14
April
2023
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11:22 AM
America/Chicago

Legislative Update: Four weeks remain in the regular legislative session

Both chambers of the General Assembly convened on Tuesday, April 11, 2023, having observed an Easter Break on Monday.  House appropriations bills have been referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee, which has yet to schedule any hearings.  The deadline for legislative approval of the Fiscal Year 2024 budget is Friday, May 5, 2023.  Four weeks remain for consideration of regular (non-appropriations) bills, which must be approved by both legislative chambers by Friday, May 12, 2023. 

FY 2024 Capital Improvement and ARPA Tracking - Chair Substitute 
FY 2024 Operating Tracking - Perfected 
FY2024 Budget Information 
FY2024 Judiciary Budget Request with Governor’s Recommendations 
FY2024 State Public Defender Budget Request with Governor’s Recommendations

Of note, on April 12, 2023, SB 51, sponsored by Senator Karla Eslinger was truly agreed to and finally passed.  The bill, which enables physical therapists with a doctorate of physical therapy or five years of clinical experience to evaluate and initiate treatment on a patient without a prescription or referral from an approved health care provider, was delivered to the governor on April 13, 2023. 

CROSSOVER LEGISLATION AND FLOOR ACTION

View a complete list of legislation approved by the Senate and delivered to the House for consideration.

View a complete list of legislation approved by the House and delivered to the Senate for consideration.

View the Senate Calendar to see potential bills for floor debate and final approval (Formal and Informal Calendars – Third Reading of Senate Bills, Senate Bills for Perfection, and House Bills on Third Reading).

View the House Calendar to see potential bills for floor debate and approval (House Bills for Perfection, House Bills for Perfection – Informal, House Bills for Third Reading, House Bills for Third Reading – Informal, and House Bills for Third Reading - Consent). 

2023 MISSOURI BAR-INITIATED LEGISLATIVE PROPOSALS

On the website of The Missouri Bar, members can access a list of the 2023 Bar-initiated legislative proposals, as well as links to the corresponding legislation introduced in the General Assembly.  These proposals were drafted by committees or division of The Missouri Bar and approved by the Board of Governors.  Members can also access a tracking report to see the current status of the legislation containing Bar-initiated proposals and follow their legislative progress.

Missouri Bar-Initiated Legislative Proposals


2023 MISSOURI BAR-REVIEWED LEGISLATION

The Missouri Bar limits its review of legislation in the General Assembly to matters concerning the administration of justice, the integrity of the judiciary, improvement of the law, or the dignity of the profession of law.  Each session, Government Relations staff identify and monitor bills of particular interest that impact Missouri courts or the legal profession.  These bills are referred to the Government Relations Committee and the Legislative Review Committee, which review them and make recommendations to the Board of Governors or its Executive Committee for potential action.  Members are encouraged to submit comments on any bills referred for review or any bills eligible for consideration by the Board or Executive Committee. 

Board of Governors or Executive Committee Actions Taken on 2023 Bills

 

FLOOR DEBATE

The House continued to steadily work through its bill calendars, perfecting and third reading bills.  However, floor action was slowed when debate arose regarding firearms and the treatment of transgender youth.  Action in the House on matters of particular interest to Missouri Bar members will likely pick up in the coming week. 

This week, Senate debate ranged from children’s mental health and child custody to taxation.  Senate floor debate got off to a slow start on Tuesday evening when SB 317, originally establishing an I-70 Improvement Fund, was bogged down regarding the need to add an amendment to require employer provided child care.  The Senate did pick up the pace perfecting the following bills:

  • SB 122 – May, authorizing excusal from attendance at an elementary and secondary school if the child is unable to attend due to mental or behavioral health concerns
  • SB 129 – Brattin, modifying provisions relating to child custody and child support enforcement
  • SB 190 – Luetkemeyer, modifying provisions relating to tax relief for seniors 
  • SB 275 – Trent,  providing a sales tax exemption for the production of electricity
  • SB 398 – Schroer, modifying provisions relating to the Motor Vehicle Franchise Practices Act
  • SB 411 – Brown (26), establishing provisions relating to the participation of elementary and secondary school students in nontraditional educational settings
  • SB 540 – Eigel, modifying provisions relating to members of the armed forces

Later in the week, three of those bills were third read and passed by the Senate:

Two additional bills were approved by the Senate, and sent to the House for consideration:

  • SB 35 – May, modifying provisions relating to the suspension of licenses for failure to comply with a child support order; and
  • SB 92 – Hoskins, establishing the Missouri Rural Access to Capital Act

 

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 in executive session on April 11, 2023, and took the following action:

  • SCS SB 502 (Schroer), modifying provisions relating to criminal laws – Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 2.
  • SCS HCS HBs 640 & 729 (Sharp), modifying provisions relating to compensation for the Kansas City police department – Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 2.

