Legislative Update for April 15, 2022

SENATE PREPARES FOR COMMITTEE MARK-UP OF BUDGET BILLS

The General Assembly will observe an Easter break on Monday and both chambers will not convene until Tuesday, April 19, 2022.  The House version of the Fiscal Year 2023 state operating budget has been referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee, which will conduct hearings and mark-up next week, moving the legislation to the Senate floor as quickly as possible.  The constitutional deadline for legislative approval of the FY 2023 budget bills will be Friday, May 6, 2022. 

The number of bills and joint resolutions approved in their chamber of origin continue to rise.  To date, the House has perfected 122 bills and joint resolutions and third read 110 bills and joint resolutions.  The Senate has returned four of those bills to the House with amendments, and only one has been truly agreed to and finally passed and signed by the governor.  The Senate has approved and sent thirty-nine bills and joint and concurrent resolutions to the House, and House committees have reported eight Senate bills and two Senate joint resolutions do pass.  The constitutional deadline for floor consideration of regular legislation will be Friday, May 13, 2022. 

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

To review bills of interest and check their legislative progress, visit The Missouri Bar’s Legislative Engagement Center.  The bill feeds or reports are organized by subject or practice area and automatically update as legislative actions occur, so bookmark any page of interest and check back regularly.  If you have questions or comments about specific legislation, please contact Government Relations staff at 573-659-2280 or govrel@mobar.org for more information.   

FLOOR DEBATE

In the House, HB 2571, modifying provisions relating to the Division of Finance was brought up for floor debate.  It was amended to include language making it a Class D or C felony to knowingly damage, modify, or destroy a teller machine, depending on the value of the damage.  The bill has been referred to the Fiscal Oversight Committee for review of the fiscal impact of floor amendments. 

In addition to third reading a bill relating to public utilities, the Senate also perfected legislation relating to access to public records and business entities. 

• SB 756 - White - Modifies provisions relating to public utilities
     LR: 3774S.10P    SS SCS SB 756 
   
• SB 761 - Brown - Creates provisions relating to access to public records
     LR: 3550S.03P    SS#2 SB 761 
   
• SB 968 - Burlison - Modifies provisions relating to business entities
     LR: 4530S.08P    SS#2 SCS SB 968

JOINT COMMITTEES

The Joint Committee on Administrative Rules met on April 12, 2022, to receive a report from JCAR Director Sarah Schappe.  The joint committee also elected a new chair, Rep. Alex Riley, and vice chair, Sen. Bill White.  Both are lawyer-legislators. 

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

SENATE

The Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee met on April 11, 2022, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

• SB 1018 (Bernskoetter), modifying provisions relating to condemnation proceedings – Witnesses
  Support: Richard Sheets (Missouri Municipal League)
   
• SB 1131 (Roberts), modifying provisions relating to arrests by private persons – Witnesses
  Support: Sharon Jones (Missouri State Conference NAACP) 
   
• SB 1219 (Gannon), establishing the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act, which provides procedures for dismissal of causes of action based on public expression – Witnesses
  Support: Jean Maneke (Media Defense Council and the Missouri Press Association); Curtis Varns (KMIZ TV); Susan Klein (Missouri Right to Life); Jennifer Durham (Motion Picture Association); Jeremy Cady (Americans for Prosperity); James Harris (Institute for Free Speech); Heath Clarkson (Missouri Broadcasters Association)

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

• SB 1093 (Koenig), modifying provisions relating to the release of a person from prison
  Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 0 
   
• SCS SB 1109 (Luetkemeyer), modifying provisions relating to civil detention
  Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 0 
   
• SCS SB 1201 (Rizzo), creating provisions relating to post-conviction relief
  Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 0

The Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee met on April 12, 2022, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

• SB 1151 (Roberts), creating provisions relating to grants to not-for-profit organizations for physical security measures – Witnesses
  Support: Jessica Petrie (Jewish Federation of St. Louis)
   
• HB 2416 (Porter), modifying provisions relating to off-premise sales by motor vehicle dealers (Consent) – Witnesses
  Support: Gretchen Rowe (Enterprise Leasing); Jay Reichard (Missouri Automobile Dealers Association); James Harris (Carvana) 
   
• SB 1162 (Rowden), designating the new Interstate 70 Missouri River Bridge in Boone County and Cooper County slated for completion in 2024 as the "Senator Roy D. Blunt Bridge" – Witnesses

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

• HB 2416 (Porter), modifying provisions relating to off-premise sales by motor vehicle dealers
  Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 0
  Consent by a vote of 5 to 0
   
• SCS SB 1167 (Gannon), modifying provisions relating to licenses issued by the Department of Revenue
  Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 0 
   
• HB 1962 (Copeland), modifying provisions relating to local log trucks
  Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 0 
   
• SB 1229 (Brown), providing that a person may use deadly force against a person unlawfully entering private property
  Do Pass by a vote of 4 to 1

The Senate Seniors, Families, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee met April 13, 2022, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

• SB 1189 (Cierpiot), creating provisions regarding the educational funding for children in state custody – Witnesses
  Support: Mary Chant (MO Coalition for Children); David Winton (Epworth Children's Center) 
   
• SB 1192 (Crawford), modifying provisions relating to supplemental welfare assistance – Witnesses
  Support: Jorgen Schlemeier (Missouri Assisted Living Association)
   
