Protecting alzheimer's patients from non-consensual sex and clarifying other sex crime statutes is the goal of legislation that's received first round approval from the Missouri House.
Missy Shelton reports.
Under the proposal, only alzheimer's patients living in nursing homes are protected from unwanted sexual advances.
According to the bill sponsor Rick Johnson, these are the people most in need of protection.
Some state lawmakers criticized the bill for being too narrow.
Representative Matt Bartle says the bill doesn't go far enough because it doesn't protect alzhiemer's patients in other settings and it doesn't protect individuals with other forms of dimentia.
In addition to dealing with sex crimes against alzhiemer's patients, Johnson's bill bans bestiality.
But some rural lawmakers raised concerns that the bill goes too far and outlaws routine practices of animal semen collection facilities.
Representative Matt Boatright is a farmer...He says he deals with an animal semen company in the southwest Missouri town of Strafford.
He says under the bill, the company would not be allowed to obtain the specimen it sells to farmers.
The House did adopt an amendment that exempts people involved in animal husbandry from the bestiality ban.
The sex crimes bill faces a final vote in the House.
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