25
March
2022
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10:49 AM
America/Chicago

Legislative Update for March 25, 2022

GENERAL ASSEMBLY RESUMES LEGISLATIVE WORK

Having taken its traditional mid-session break, the General Assembly reconvened on Monday, March 21, 2022.  By the end of the week, the House perfected and third read a number of bills, sending an additional twelve bills to the Senate.  In total, the House has forwarded forty-five bills and four joint resolutions to the Senate for consideration.  In return, the Senate has sent ten bills and two joint resolutions.  Only one bill (supplemental appropriations) has been truly agreed to and finally passed and signed into law by the governor.  On Thursday afternoon, the Senate finally approved its version of a congressional redistricting bill (SS#2 HCS HB 2117) and returned the amended bill, including an emergency clause, to the House.  Seven weeks remain for floor consideration of regular bills and six weeks for legislative approval of the Fiscal Year 2023 budget.     

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

Legislators have introduced 2,253 bills and joint and concurrent resolutions.  You may review bills of interest and check their legislative progress by visiting 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 Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee met on March 21, 2022, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

  • SB 1039 (Arthur), modifying provisions relating to funding for the office of the public defender – Witnesses
    Support: Mary Fox (Missouri State Public Defender) 
     
  • SB 1094 (Washington), modifying provisions relating to wrongful convictions – Witnesses
    Support: Darrell Moore (Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys / Missouri Office of Prosecution Services), Sharon Jones (Missouri State Conference of NAACP), Rita Linhardt (Missouri Catholic Conference), Jeff Stack (MO Fellowship of Reconciliation) 
     
  • SB 1130 (Washington), modifying provisions relating to earned compliance credits for probation – Witnesses
    Support: Adam Albach (Department of Corrections), John Mosely (Department of Corrections, Division of Probation and Parole), Darrell Moore (Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys / Missouri Office of Prosecution Services), Mary Fox (Missouri State Public Defender), Sharon Jones (Missouri State Conference of NAACP), Jeff Stack (MO Fellowship of Reconciliation)
    For Informational Purposes: Patricia Churchill (Judicial Conference of Missouri) 

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

  • SCS SB 948 (White), modifying provisions relating to terms of probation
    Do Pass by a vote of 4 to 0 
     
  • SB 964 (Brown), modifying provisions relating to conditional release
    Do Pass by a vote of 4 to 0 
     
  • SB 1023 (Gannon), modifying provisions regarding the supervision of adult offenders on probation or parole from other states
    Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 0

The Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee met on March 22, 2022, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

  • SB 1113 (O’Laughlin), enacting provisions relating to driver's education and training – Witnesses
    Support: Tony Shepherd (ABATE for MO)
    Oppose: Sheryl Schmidt (Families for Home Education)
     
  • SB 1015 (Hough), modifying provisions relating to vehicle sales tax – Witnesses
     
  • SB 1156 (Brown), adding vehicles operated by county or municipal park rangers to the definition of "emergency vehicle” – Witnesses
    Support: Gary Gates (Missouri Park and Recreation Association), Cheryl Fechter (St. Louis County Park Rangers) 
     
  • SB 1134 (Eslinger), modifying provisions relating to self-defense – Witnesses
    Support: Tony Shepherd (ABATE for MO), Darrell Moore (Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys / Missouri Office of Prosecution Services)
    Oppose: Jenessa Keller (Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense), Sharon Jones (Missouri Conference of the NAACP)

The Committee took action on the following in executive session:

  • SB 744 (Cierpiot), prohibiting the amendment or reduction of violations resulting in license points to violations resulting in fewer or no points for drivers with intermediate driver's licenses or temporary instruction permits
    Do Pass by a vote of 4 to 0
     
  • SB 970 (Eslinger), modifying provisions relating to qualifications for fire protection employees
    Do Pass by a vote of 4 to 0 
     
  • SB 1022 (Brown), modifying provisions relating to off-premise sales by motor vehicle dealers
    Do Pass by a vote of 4 to 0 
     
  • SB 1038 (Brown), permitting vehicle platooning on Missouri roads
    Do Pass by a vote of 4 to 0

The Senate Rules, Joint Rule, Resolutions and Ethics Committee met March 22, 2022, and took action on the following legislation in executive session:

  • SB 886 (Luetkemeyer), Remains on the Consent Calendar (Position #5)