• HCS HBs 2116, 2097, 1690 & 2221 (Black), establishing the “No Patient Left Alone Act” – Witnesses
  Support: Michael Meyer (Individual)
  Oppose: Jorgen Schlemeier (Missouri Assisted Living Association and Missouri College of Emergency Physicians); Nikki Strong (Missouri Health Care Association); Nicole Lynch (Voyce)
   
• HCS HB 2151 (Shields), transferring authority over child care facility licensing and subsidies to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education – Witnesses
  Support: Craig Stevenson (Kids Win Missouri); Morgan Atwood (Office of Childhood); Mary Chant (Missouri Coalition for Children); Sarah Topp (Missouri Alliance of YMCAs)

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

• SCS SJR 52 and SJR 53
  Do Pass by a vote of 4 to 2

The Senate Appropriations Committee met April 13, 2022, and took action on the following legislation in executive session:

• HJR 117 (Smith), proposing a constitutional amendment relating to MO HealthNet – Witnesses
  Do Pass by a vote of 8 to 5

The Senate Appropriations Committee met April 14, 2022, and took action on the following legislation:

• HB 3015 (Smith), relating to supplemental appropriations
  Do Pass by a vote of 10 to 1

HOUSE

The House Crime Prevention Committee met in executive session on April 11, 2022, and took action on the following legislation:

• HCS HB 1712 (Pollock), modifying provisions relating to the offense of trespass in the first degree
  Do Pass by a vote of 9 to 0 
   
• HCS HB 2894 (Tolson Reisch), modifying provisions relating to certain persons found guilty of criminal offenses
  Do Pass by a vote of 8 to 1

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House Judiciary Committee met on April 11, 2022, and held a public hearing on the following legislation:

• SB 834 (Luetkemeyer), creating provisions relating to a correctional center nursery program – Electronic Witness Forms
  Support: Jeff Smith (Missouri Appleseed); Sam Lee (Campaign Life Missouri); Sarah Schlemeier (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists – Missouri Section); Jessica Petrie (National Association of Social Workers); David Jackson (Foster Care and Adoptive Care Coalition) 

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House General Laws Committee met on April 11, 2022, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

• HB 1632 (Morse), specifying that any contract with a person sixty-five years of age or older or with a person who has certain incapacities must be in writing – Electronic Witness Forms
   
• HCR 70 (Morse), supporting the signing of the bilateral trade agreement between Taiwan and the United States – Electronic Witness Forms

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

• HSC HB 2734, HB 2197 & HB 2461 (Bayse), establishing guidelines for student participation in athletic contests organized by sex
  Do Pass by a vote of 8 to 4
   
• HB 1580 (Mayhew), requiring the Missouri State Highway Patrol to host a web page where the public can determine whether a serial number of a firearm has been reported stolen
  Do Pass by a vote of 12 to 0 
   
• HCS HB 2157 (Falkner), creating provisions relating to business entities registered with the state
  Do Pass by a vote of 12 to 0

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House Special Committee on Criminal Justice met on April 12, 2022, and held a public hearing on the following legislation:

• HB 1992 (Collins), establishing the Department of Corrections Oversight Committee – Electronic Witness Forms
  Support: Representatives of Missouri Faith Voices, National Baptist Convention, MO Prison Reform, Citizens United for Rehabilitation of Errants, Exonerated Nation, KC Freedom Project, Exonerate My People, Missouri Association of Palestinians, Freedom Community Center and Prison for Prosperity Group, along with an additional twenty-four individuals, testified in person in support of the bill. 

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House Judiciary Committee met on April 13, 2022, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

• SB 886 (Luetkemeyer), modifying provisions relating to trusts – Electronic Witness Forms
  Support: Dan Wheeler (The Missouri Bar)
   
• HB 2624 (Perkins), establishing the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act – Electronic Witness Forms
  Support: James Harris (The Institute for Free Speech); Doug Nelson (MO Broadcasters Association); Curtis Varns (KMIZ); Susan Klein (Missouri Right to Life); Jeremy Cady (Americans for Prosperity) 
   
• HB 1688 (Hardwick), modifying provisions relating to covenants involving business entities – Electronic Witness Forms
  Support: Zach Skinner (Lockton Company); Carol Mitchell (MO Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
  Oppose:  Sharon Jones (Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys)

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

• HCS HB 1546 (Richey), providing immunity from civil liability for disclosures by a charity, nonprofit organization, religious organization, or church of allegations of sexual misconduct
  Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 2 
   
• HB 1549 (Veit), establishing the Uniform Interstate Depositions and Discovery Act
  Do Pass by a vote of 9 to 0 
   
• HCS HB 2703 (McGaugh), modifying provisions relating to proceedings of the Judicial Finance Commission
  Do Pass by a vote of 9 to 0 
   
• HB 2774 (Riley), creating the Office of Guardian Ad Litem
  Do Pass by a vote of 8 to 1 
   
• HCS HB 2443 (Griffith), modifying provisions relating to condemnation proceedings
  Do Pass by a vote of 9 to 0 
   
• HCS SB 834 (Luetkemeyer), creating provisions relating to a correctional center nursery program
  Do Pass by a vote of 9 to 0

Archived Video of Committee Hearing