Legislative Update: General Assembly picks up pace entering second half of session

The General Assembly returned from spring recess as both chambers convened on Monday, March 20,2023.  With eight weeks remaining for consideration of legislation, the pace will continue to quicken.  The final day for floor action on regular (non-appropriations) bills will be Friday, May 12, 2023. Most of these bills are passed by the General Assembly in the final two weeks of session. The final day for the governor to act on bills delivered to him will be July 14, 2023.  Unless a bill provides otherwise, the effective date for enacted bills from the regular session will be August 28, 2023.   
 

Crossover Legislation and Floor Consideration

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 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).  
 

FY2024 Budget

The House Budget Committee devoted its week to finalizing House committee substitutes, reviewing the work of its various subcommittees and adopting a range of amendments.  The full House will perfect and third read its version of the proposed state budget next week.  Then, the process will repeat itself in the other chamber, with the Senate version being returned to the House of Representatives.  Prior to May 5, 2023, the two chambers will reconcile their versions of the proposed budget in conference committees for final approval by both bodies.  The final day for floor action on appropriations bills will be Friday, May 5, 2023.  The governor will have until June 30, 2023, to consider the legislative budget and veto specific line items.  Fiscal Year 2024 will run from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024.   

House Budget Committee – FY2024 Information 
FY2024 Appropriations Legislation  
FY2024 Budget Information  
FY2024 Judiciary Budget Request with Governor’s Recommendations  
FY2024 State Public Defender Budget Request with Governor’s Recommendations 
 

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 Bills of Interest

Among other legislative resources, The Missouri Bar’s Legislative Engagement Center provides information about bills of interest in different subject or practice areas.  These reports are automatically updated with the current bill status and provide links to the relevant bill webpages.  Anyone who is interested in a specific subject or practice area can bookmark the relevant report page for later reference.

Missouri Bar Legislative Engagement Center – Bills of Interest

If you have suggestions for a new category or if you have questions or comments about specific legislation, please contact Government Relations staff at govrel@mobar.org.   
 

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 examine the legislation 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 
 

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 on March 20, 2023, and held a public hearing on the following legislation:

• SB 337 (Crawford), modifying provisions relating to electronic notification to victims of certain crimes – Witnesses

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

• SCS SBs 253, 146 & 446 (Williams), creating a civil action awarding damages for wrongful convictions – Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 0. 
   
• SB 128 (Thompson Rehder), modifying provisions relating to costs and fees in divorce proceedings – Do Pass by a vote of 4 to 1. 
   
• SCS SB 129 (Brattin), modifying provisions relating to child custody arrangements – Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 0. 
   
•  SB 367 (Luetkemeyer), modifying provisions relating to covenants between business entities and its owners – Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 1.

On March 22, 2023, the Senate Appropriations Committee met to hear an overview of the Governor’s second FY 2023 supplemental appropriations recommendations, which included $2.4 million in additional funds for the Judiciary to implement the expungement requirements of Amendment 3.  This one-time expenditure would cover overtime for existing employees, rather than new personnel. 

The Senate General Laws Committee met on March 22, 2023, in executive session and took action on the following legislation:

• SB 421 (Gannon), modifying provisions relating to death certificates – Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 0.

The Senate Health and Welfare Committee met on March 22, 2023, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

• SB 349 (Trent), modifying provisions relating to county or township-owned nursing homes – Witnesses 
   
• SB 375 (Cierpiot), modifying provisions relating to child protection – Witnesses 
   
• SB 284 (Arthur), modifying provisions relating to the Missouri Housing Trust Fund – Witnesses 
   

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

• SB 212 (Beck), requiring a surgical smoke plume evacuation policy for hospitals and ambulatory surgical centers – Do Pass by a vote of 6 to 0. 
   

House

The House Budget Committee met throughout the week for budget review.

