JEFFERSON CITY — Legislation sponsored by Sen. Joe Keaveny, D-St. Louis, to help promote efficiency and good time management regarding child support decisions was today approved by the Missouri Senate and sent to the House for consideration.

Senate Bill 69 would grant authority to administrative hearing officers from the Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS) to set aside or correct administrative child support decisions or orders and proposed administrative modifications of a judicial order. Senator Keaveny’s bill also specifies the conditions and timeframe under which corrections to orders and decisions can be made due to a mistake, fraud, misrepresentation, and other situations.

“By allowing DSS officers the authority to fix certain mistakes in cases, such as scrivener’s errors (incorrect dates of birth or Social Security numbers), critical matters regarding our young ones can be handled as promptly and efficiently as possible,” Sen. Keaveny said. “We need to streamline this system to allow our state’s hard-working and dedicated professionals to serve Missouri families to the best of their ability.”

Last year, Sen. Keaveny sponsored a similar measure (SB 739) that received initial approval in both chambers; however, differences between the Senate and House could not be ironed out while the bill was in conference committee and the measure failed to reach the governor’s desk. For more information about SB 69, visit the Missouri Senate website at www.senate.mo.gov.