The Senate General Laws Committee met on April 12, 2023, and held public hearings on the following legislation: 

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

  • SCS SB 647 (Bernskoetter), modifying provisions relating to the Sheriffs’ Retirement System – Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 0.
  • HB 402 (Henderson), modifying provisions relating to the Sheriffs’ Retirement System – Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 0.
  • SCS HB 417 (Henderson), modifying provisions relating to the Sheriffs’ Retirement System – Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 0.

The Senate Health and Welfare Committee met on April 12, 2023, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

  • SB 418 (Brown -16), modifying provisions relating to telemedicine – Witnesses
  • SB 494 (Eslinger), modifying provisions relating to health care advisory committees – Witnesses
  • SB 553 (Eslinger), establishing the Missouri Parkinson's Disease Registry Act – Witnesses
  • SB 507 (Gannon), modifying provisions relating to lead poisoning – Witnesses
  • HCS HB 154 (Thomas), modifying a sales tax exemption for the sale of certain medical devices – Witnesses
  • HB 283 (Kelly -141), prohibiting the performance of certain patient examinations upon anaesthetized or unconscious patients – Witnesses
  • HCS HB 454 (Coleman), modifying provisions relating to criminal offenses – Witnesses
  • HB 677 (Copeland), modifying provisions relating to the Office of Child Advocate – Witnesses
  • HB 1010 (Christofanelli), modifying provisions relating to the disclosure of information regarding certain children – Witnesses

The Senate Health and Welfare Committee met in executive session on April 12, 2023, and took action on the following legislation:

  • SCS SB 418 (Brown - 16), modifying provisions relating to telemedicine – Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 1.
  • SB 336 (Crawford), modifying provisions relating to supplemental welfare assistance – Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 1.
  • SCS SB 538 (Fitzwater), modifying provisions relating to mental health coordinators – Do Pass by a vote of 6 to 1.
  • SB 419 (Gannon), modifying provisions relating to mental health services for vulnerable persons – Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 0.
  • SB 420 (Gannon), modifying the definition of “hospital’ to include rural emergency hospitals - Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 0.
  • SCS SB 443 (Washington), modifying provisions relating to medical marijuana program participants in family court matters – Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 0.
  • SB 458 (Coleman), modifying provisions relating to child protection – Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 0.
  • SB 494 (Eslinger), modifying provisions relating to health care advisory committees – Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 2.
  • SB 553 (Eslinger), establishing the Missouri Parkinson's Disease Registry Act – Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 0.
  • SCS SB 507 (Gannon), modifying provisions relating to lead poisoning – Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 0.
  • SCS HCS HB 154 (Thomas), modifying provisions relating to taxation - Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 2.
  • SCS HB 283 (Kelly -141), modifying provisions relating to patient examinations – Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 0.
  • HCS HB 454 (Coleman), modifying provisions relating to criminal offenses – Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 0.
  • SCS HB 677 (Copeland), modifying provisions relating to the disclosure of certain records, with an existing penalty provision – Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 0.
  • HB 1010 (Christofanelli), modifying provisions relating to the disclosure of information regarding certain children – Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 0.

The Senate Veterans, Military Affairs and Pensions Committee met on April 12, 2023, and held public hearings on legislation including the following:

  • HB 129 (Griffith), establishing the Uniform Deployed Parents Custody and Visitation Act – Witnesses
     

House

N.B.: For House committee hearings, witnesses testifying in person may not be reflected in the file available through the Electronic Witness Form link, but these individuals will be noted on the Committee Bill Summary on the webpage of the relevant bill.

The House Budget Committee met throughout the week to review committee substitutes and conduct mark-up on the following appropriations bills:

  • HB 17 (capital improvement and other purposes)
  • HB 18 (purchase of equipment; planning, expenses, and capital improvement projects involving the maintenance, repair, replacement, and improvement of state buildings and facilities, including installation, modification, and renovation of facility components, equipment or systems; grants, refunds, distributions, planning, expenses, and land improvement)
  • HB 19 (planning and capital improvements including major additions and renovations, new structures, and land improvements or acquisitions)

The following was included in the Budget Chair’s substitute for SB 19:

To the Office of Administration:

HB §

Budget Recommendations

Federal

Total Funds

Fed/Other Fund Source

19.345

Supreme Court Building – Library Renovations & Judicial Learning Center (E&E) – NDI

$1,636,398

$1,636,398

Budget Stabilization Fund (0522)

19.346

Supreme Court Building – Building Resotoration (E&E) – NDI

$2,168,112

$2,168.112

Budget Stabilization Fun (0522)

No additional amendments regarding the Supreme Court Building were offered during budget mark-up.  