Archived Video of Committee Hearing (March 20, 2023)  
Archived Video of Committee Hearing (March 21, 2023) 
Archived Video of Committee Hearing (March 23, 2023)

The House Children and Families Committee met on March 21, 2023, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

• HB 822 (Smith - 155), establishes the Missouri Parkinson's disease registry act – Electronic Witness Forms
   
• HB 351 (Christofanelli), authorizing a sales tax exemption for the purchase of diapers and feminine hygiene products – Electronic Witness Forms

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

• HCS HB 355 (Davidson), modifying and establishing provisions relating to the protection of children – Do Pass by a vote of 9 to 0.
   
• HCS HB 714 (Kelly (141),modifying provisions related to the adoption tax credit – Do Pass by a vote of 9 to 0.
   
• HB 1034 (McMullen), modifying provisions relating to the placement of a child – Do Pass by a vote of 6 to 3.

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House Professional Registration and Licensing Committee met on March 21, 2023, and took action on the following legislation in executive session:

• HB 557 (Houx), modifying provisions relating to deceased persons – Do Pass by a vote of 11 to 0.

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House General Laws Committee met on March 21, 2023, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

• HB 272 (Riley), modifying the statute of limitations for personal injury claims from five years to two years – Electronic Witness Forms
   
• HB 273 (Riley), modifying provisions relating to the collateral source rule – Electronic Witness Forms
   
• HB 274 (Riley), modifying provisions relating to actions for damages due to exposure to asbestos – Electronic Witness Forms
   
• HB 628 (Christofanelli), establishing the Consumer Legal Funding Act – Electronic Witness Forms
   
• HB 1009 (Hardwick), modifying provisions relating to a time-limited demand to settle – Electronic Witness Forms

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

• HB 353 (Christofanelli), establishing provisions relating to the admissibility of evidence of a defendant's creative or artistic expression – Do Pass by a vote of 14 to 0.
   
• HCS HB 934 (Hovis), modifying provisions relating to funding of the Missouri Sheriffs' Retirement System – Do Pass by a vote of 16 to 0.
   
• HB 942 (Myers), modifying provisions relating to siren use for emergency vehicles operated as police vehicles – Do Pass by a vote of 11 to 5.
   
• HCS HB 1165 (Hicks), modifying and establishing provisions relating to the Uniform Commercial Code – Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 4 (with 5 voting present).
   
• HCS HCRs 21 & 22 (Byrnes), urging a joint investigation to determine any monetary compensation for contamination from radioactive waste and requests the Missouri Congressional delegation to expand the Radiation Exposure Compensation Act – Do Pass by a vote of 16 to 0.

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House Corrections and Public Institutions Committee met on March 22, 2023, and held a public hearing on the following legislation: 

• HB 513 (Mayhew), authorizing the conveyance of certain state property in Phelps County – Electronic Witness Forms

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House Judiciary Committee met on March 22, 2023, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

• HB 1005 (Buchheit-Courtway), modifying provisions relating to the placement of a child with a grandparent or other relative – Electronic Witness Forms
   
• HB 1170 (Hudson), modifying provisions relating to a child’s right to counsel and a guardian ad litem – Electronic Witness Forms
   
• HB 1271 (Unsicker), modifying provisions relating to proceedings involving children – Electronic Witness Forms
   
• HB 1176 (Perkins), modifying provisions relating to the offenses of trafficking of drugs in the first and second degree – Electronic Witness Forms
   
• HB 371 (Falkner), establishing provisions relating to the removal of certain court records from automated case management systems – Electronic Witness Forms
   
• HB 1204 (Evans), establishing and modifying provisions relating to guardianships and conservatorships – Electronic Witness Forms

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House Crime Prevention and Public Safety Committee met on March 23, 2023, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

• HB 549 (Roberts), establishing procedures for a violent offender registry, which will include any person on probation or parole for first or second degree murder - Electronic Witness Forms
   
• HB 298 (Deaton), exempting the state highway patrol from the requirements of the state employee pay plan - Electronic Witness Forms

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

• HCS HB 250 (Haley), Modifies the offenses of trafficking of drugs in the first and second degree – Do Pass by a vote of  23 to 0.
   
• HB 571 (Allen), Modifies the offense of unlawful use of weapons by exempting commissioned school officers who carry a firearm on school property from the offense – Do Pass by a vote of 22 to 0.

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

Legislative Dates to Remember

First Regular Session

Veto Session