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

  • SB 1178 (White), modifying provisions relating to abortion, including the importation and distribution of drugs used to perform or induce abortions – Witnesses
    Support: Sam Lee (Campaign Life Missouri); Dr. Robert Olsen (Medical Professionals for Transparency); Susan Klein (Missouri Right to Life)
    Oppose: Maggie Olivia (Pro-Choice, Missouri); Rori Picker Neiss (Jewish Community Relations Council); Rabbi Daniel Bogard (Central Reform Congregation); Chimene Schwach (individual); LiTrease Love Holt (individual); Leslie A. Washington (individual) 
     
  • SB 1037 (Thompson-Rehder), modifying provisions relating to naltrexone hydrochloride – Witnesses
    Support: Henrio Thelemaque (Assisted Recovery Centers and Missouri Pharmacy Association); Percy Menzies (Assisted Recovery Centers of America); Aaron Laxton (individual); Jessica Petrie (BJC Health Care) 
     
  • SB 1106 (Thompson-Rehder), modifying provisions relating to funding for housing programs – Witnesses
    Support: Judge Glock (Cicero Action)
    Oppose: Sarah Owsley (Empower Missouri)
    For Informational Purposes: Jennifer Carter Dochler, (Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence) 
     
  • SB 1045 (Schupp), transferring implementation authority of the federal Older Americans Act to the Department of Health and Senior Services – Witnesses
    Support: Michael Oldweller (Department of Health and Senior Services) 
     
  • SB 843 (Moon), modifying provisions relating to gender reassignment treatment for children – Witnesses
    Support: Dr. Robert Olsen (Medical Professionals for Transparency); Jennifer Gore (Concerned Women for America of Missouri); Ron Calzone (Missouri First)
    Oppose: Maggie Olivia (Pro-Choice Missouri); Amy Kuo Hammerman (National Council of Jewish Women); Christopher Lewis (Children’s Hospital St. Louis); sixteen additional people testifying as individuals

HOUSE

The House Crime Prevention Committee met on March 21, 2022, and held a public hearing on the following legislation:

The committee took action on the following in executive session:

  • HB 1954 (Henderson), establishing provisions requiring certain persons convicted of driving while intoxicated to pay child maintenance
    Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 1 with 2 absent 
     
  • HCS HB 2616 (Jeff Coleman), modifying provisions relating to criminal offenses involving a child
    Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 1 with 2 absent 
     
  • HB 2697 (Shaul), establishing the offense of organized retail theft
    Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 1 with 2 absent 

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House General Laws Committee met on March 21, 2022, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

  • HB 2621 (Grier), establishing the labeling and qualifying of liquor as "Ozark Highland” – Electronic Witness Forms
    Support: Demetrius Cain (Ozark Highlands distillery owner) 
     
  • HB 1610 (Sassmann), creating provisions relating to emergency suspensions or restrictions for massage therapists – Electronic Witness Forms
    For Informational Purposes: Wesley Sutton (Division of Professional Registration), Gloria Lindsey (Board of Therapeutic Massage) 

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

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

  • HB 2772 (Hannah Kelly), modifying provisions relating to prior sexual conduct of witnesses – Electronic Witness Forms
    Support: Jennifer Carter Dochler (Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence) 
     
  • HB 2614 (DeGroot), creating provisions to reduce homelessness – Electronic Witness Forms
    Support: Judge Glock (Cicero Action)
    Oppose: Jeremy LaFaver (Empower Missouri)
    For Informational Purposes: Jennifer Carter Dochler (Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence) 
     
  • HB 2423 (West), modifying and adding provisions relating to the Eleventh Judicial Circuit – Electronic Witness Forms
    Support: Hon. Mike Fagras (Presiding Judge, 11th Judicial Circuit); Hon. Robert Cornejo (Associate Circuit Judge, 11th Judicial Circuit) 
     
  • HB 2781 (Evans), creating criminal penalties for certain offenses committed against a body of the General Assembly – Electronic Witness Forms

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

  • HB 2615 (Jeff Coleman), prohibiting mask and COVID-19 vaccine mandates in public schools
    Do pass by a vote of 8 to 2
     
  • HB 1931 (Wiemann), modifying provisions relating to the Treatment Court Commissioner in the 11th Judicial Circuit
    Do pass by a vote of 11 to 0
     
  • HB 2589 (Evans), modifying provisions relating to convictions of included offenses
    Do pass by a vote of 11 to 0 
     
  • HCS HB 1670 (Seitz), creating provisions relating to the COVID-19 vaccines
    Do pass by a vote of 7 to 4 
     
  • HCS HB 1709 (Buchheit-Courtway), creating provisions related to certain experimental or investigational medical treatments
    Do pass by a vote of 9 to 2

Archived Video of Committee Hearing