  • HB 20 (American Rescue Plan Act Funds - ARPA - for water, wastewater, and broadband infrastructure; economic and community development; and healthcare)

Archived Video of Committee Hearings:       

The House Children and Families Committee met on April 11, 2023, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

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

  • SJR 26 (Fitzwater), authorizing a property tax exemption for certain property used for childcare – Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 2.
  • HCS SB 82 (Coleman), modifying provisions relating to public assistance – Do Pass by a vote of 6 to 3.

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House Pensions Committee met on April 11, 2023, and held public hearings on legislation including the following: 

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House Financial Institutions Committee met on April 11, 2023, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

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

  • HCS HB 968 (Thompson), modifying the Principal and Income Act to resemble the latest version of the Uniform Fiduciary Income and Principal Act – Do Pass by a vote of 10 to 0.  [Bar-initiated legislative proposal] 

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House General Laws Committee met on April 11, 2023, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

  • HB 1328 (Gregory), creating provisions relating to certain intoxicating products – Electronic Witness Forms
  • SB 155 (Black), creating and modifying requirements for certain legislative and administrative instrumentalities – Electronic Witness Forms
  • SB 39 (Thompson Rehder), establishing guidelines for student participation in athletic contests organized by sex – Electronic Witness Forms
  • SB 49 (Moon), establishing the Missouri Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act and modifying provisions relating to public funding of certain gender transition procedures – Electronic Witness Forms

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

  • SB 34 (May), authorizing school districts to offer elective social studies courses on the Hebrew Scriptures and the New Testament - Do Pass by a vote of 11 to 1 (and 3 voted Present).
  • HCS SB 40 (Thompson Rehder), modifying provisions relating to background checks – Do Pass by a vote of 15 to 0.
  • HCS SBs 45 & 90 (Gannon), modifying provisions relating to MO HealthNet – Do Pass by a vote of 15 to 0.

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House Rules Committee – Legislative Oversight – met in Executive Session on April 12, 2023, and considered legislation, including the following:

  • HB 185 (Murphy), establishing a rebuttable presumption that child custody arrangements that award equal parenting time are in the best interest of the child – Do Pass by a vote of 4 to 2.
  • HB 881 (Christofanelli), establishing and modifying provisions relating to the probate code – Do Pass by a vote of 6 to 0 (and 1 voted Present).

The House Judiciary Committee met on April 12, 2023, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

Paul Ladehoff and Sarah Read testified in support of the bill on behalf of The Missouri Bar.

The committee did not convene in executive session.

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House Special Committee on Small Business met on April 12, 2023, and held public hearings on legislation, including the following:

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House Crime Prevention and Public Safety Committee met on April 13, 2023, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

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

  • HB 298 (Deaton), Exempts the state highway patrol from the requirements of the state employee pay plan – Do Pass by a vote of 17 to 0.
  • HB 392 (Toalson Reisch), modifying provisions relating to the reemployment rights of members of Missouri Task Force One who are called to active duty – Do Pass by a vote of 17 to 0.
  • HB 549 (Roberts), Establishes procedures for a violent offender registry, which will include any person on probation or parole for first or second degree murder – Do Pass by a vote of 14 to 3.
  • HB 1367 (Hardwick), modifying provisions relating to the certification of a juvenile for trial as an adult – Do Pass by a vote of 14 to 4.
  • HB 36 (Billington), modifying provisions relating to titles for inoperable motor vehicles – Do Pass by a vote of 18 to 0.

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House General Laws Committee met in executive session on April 13, 2023, and took action on the following legislation:

  • SB 39 (Thompson Rehder), establishing guidelines for student participation in athletic contests organized by sex – Do Pass by a vote of 10 to 4.
  • SB 49 (Moon), establishing the "Missouri Save Adolescents from Experimentation (SAFE) Act" and modifying provisions relating to public funding of certain gender transition procedures – Do Pass by a vote of 12 to 3.
  • HCS HBs 494 & 498 (Baker), creating the offense of engaging in an adult cabaret performance – Do Pass by a vote of 12 to 3.

Archived Video of Committee Hearing