Legislative Update - Feb. 4, 2022
SHORT WEEK IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
Monday (1/31/2022) marked the beginning of a short legislative week. Based on weather forecasts, both the House and Senate cancelled all activity for Wednesday (2/2) and Thursday (2/3), and floor activity on Tuesday was limited. The House third read one bill, sending it to the Senate, and perfected a second bill, while moving approximately 150 bills into or through the committee process. With a constitutional deadline falling at the end of the week, the Senate sought to complete its work on gubernatorial nominations made during the legislative interim. These nominees must be confirmed within the first thirty days of session or be permanently barred from appointment to the positions they are currently holding (unless their nominations are withdrawn and resubmitted). The Senate agreed to the withdrawal of sixteen nominations and gave its advice and consent to fifteen nominations. The notable exception was the nomination of Donald G. Kauerauf, who had become Director of the Department of Health and Senior Services on Sept. 1, 2021. After lengthy questioning in the Gubernatorial Appointments Committee and a brief filibuster on the Senate floor, the Senate did not take action on the Kauerauf nomination. The same day, Director Kauerauf submitted his resignation to Governor Parson, who has named DHSS General Counsel Richard Moore as acting director.
When both chambers return on Monday (2/7/2022), the supplemental appropriations bill (HB 3014) and the congressional redistricting bills will be the top items. In addition, on Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2022, Chief Justice Paul Wilson will deliver the annual State of the Judiciary address to a joint session of the General Assembly.
New bills continue to be filed each legislative day, with a final deadline of Mar. 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.
Bar-Initiated Legislative Proposals (2022 Introduced Legislation)
Board of Governors / Executive Committee Actions Taken on Introduced Legislation
COMMITTEE HEARINGS OF INTEREST
SENATE
The Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee met on Jan. 31, 2022, and held public hearings on the following bills:
- SB 831 (Brown), creating and modifying provisions relating to tampering with teller machines – Witnesses
- SB 833 (Luetkemeyer), modifying provisions relating to business covenants involving business entities – Witnesses
- SB 883 (White), modifying provisions relating to the procurement of bonds or insurance policies from the State Legal Expense Fund – Witnesses
The committee took action on the following bills in executive session:
- SB 766 (Luetkemeyer), changing the period of detention on arrest without a warrant to 48 hours
Do Pass by a vote of 4 to 2 - SCS SB 799 (Hegeman), modifying the offense of escaping from custody
Do Pass by a vote of 4 to 2 - SCS SB 850 (Bean), modifying provisions relating to criminal laws
Do Pass by a vote of 4 to 2
The Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee met on Feb. 1, 2022, and held a public hearing on the following bills:
The Senate Seniors, Families, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee met briefly on Jan. 26, 2022. The committee took action on the following bills in executive session:
- SCS SBs 698 & 639 (Gannon and Schupp), relating to MO HealthNet services for pregnant and postpartum women
Do Pass by a vote of 8 to 0 - SB 667 (Burlison), relating to public funding of abortion facilities and affiliates and provisions relating to MO HealthNet providers
Do Pass by a vote of 6 to 2 - SJR 35 (Eigel), creating the Missouri Department of the National Guard
Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 1
HOUSE
The House Crime Prevention Committee met on Jan. 31, 2022, and held a public hearing on the following bills:
- HB 2439 (Hovis), modifying provisions relating to peace officers
IN SUPPORT: Sandy Karsten, Director of Public Safety; Mark Owen, Platte County Sheriff and chair of the POST Commission; Dave Marshak, Jefferson County Sheriff and member of the POST Commission; Captain Ben Jones, Missouri State Highway Patrol and member of the POST Commission; Geoff Jones, Columbia Chief of Police; Susan Rockett, Mexico Director of Public Safety; Lt. Alford, Missouri State Highway Patrol
- HB 2032 (Lewis), establishing and modifying provisions relating to child trafficking
IN SUPPORT: Jessica Seitz, director of Missouri KidsFirst; Jessica Petrie, National Association of Social Workers
- HB 2307 (Coleman – 32), assessing an additional $5,000 fine for human trafficking offenses and establishing the “Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation Fund”
- HJR 114 (Coleman – 32), proposing a constitutional amendment to exclude proceeds from penalties and fines collected for human trafficking offenses from required distribution to the schools of the several counties according to law
IN SUPPORT: Alison Phillips and Dan Nash, co-founders of the Human Trafficking Training Center
Archived Video of Committee Hearing
The House General Laws Committee met on Jan. 31, 2022, and held public hearings on the following bills:
- HB 1462 (Schnelting) and HB 1660 (Hicks), allowing concealed carrying of firearms on public transportation systems, and transporting nonfunctional or unloaded firearms on public buses
IN SUPPORT: William Bland, Western Missouri Shooters Alliance; Mark Buckner, individual; Scott Jones, National Rifle Association; Dale Yankey, president of the Arnold Rifle and Pistol Club; Susan Myers, individual
IN OPPOSITION: Mike Winter, Missouri Public Transit Association; Jorgen Schlemeier, Greater St. Louis, Inc.; Fred Dreiling, Springfield City Utilities and Kansas City Area Transportation Authority; Shannon Cooper, City of Kansas City and Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce
- HB 1689 (Hardwick), changing the laws regarding liens on stored property
IN SUPPORT: Mike Burnam, Columbia, owner of an international self-storage company
FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES: Doug Crews, Missouri Press Association
- HB 2369 (Hurlbert), prohibiting public school membership in any statewide activities association that prohibits home school students from participating in any event or activity offered by the school district in which the student resides
IN SUPPORT: Jonah Speaker, a 15-year-old home schooled student; Lydia Meredith, a 14-year-old home schooled student; Zeke Speaker, a home schooled high school senior; Kelly Corwood, a mother who home schools her children
FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES: Joshua Klarich, American Covenant Ministries
- HB 1856 (Baker), establishing the Extended Learning Opportunities Act
IN SUPPORT: Dr. Jerry Hobbs, yes.every.kid, Inc.; Kara Corches, Missouri Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Stacy Pries, Aligned; Jorgen Schlemeier, Science Coach; Jeremy Cady, Americans for Prosperity
The Committee took action on the following bills in executive session:
- HB 2143 (Kalberloh), regarding cemetery trust funds
Do Pass by a vote of 14 to 0 - SCS HB 2289 (Andrews), regarding advertisements and orders of publication in newspapers
Do Pass by a vote of 14 to 0 (and 1 abstention and 1 present) - HB 2310, (McDaniel), regarding Mormon War Remembrance Day
Do Pass by a vote of 15 to 0
Archived Video of Committee Hearing
The House Public Safety Committee met on Feb. 2, 2022, and held a public hearing on the following bills:
- HB 1687 (Hardwick), designating the “Chief of Police Ferman R Raines Memorial Highway” on a portion of State Highway 17 in Pulaski County
The Committee took action on the following bills in executive session:
- HCS HB 1656 (Hicks), specifying that no political subdivision can require its employees to reside within a jurisdiction
Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 3 - HCS HB 2381 (Roden), modifying provisions relating to emergency medical dispatchers
Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 3 - HB 2193 (Toalson Reisch), modifying provisions relating to the re-employment of members of Missouri Task Force One who are called to active duty
Do Pass by a vote of 10 to 0 - HB 1994 (Richey), modifying provision relating to funding for the Kansas City Police Department
Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 3 - HCS HB 1986, (Brown, Chris), modifying provision relating to funding for the Kansas City Police Department
Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 3
Archived Video of Committee Hearing