Legislative Update - Feb. 25, 2022

GENERAL ASSEMBLY PASSES, GOVERNOR SIGNS SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET BILL

Both houses of the General Assembly reconvened on Tuesday, February 22, 2022, having taken off Monday in observance of Pres. Washington’s Birthday.  The primary action of the week was legislative and gubernatorial approval of an emergency supplemental appropriations bill totaling more than $4.5 billion (HB 3014).  The Senate’s version of the appropriations bill was placed on the calendar for debate on February 16, 2022.  Intraparty conflicts erupted once again at the beginning of this legislative week and prevented routine floor work on Tuesday.  Later on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, the Senate was able to take up the bill for Third Reading, adopt a Senate substitute by a vote of 25 to 7, and return the bill to the House.  On Thursday, the House accepted the Senate changes and SS SCS HCS HB 3014 was Truly Agreed To and Finally Passed by a vote of 133 to 12.  The governor signed the bill into law on the same day.  Among other items, the supplemental appropriations bill includes:

• A statewide pay plan for state employees with a 5.5 percent cost of living adjustment;
• $1.9 billion for distribution to local public school districts;
• $444 million for child care services
• $219 million for school food programs
• Funding for the remainder of the fiscal year for MO HealthNet. 

To date, the House has third read eleven bills and two joint resolutions (including HB 3014) and sent them to the Senate for consideration.  The second proposed constitutional amendment (HJR 117), approved by the House on Thursday by a vote of 95 to 45, would change provisions relating to eligibility and requirements for MO HealthNet.  In contrast, the Senate has sent one bill and one joint resolution to the House for its consideration.  The traditional mid-session legislative break will occur the week of March 11-18, 2022.  Approximately two-and-a-half months remain until the deadline for floor consideration of bills (Friday, May 13, 2022).  The deadline for legislative approval of the Fiscal Year 2023 budget will be Friday, May 6, 2022. 

Current Legislative Status of Bar-Initiated Legislative Proposals (2022 Introduced Legislation)

New bills continue to be filed each legislative day, with a final deadline of March 1, 2022, for bill introduction.  To review bills of interest and check their legislative progress, visit The Missouri Bar’s Legislative Engagement Center.  The bill feeds are organized by subject or practice area and automatically update as legislative actions occur, so bookmark the page and check back regularly.  If you have any questions or comments about specific legislation, please contact Government Relations Counsel at 573-659-2280 or govrel@mobar.org for more information.  
 

COMMITTEE HEARINGS OF INTEREST

SENATE

The Senate Seniors, Families, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee met February 23, 2022, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

• SB 882 (White), modifying provisions relating to military affairs – Witnesses 
   
• SB 830 (Brown), modifying provisions relating to home health licensing – Witnesses
  Support: Carol Hudspeth (Missouri Alliance for Home Care);Jorgen Schlemeier (MO Academy of Physician Assistants); Kyna Iman (Missouri Nurses Association); Garrett Webb (Phoenix Home Care), Michael Grote (Cox Health); Jessica Petrie (BJC Healthcare Systems)
  Oppose: Heidi Sutherland (Missouri State Medical Association); Stephen Nittler (Missouri Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons) 
   
• SB 779 (Gannon), modifying provisions relating to MO HealthNet providers – Witnesses
  Support: Samuel Lee (Campaign Life Missouri)
  Informational Purposes Only: Ryan Conway (Department of Social Services)

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

• SB 826 (Hough), modifying the age range of children in license-exempt neighborhood youth development programs
  Do Pass by a vote of 8 to 0 
   
• SB 798 (Mosley), establishing a “Restaurant Meals Program” as part of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
  Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 1 
   
• SB 823 (White), modifying provision relating to child protection
  Do Pass by a vote of 8 to 0 
   
• SCS SB 834 (Luetkemeyer), creating provision relating to a correction center nursery program
  Do Pass by a vote of 8 to 0

The Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee met on February 23 and considered the following legislation in executive session:

• SCS SB 775, 751 and 640 (Thompson-Rehder), modifying provisions relating to prior sexual conduct of witnesses, provisions relating to location restrictions for certain offenders, and provisions relating to right to sexual assault survivors
  Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 0

HOUSE

The House Special Committee on Litigation Reform met on February 22, 2022, and considered the following legislation in executive session:

• HB 1715 (Riley), modifying provisions relating to the collateral source rule
  Do Pass by a vote of 6 to 2
   
• HCS HB 1716 (Riley), modifying provisions relating to workers' compensation
  Do Pass by a vote of 6 to 2

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House Special Committee on Criminal Justice met on February 22, 2022, and considered the following legislation in executive session:

• HB 2248 (Hicks), Changing the law regarding private probation supervision services by prohibiting drug and alcohol screen tests unrelated to the offense, and requiring the use of earned compliance credits
  Do Pass by a vote of 8 to 0

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House General Laws Committee met on February 23, 2022, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

• HB 1607 (Wiemann), preempting any laws or orders that would hinder the operations of a firearm business – Electronic Witness Forms 
   
• HB 1698 (Baker) and HB 1912 (Schroer), changing the law regarding concealed carrying of weapons by allowing firearms in churches and other places of worship with a concealed carry permit – Electronic Witness Forms for HB 1698 and Electronic Witness Forms for HB 1912
  Support:  Prof. Royce Barondes (Individual)
  Oppose: Reverend Darryl Gray (Missouri Faith Voices and Missionary Baptist State Convention); Rabbi Daniel Bogard, (Central Reform Congregation); Cheryl Lynn Adelstein (Jewish Community Relations Council); John Bowman (NAACP); Brian Kaylor (Word & Way and Churchnet)
   
• HCR 61 (Bayse), calling for an Article V convention for the purpose of amending the United States Constitution to establish term limits for members of Congress – Electronic Witness Forms
  Support: Tracy King (U.S. Term Limits) 
   
• HB 1490 (Porter), modifying provisions for charitable organization solicitations – Electronic Witness Forms
  Support: Megan Schmidt (The Philanthropy Roundtable)

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

• HCS HB 1722 (Shields), requiring bleeding control kits in all public school and charter school classrooms
  Do Pass by a vote of 15 to 0 
   
• HB 2094 (Murphy), modifying the offense of furnishing pornographic material to minors
  Do Pass by a vote of 15 to 0
   
• HB 2169 (Trent), establishing provisions for the appointment and duties of commissioners to attend an Article V convention
  Do Pass by a vote of 11 to 4
   
• HB 2163 (Houx), authorizing the next-of-kin of a deceased person to delegate control of the final disposition of the remains
  Do Pass by a vote of 15 to 0

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House Judiciary Committee met on February 23, 2022, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

• HB 1682 (Chris Brown), prohibiting a court from imposing or enforcing a moratorium on eviction proceedings unless authorized by state law – Electronic Witness Forms
  Support: Jason Zamkus (Missouri Association of Realtors)
  Oppose: Jeremy LaFaver (Empower Missouri)
   
• HB 2056 (Evans), Modifies provisions relating to individuals who are not required to submit background screenings if seeking appointments as guardians or conservators to certain persons – Electronic Witness Forms 
   
• HB 2160 (Dinkins), Modifies provisions relating to a sexual offender's duty to report – Electronic Witness Forms
  Support: David Jackson (Self)
  Informational Purposes Only: Scott Slueter (Missouri Highway Patrol)

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

• HB 1548 (Veit), creating the Change of Venue for Capital Cases Fund to reimburse a county that receives a capital case from another county for costs associated with the sequestering of jurors
  Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 1
   
• HB 1963 (Degroot), allowing the circuit court in St. Louis City to collect a fee not to exceed twenty dollars, rather than fifteen, to go toward the law library
  Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 1
   
• HCS HB 1662 (Craig Fishel), changing the laws regarding restrictive covenants by expanding the definition of prohibited covenants and establishes a procedure to remove prohibited covenants from deeds
  Do Pass by a vote of 8  to 0 (consent)
   
• HCS HB 2005 (Haffner), modifying provisions for eminent domain for utility purposes
  Do Pass by a vote of 6 to 3
   
• HB 2590 (Evans), modifying provisions relating to sexual offenses
  Do Pass by a vote of 8 to 0

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House Financial Institutions Committee met on February 23, 2022, and considered the following legislation in executive session:

• HB 2370 (Evans), modifying provision relating to funding for the Office of State Public Defender
  Do Pass by a vote of 14 to 0 

Archived Video of Committee Hearing