Parental Kidnapping Prevention Act

The federal Parental Kidnapping Protection Act (PKPA), is an Act of Congress signed into law in 1980. The purpose of the Act was to establish national standards for the assertion of child custody jurisdiction within the United States. The Act does not explicitly state which is the proper state in which an initial child custody matter should be filed, but provides that the assertion of child custody jurisdiction by any State without consideration of the Act's requirements does not provide a resulting "full faith and credit" in other States.

In addition to its provisions for full faith and credit, the PKPA explicitly provides that a State cannot modify the child custody decree of another state without complying with the terms of the PKPA. Thus, if a State modifies a previous child custody order without compliance with the PKPA, the modification is not entitled to full faith and credit in other states.

In 1999, Congress enacted an amendment that explicitly includes “visitation” rights in the definition of “custody” rights covered by the Act. Accordingly, the determination or modification of either legal custody, residence or visitation rights must comply with the PKPA or risk a lack of enforcement in other states. http://www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/C500-599/5650000163.HTM

The PKPA is codified at 28 U.S.C. 1738A.

Also for more information on the reading of the parental kidnapping revision here is a copy to the link for Missouri.http://www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/C500-599/5650000160.HTM http://www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/C500-599/5650000156.HTM http://www.moga.mo.gov/statutes/C500-599/5650000153.HTM