Editor’s note: This is the final of a twopart series examining Novaleigh’s Law, a proposed child safety reform being drafted by Excelsior Springs resident Brianna Smith-Nimley. Today’s story examines the court records, Missouri statutes and procedural gaps the proposal seeks to address. Part One focused on Smith-Nimley’s personal connection to the issue and her work developing the proposal.The death of a 3-year-old child in Higginsville has prompted closer scrutiny of the way Missouri law handles reported child safety concerns. That scrutiny is now being driven in part by Excelsior Springs resident Brianna Smith-Nimley, who is drafting a proposed reform known as Novaleigh’s Law.Novaleigh’s Law is named for Novaleigh Galloway, who was found dead in a motel room in Dec. 2025 after police responded to a call of a child not breathing.Kyle Earl Scott Galloway and Deanna Kay Hankins ...