Legislative update: April 26, 2024
So far, 118 bills have been third read and passed in the House. The Senate has sent 32 pieces of legislation to the House for consideration. HB 1886, a Missouri Bar priority sponsored by Rep. Rudy Veit, will be heard in the Senate Judiciary and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on April 29.
The Senate Appropriations Committee has voted, “Do Pass,” its versions of all budget bills. The Senate committee’s notes may be accessed using the links below. The plan is the full Senate will vote on these bills the coming week.
Certain to be of interest in Senate floor debate is SJR 74, sponsored by Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman. Prior to being sent to the House, the Senate removed much of the language, which has been restored in the House Committee Substitute and adopted by the House.
Senate FY 2025 language packet
Senate FY 2025 flexibility report
FY 2025 tracking – House budget chair substitute
FY 2025 governor recommendation
FY 2025 department budget requests with governor’s recommendations
2024 introduced legislation
To see legislation that has been introduced, organized by subject matter or practice area, visit The Missouri Bar’s Legislative Engagement Center. The bills are automatically updated with the latest status of the bills listed and provide links to the individual bill webpages. If you have any questions or comments about specific legislation, please contact Missouri Bar government relations staff at 573-659-2280 or govrel@mobar.org for more information.
Bar-initiated legislative proposals (2024 introduced legislation)
Committee hearings of interest
Senate
The Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee met on April 22 and held public hearings on the following:
SB 897 (Trent): Modifies provisions relating to judicial proceedings
- In support: Missouri Association of Realtors; Associated Industries of Missouri; The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Missouri Press Association; Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys; Motion Picture Association of America; The Missouri Bar; The Missouri Bar Alternative Dispute Resolution Committee; The Institute for Free Speech; Judicial Conference of Missouri; and The Missouri Network Against Child Abuse
- In opposition: The International Legal Finance Association
HCS HBs 1692 & 1748 (Sparks): Modifies provisions relating to offenses involving arrests, stops, and detentions
- Valentine’s Law
- In support: St. Louis County Police Association; Officers of the St. Louis County Police Department; Law Enforcement Legislative Coalition; Missouri Police Chiefs Association; Missouri Sheriffs United; Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys; Osage County Sheriff Officer; Missouri Fraternal Order of Police; Missouri Association Against Child Abuse; and Kansas City Fraternal Order of Police
- In opposition: none
- For information: Missouri Office of Prosecution Services
SB 1400 (Brown): Modifies provisions relating to the offense of posting unlawful information
- Doxing: increases penalties for posting about officers of the court and police officers; also addresses business records
- In support: Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys; Missouri Police Chiefs Association; and Law Enforcement Legislative Coalition
- In opposition: none
The committee took action on the following legislation in executive session:
SCS SB 1451 (Thompson Rehder): Modifies provisions relating to the offense of drug trafficking
- Do Pass by a vote of 5-2
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee met on April 22 and held public hearings on the following:
HCS HBs 2626 & 1918 (Parker): Modifies MO HealthNet coverage of hearing instruments
- In support: Dr. Kathleen Sinks; Dr. Payton Guinn; Maureen Fisher; Dr. Kristen Lewis; Dr. Lisa Potts; and Missouri Speech Language Hearing Association
- In opposition: none
The committee took action on the following legislation in executive session:
SCS SB 1485 (Brown): Modifies the amount of certain drugs that may be sold or dispensed to an individual in a 30-day period
- Do Pass by a vote of 6-0
SB 905 (Coleman): Modifies provisions relating to the protection of vulnerable persons
- Do Pass by a vote of 6-0
SCS HCS HBs 1706 & 1539 (Myers): Creates and modifies provisions relating to the protection of children and vulnerable persons
- Do Pass by a vote of 6-0
HCS HBs 2626 & 1918 (Parker): Modifies MO HealthNet coverage of hearing instruments
- Do Pass by a vote of 5-1
The Senate Appropriations Committee met this week to consider all proposed budget bills. The bills were all voted out of committee, do pass. A link to the Senate’s budget notes is listed above.
The Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee met on April 24 and held public hearings on bills including:
HCS HB 1481 (Christ): Modifies provisions relating to the operation of certain law enforcement agencies
- City of St. Louis Police Board
- In support: Jay Schroeder Missouri Peace Officers Association; St. Louis City Police Department; Missouri Fraternal Order of Police; St. Louis County Police Association; and St. Louis City Police Officers Association
- In opposition: Chief of the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department; Chief of staff to the mayor of the City of St. Louis; Missouri State Conference of the NAACP; and Empower Missouri
HB 1707 (Myers): Allows the chief law enforcement executive in any jurisdiction to request assistance from another jurisdiction, including a jurisdiction outside the state of Missouri
- In support: none
- In opposition: none
HB 1870 (Taylor): Extends the authority for the collection of certain fees by the Missouri Emergency Response Commission for six years, beginning August 28, 2024
- In support: Missouri Petroleum and Convenience Association; Fire something Alliance; Missouri Association of Councils of Government; Boone County Fire Protection District; Missouri Task Force 1; Missouri Ambulance Association; and Missouri State Emergency Management Agency
- In opposition: none
SB 1476 (Brown): Adds vehicles operated by county or municipal park rangers to the definition of “emergency vehicle”
- In support: Missouri Park and Recreation Association and St. Louis County
- In opposition: none
The Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee met in executive session on April 25 and took action on the following legislation:
SB 1356 (Williams): Modifies provisions relating to fees paid to the Missouri emergency response commission
- Do Pass by a vote of 5-0
SB 1381 (Washington): Designates "Fallen Firefighters Memorial Bridge" in Kansas City
- Do Pass by a vote of 5-0
SB 1412 (May): Creates the "Ebony Alert System" for abducted or missing Black youth
- Do Pass by a vote of 4-1
HB 1707 (Myers): Allows the chief law enforcement executive in any jurisdiction to request assistance from another jurisdiction, including a jurisdiction outside the state of Missouri
- Do Pass by a vote of 5-0
HB 1870 ( Taylor): Modifies provisions relating to certain fees collected by the “Missouri Emergency Response Commission”
- Do Pass by a vote of 5-0
House
The House Committee on Crime Prevention and Public Safety met on April 18 and held public hearings on the following:
HB 2436 (Banderman): Modifies provisions relating to the offense of making a terrorist threat
- Increases penalties for Swatting
- In support: none
- In opposition: none
- Electronic witness forms
HBs 2880 and 2881 were heard together
- Both deal with juveniles and gun use
- In support: none
- In opposition: none
- For information: Missouri Juvenile Justice Association
HB 2880 (Murphy): Modifies provisions relating to juvenile offenses
HB 2881 (Lovasco): Modifies provisions relating to juvenile offenses
The committee took action on the following legislation in executive session:
HJR 134 (Burger): Proposes a constitutional amendment relating to first responders
- Do Pass by a vote of 14-2
Archived video of committee hearing
The House Judiciary Committee met on April 24 and held a public hearing on the following:
SB 754 (Luetkemeyer):Modifies provisions relating to public safety
- In support: Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys; Missouri Office of Prosecution Services; United States Police Canine Association; Missouri Chapter of the Association of Public Safety Communications Officials; Missouri Chapter of The National Emergency Number Association; Missouri 911 Directors Association; Missouri 911 Service Board; Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry; Fraternal Oder of Police; St. Louis County; City of Kansas City; Civic Council of Greater Kansas City; Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce; Missouri State Troopers Association
- In opposition: none
- For information: Reese Ellis
- Electronic witness forms
Archived video of committee hearing
The House Corrections and Public Institutions Committee met in executive session on April 24 and took action on the following:
HCS SB 900 (Black): Modifies provisions relating to jails
- Do Pass by a vote of 9-0