Bill expands mandatory reporters, reporting timelines and penalties for elder abuse and financial exploitation

Representative David Dolan presented House Bill 3,379, describing it as an update to the state's employee disqualification list and mandated-reporting framework for abuse and neglect in long-term care, assisted-living and in-home services. "This bill is basically, and what I call an ADL bill," he said, referring to activities of daily living protections.

Dolan said the bill expands mandated reporters to include emergency medical technicians, firefighters, paramedics and banking personnel, and it adds protections and immunity for reporters. The measure would require the Department of Social Services to investigate reports within 24 hours and to provide a response to the reporter within five days. Dolan said the bill also increases penalties in some circumstances: knowingly failing to report within a reasonable time could be a class A misdemeanor, and a failure that results in death could be elevated to a class E felony.

Cade Tremaine of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services told the committee the department supported the bill as a way to protect vulnerable Missourians and explained that gaps exist in current practice where those who exploit otherwise can move between facilities. The Missouri Bankers Association's lobbyist, David Kent, said banks want to work with the sponsor to avoid putting frontline bank employees in uncertain legal positions and to tailor any mandatory-reporting language to realistic practices; the association supported the bill in principle but sought to refine reporting mechanics.

Committee members probed how the bill would affect hiring and the practical burden on lower-level bank staff and asked about enforcement and consequences. Supporters and agency witnesses said industry conversations were ongoing and that the legislation sought to add protections for vulnerable adults while building workable processes with partners.