abuse or neglect of a child as a class C felony (minimum 1 year without parole), class B felony (minimum 5 years without parole) if prior conviction or serious injury involved, or class A felony (minimum 15 years without parole) if the victim is under 14 and injury resulted from sexual abuse or exploitation.

• Expands the definition of "vulnerable person" in mental health statutes (section 630.005) to include individuals receiving services from department programs or those with inadequately developed intelligence, substantial psychiatric disorders, or developmental levels not exceeding age 14.