Missouri lawmakers sent Sen. Jeanie Riddle's bill to let the state investigate complaints of children being abused by other children to Gov. Jay Nixon on Wednesday.
Since the Legislature has less than two weeks before the session must end, Nixon will have until early July to sign or veto the bill.
Riddle, R-Mokane, said her original bill was needed because of "a grave situation that needs to be rectified - a gap exists in the system for reporting, and assessing, situations where juveniles are sexually abusing other juveniles."
She noted in both committee testimony and the Senate's original debate that no state law gave the state Children's Division, the Juvenile court officials and law officers any clear authority to determine if a child was harming another child - even though they could investigate allegations of adults abusing children.
Emily van Schenkhof, deputy director of Missouri's Kids First group, testified at a March 4 Senate committee hearing there are about 600 cases a year reporting children abusing other children.
The goal - Riddle, van Schenkhof and others said two months ago - is to get help to children when they can learn to adjust their behaviors, and to address potential problems in their lives causing those behaviors, rather than having those children grow up to be adults who abuse others or develop a criminal record.
Senators approved an amendment allowing courts to grant orders of protection prohibiting contact with sexual assault victims, in addition to the current law granting those orders in many stalking cases - then passed the bill March 19 on a 33-0 vote.
The House added two amendments Tuesday, then passed its version by a 140-13 margin.
Riddle said during Wednesday's debate that the House added language:
• Requiring day care centers to notify parents - if they ask - when children who haven't been immunized are staying at the center.
• Ordering day care centers which have children under 1 years-old to implement and maintain a written safe sleep policy in accordance with recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics, and to provide training for all employees and volunteers about those policies.
That provision prompted state Sen. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph and a family practice doctor, to vote against the final bill, even though he had supported the original version.
"This bill forces a parent to go and get a physician's written opinion in order to tell a day care how they want their baby to sleep - like on their side or on their back," Schaaf explained. "We already live in a "nanny-state.'
"And now you have to get your doctor's permission to tell your day care how you want your baby to sleep? That seems kind of over-the-top."
The bill also requires all schools to post the toll-free child abuse and neglect hotline number established by the Children's Division in in all student restrooms and other locations within a school.
The Children's Division also is directed to develop an acronym to help children remember the hotline number.
And the final version authorizes the Office of the Child Advocate to conduct an independent performance review of any entity within a county - including the Children's Division, Juvenile office or a guardian appointed to represent a child in a court proceeding - if there have been at least three review requests within a calendar year.
"I believe it is just, basically, an audit to make sure our department is taking care of the needs of the individuals in this state," Riddle said.