Resource officer bill passes House

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. -- The Missouri House passed a bill Wednesday that would allow school districts to hire police resource officers and would strengthen the state's mandatory child abuse reporting law.

Under current guidelines, resource officers are considered county or municipal employees.

The measure sponsored by Rep. Sheila Solon, R-Blue Springs, would allow districts to directly hire fully commissioned police officers.

Solon said her bill is part of efforts to make schools safer after the Connecticut elementary school shooting that killed 20 children. The legislation includes a provision that would require the resource officers undergo training for a school intruder scenario.

But one Democrat said things other than security need to be looked at in order to prevent mass shootings. Rep. Margo McNeil, D-St. Louis, said the measure wasn't the only solution and said she was concerned about schools potentially taking on the financial responsibility of hiring resource officers.

The bill would also strengthen the state's mandatory child abuse reporting laws by removing a loophole. Under current law, mandatory reporters such as teachers are required to notify authorities of suspected child abuse -- but they also have the option to just inform their supervisor or administrator and therefore "cause" a report to occur.

An amendment removed the option for mandatory reporters to "cause" a report and instead requires them to report any suspected abuse themselves directly to state authorities.

The House voted 129-20 to the send the measure to the Senate.