Legislative Update: Bill filing closes in General Assembly

Bill Filing Deadline

Wednesday, March 1, 2023, was the deadline for members of the General Assembly to introduce legislation (without special leave).  Legislators have introduced 2,268 bills and joint and concurrent resolutions.  At the conclusion of next week, the General Assembly will recess for a one-week break.  The final day for floor action on regular bills will be Friday, May 12, 2023, leaving seventy-one calendar days and approximately thirty-nine to forty-six legislative days.       

FY2024 Budget

On Monday, February 27, 2023, the governor signed the first truly agreed to and finally passed legislation of the 2023 Regular Session – HCS HB 14, the early supplemental appropriations bill.  Various House appropriations subcommittees have been reviewing the proposed FY24 executive budget and receiving testimony from various branches, departments, and agencies.  Once all twelve bills making up the operating budget have been referred to the House Budget Committee, the committee will produce the final House committee substitutes for the entire House to consider.  HCS HB 14 included an 8.7% cost of living adjustment and shift differential increases for state employees for the remainder of the current fiscal year.  The FY24 executive budget proposals included the same statewide pay plan for the upcoming fiscal year.  The final day for floor action on appropriations bills will be Friday, May 5, 2023. 

FY2024 Budget Information  
FY2024 Judiciary Budget Request with Governor’s Recommendations  
FY2024 State Public Defender Budget Request with Governor’s Recommendations

Third Read Bills and Resolutions

Including HCS HB 14, the House has third read and approved sixteen bills and one joint resolution in total, sending ten additional bills to the Senate this week:   

• HCS HB 154 (Thomas), provides a sales tax exemption for sales of certain medical devices
• HS HCS HB 186 (Murphy), modifies provisions relating to ballot language relating to taxation
• HCS HB 268 (Riley), establishes the Regulatory Sandbox Act
• HB 415 (O’Donnell), requires dealers to collect and remit sales tax on motor vehicle sales
• HCS HBs 575 & 910 (Shields), creates provisions relating to breast examinations
• HCS HB 655 (Knight), modifies provisions relating to property and casualty insurance
• HCS #2 HB 713 (Reedy), modifies provisions relating to motor vehicle assessment valuations
• HB 730 (Brown – 16), establishes provisions relating to property rights
• HCS HBs 903, 465, 430 & 499 (Haffner), changes the laws regarding the foreign ownership of real property
• HCS HBs 994, 52 & 984 (Parker), modifies and establishes provisions relating to judicial proceedings

The Senate has third read thirty bills, one joint resolution, and five concurrent resolutions.  Among the Senate bills sent to the House this week were SB 72 (Trent), which includes the Judicial Privacy Act, and SB 103 (Crawford), which includes an extension for one of the funding mechanisms for statewide court automation.  The Missouri Bar Board of Governors voted in December to support these bills, as introduced. 

Future Floor Action

On the Senate calendar, there are three Senate bills on the Third Reading of Senate Bills calendar (after they have been approved by the Senate Fiscal Oversight committee); thirty-one Senate bills on the formal Senate Bills for Perfection calendar; two House bills on the House Bills on Third Reading calendar; one Senate bill on the informal Third Reading calendar; and fifteen Senate bills on the informal Senate Bills for Perfection calendar. 

On the House calendar, there are thirty-three House bills or joint resolutions ready for possible floor consideration: 

• House Bills for Perfection – 23 bills
• House Bills for Perfection (Informal) – 1 bill
• House Bills for Perfection (Consent) – 5 bills
• House Joint Resolutions for Third Reading – 1 joint resolution
• House Bills for Third Reading – 1 bill
• House Bills for Third Reading (Informal) – 1 bill
• House Bills for Third Reading (Consent) – 1 bill

Additional bills will likely be added as the week progresses. 

Bills of Interest and Additional Information

To see more bills of interest, organized by subject or practice area, visit The Missouri Bar’s Legislative Engagement Center (and bookmark the page).  These bills of interest feeds are automatically updated with the latest status of the bills listed and provide links to individual bill webpages.  The bills of interest listed at the end of this update are just a sample of those already introduced this year, many of which could significantly impact the administration of justice, the integrity of the judiciary, or the dignity of the profession of law.    If you have any questions or comments about specific legislation, please contact Government Relations staff at 573-659-2280 or govrel@mobar.org for more information.   

2023 Bar-Initiated Legislative Proposals  
Board of Governors or Executive Committee Actions Taken on 2023 Bills

COMMITTEE HEARINGS OF INTEREST

Senate

N.B.:  The “Witnesses” links for Senate committees will lead to the “Committee Minutes” page of the relevant committee.  On the “Committee Minutes” page, scroll to the appropriate bill number in the middle column of the page and click the “View” button.

The Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee met on February 27, 2023, and held a public hearing on the following legislation:

• HCS HB 301 (Roberts), modifying provisions relating to public safety – Witnesses

The Senate Emerging Issues Committee met on met on February 28, 2023, and held a public hearing on the following legislation:

• SB 7 (Rowden), creating the office of Chief Data Officer – Witnesses

The Senate General Laws Committee met on March 1, 2023, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

• SB 185 (Bernskoetter), repealing chapter 291, regulating industrial inspections by the Director of the Inspection Section – Witnesses
• SB 199 (Thompson Rehder), modifying provisions regarding adult high schools – Witnesses
• SB 248 (Brown - 16), authorizing the conveyance of state property – Witnesses

The committee took action on the following legislation in executive session:

• SB 95 (Koenig), modifying provisions relating to property tax – Do Pass by a vote of 4 to 1
• SB 104 (Cierpiot), reducing the assessment percentage of personal property – Do Pass by a vote of 3 to 2
• SJR 11 (Cierpiot), exempting noncommercial vehicles in excess of ten years old from property tax – Do Pass by a vote of 3 to 2

The Senate Health and Welfare Committee met on March 1, 2023, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

• SB 91 (McCreery), modifying provisions relating to abuse and neglect reporting, including a requirement to report companion animal abuse – Witnesses
• SB 173 (Koenig), Modifies a sales tax exemption for the sale of certain medical devices - Witnesses
• SB 212 (Beck), requiring a surgical smoke plume evacuation policy for hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers – Witnesses
• SB 228 (Coleman), modifying provisions relating to do-not-resuscitate orders for children - Witnesses
• SB 229 (Coleman), modifying provisions relating to Children's Division contracts – Witnesses

The committee took action on the following legislation in executive session:

• SCS SB 106 (Arthur), prohibiting the performance of certain patient examinations upon anaesthetized or unconscious patients – Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 0
• SB 198 (Thompson Rehder), modifying provisions relating to the waiver of fees for birth certificates for certain victims – Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 0

The Senate Progress and Development Committee met on March 1, 2023, and took action on the following legislation in executive session:

• SB 245 (Arthur), Modifies provisions relating to funding for the Office of the Public Defender – Do Pass by a vote of 4 to 0

House

N.B.:  The electronic witness forms reflect only those witnesses who submitted forms electronically.  Once legislation is reported out of committee, the list of those witnesses appearing in person can be found under the “Committee” Bill Summary.

The House Judiciary Committee met on February 27, 2023, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

• HB 1086 (Bosley), establishing a conviction review unit – Electronic Witness Forms
• HB 1108 (Hicks), modifying provisions relating to the sexual offender registry – Electronic Witness Forms

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House Children and Families Committee met on February 28, 2023, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

• HB 355 (Davidson), modifying and establishing provisions relating to the protection of children – Electronic Witness Forms
• HB 906 (Haden), modifying provisions relating to lead poisoning – Electronic Witness Forms
• HB 182 (Burnett), prohibiting the use of restraints on a child in juvenile court – Electronic Witness Forms
• HB 1151 (Unsicker), establishing and modifying provisions relating to child custody and child abductions – Electronic Witness Forms

The committee took action on the following legislation in executive session:

• HCS HB 913 & 428 (Farnan), modifying provisions relating to licensed child care facilities – Do Pass by a vote of 9 to 0.
• HB 1010 (Christofanelli), establishing provisions relating to the disclosures of identifiable information regarding certain children – Do Pass by a vote of 8 to 0; Do Pass Consent motion failed by a vote of 6 to 3 (N.B.:  A consent vote must be unanimous.)
• HB 81 (Veit), modifying provisions relating to required background checks of individuals employed by or associated with licensed residential care facilities, child placing agencies, or residential care facilities – Do Pass by a vote of 9 to 0.

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House Corrections and Public Institutions Committee met on March 1, 2023, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

• HB 1133 (Perkins), modifying provisions relating to jail-time credit – Electronic Witness Forms
• HB 1028 (Smith – 155), authorizing a tax credit for donations made to certain organizations – Electronic Witness Forms

The committee took action on the following legislation in executive session:

• HB 196 (Henderson), Allows for electronic notification to a victim or witness – Do Pass by a vote of 6 to 0.

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House Crime Prevention and Public Safety Committee met on March 2, 2023, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

• HB 36 (Billington), modifying provisions relating to titles for inoperable motor vehicles – Electronic Witness Forms
• HB 571 (Allen), modifying the offense of unlawful use of weapons by exempting commissioned school officers who carry a firearm on school property from the offense – Electronic Witness Forms
• HB 1024 (Bland Manlove), prohibiting the sale or distribution of certain lighters – Electronic Witness Forms

The committee took action on the following legislation in executive session:

• HCS HB 725 (Francis), modifying and establishing offenses involving teller machines – Do Pass by a vote of 21 to 0.
• HCS HB 766 (Roberts), creating provisions relating to background checks for employees and others associated with marijuana facilities – Do Pass by a vote of 21 to 0.

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

Legislative Dates to Remember

First Regular Session

Veto Session