Legislative Update: Legislature approves supplemental appropriations with pay boost for state employees

General Assembly

The Senate reconvened on Monday, February 20, 2023, while the House reconvened on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, for a shorter legislative week, following its observation of Presidents’ Day.  At the close of the week, the General Assembly truly agreed and finally passed its first bill of the 2023 Regular Session.  HCS HB 14, an early supplemental appropriations bill, was signed by the presiding officers on Thursday and presented to the governor.  The appropriations bill includes an 8.7% cost of living adjustment and shift differential increases for state employees (including the Judiciary and the Office of State Public Defender). 

The House sent an additional three bills to the Senate for consideration, bringing the total number of House bills and joint resolutions sent to the Senate this session to seven:

• HCS HB 184 (Murphy), requiring political subdivisions that require the installation of electric vehicle charging stations at certain businesses to pay the costs associated with the installation, maintenance, and operation of such stations
• HCS HB 417 (Henderson), relating to grants to employers to encourage employees to obtain upskill credentials
• HCS HBs 640 & 729 (Sharp), modifying provisions relating to the Kansas City Police Department

To date, the Senate has sent twenty-three bills and joint resolutions to the House for consideration, including SCS SB 103 (Crawford), which modifies provisions relating to court operations (including court automation, compensation for court reporters, and court surcharges for expungement petitions).  The Missouri Bar Board of Governors voted to support the underlying introduced bill, which would extend the expiration date for the fee used to partially fund the statewide court automation system.    

Entering next week, on the House Calendar, there are three House bills nearly ready for third reading:

• HCS HB 268 (Riley), establishing the Regulatory Sandbox Act
• HB 415 (O’Donnell), requiring dealers to collect and remit sales tax on motor vehicle sales
• HCS HBs 994, 52 & 984 (Parker), modifying and establishing provisions relating to judicial proceedings

Each of these bills must be approved by the House Fiscal Review Committee before a final floor vote can occur.  Eleven bills are currently on the House Perfection Calendars, and additional bills may be added as the week progresses. 

HCS HBs 994, 52 & 984 originally dealt with the definitions of “adult” and “child” as they relate to orders of protection.  Committee and floor amendments expanded the bill to include the following provisions: 

• ORDERS OF PROTECTION – DEFINITIONS OF “ADULT” AND “CHILD” (Sections 455.010, 455.035, and 455.513)
• GUARDIANSHIPS AND CONSERVATORSHIPS (Section 475.050)
• COURT AUTOMATION FUND (Section 476.055)
• COURT REPORTER SALARIES (Section 485.060)
• CHILD CUSTODY PROCEEDINGS (Section 487.110)
• 22ND JUDICIAL CIRCUIT LAW LIBRARY SURCHARGE (Section 488.426)
• JUROR COMPENSATION (Section 494.455)
• DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION (Section 509.520)
• UNIFORM INTERSTATE DEPOSITIONS AND DISCOVERY ACT (Sections 510.500,
• 510.503, 510.506, 510.509, 510.512, 510.515, 510.518, and 510.521)
• BAIL CONSIDERATIONS (Section 544.453)
• TAMPERING WITH A JUDICIAL OFFICER (Section 575.095)
• PUBLIC DEFENDER – FEDERAL AND OTHER FUND (Section 600.042)

On the Senate Calendar, there are currently six Senate bills slated for third reading, after they have been approved by the Senate Fiscal Oversight committee.  In addition, there are twenty-four Senate bills on the Formal Perfection Calendar, including  SCS SB 72 (Trent), the Judicial Privacy Act, and ten Senate bills on the Informal Perfection Calendar.   

To see more bills of interest, organized by subject or practice area, visit The Missouri Bar’s Legislative Engagement Center (and bookmark the page).  These bills of interest feeds are automatically updated with the latest status of the bills listed and provide links to individual bill webpages. The bills of interest listed at the end of this update are just a sample of those already introduced this year, many of which could significantly impact the administration of justice, the integrity of the judiciary, or the dignity of the profession of law. If you have any questions or comments about specific legislation, please contact Government Relations staff at 573-659-2280 or govrel@mobar.org for more information.   

Bar-Initiated Legislative Proposals (2023 Introduced Legislation)

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 February 20, 2023, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

• SB 74 (Trent), creating a DWI diversion program - Witnesses

N.B.:  Because the following bills were closely related, they were heard jointly.

• SB 146 (Roberts), creating provisions relating to compensation for wrongful convictions – Witnesses
• SB 253 (Williams), creating a civil action awarding damages for wrongful convictions – Witnesses

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

• SCS SB 189 (Luetkemeyer), modifying provisions relating to law enforcement animals – Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 1.
• SB 227 (Coleman), modifying provisions relating to the culpable mental state necessary for a homicide offense – Do Pass by a vote of 6 to 0.

The Senate Appropriations Committee met on February 21, 2023, to conduct a mark-up of HCS HB 14, the early supplemental appropriations bill.  The committee also heard budget presentations from the Departments of Agriculture and Health & Senior Services. 

The Senate Appropriation Committee met on February 22, 2023, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

• SB 30 (Luetkemeyer), authorizing sports wagering – Witnesses
• SB 1 (Hoskins), modifying provisions relating to gaming (VLT) – Witnesses
• SB 192 (May), authorizing the Video Lottery Control Act – Witnesses

The committee also heard budget presentations from the State Tax Commission and the State Lottery.

The Senate General Laws Committee met on February 22, 2023, and conducted public hearings on the following legislation:

• SB 10 (Eigel), creating the Anti-Red Flag Gun Seizure Act – Witnesses
• SB 95 (Koenig), modifying provisions relating to property tax - Witnesses
• SB 104 (Cierpiot), reducing the assessment percentage of personal property - Witnesses
• SJR 11 (Cierpiot), exempting noncommercial vehicles in excess of ten years old from property tax – Witnesses

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

• SJR 8 (Eigel), prohibiting expenditures of public funds to any person or facility, or affiliate of such, performing or inducing an abortion – Witnesses
• SB 160 (Schroer), Modifies provisions relating to public funding of abortion facilities and affiliates and provisions relating to MO HealthNet providers – Witnesses
• SJR 19 (Moon), recognizing that nothing in the Constitution of Missouri shall be construed to secure or protect a right to abortion – Witnesses

The Senate Progress and Development Committee met on February 22, 2023 and conducted a public hearing on the following legislation:

• SB 245 (Arthur), modifying provisions relating to funding for the Office of the Public Defender - Witnesses

The Senate Appropriation Committee met on February 23, 2023, and heard budget presentations from the Department of Economic Development and the General Assembly.

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

• SB 30 (Luetkemeyer), authorizing sports wagering – Do Pass by a vote of 11 to 1, with 2 absent.
• SB 1 (Hoskins), modifying provisions relating to gaming (VLT) – Do Pass motion failed by a vote of 10 to 2, with 2 absent. 

House

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

• HB 870 (Shields), relating to tax credits for child care (Child Care Contribution Tax Credit, Employer-Provided Child Care Assistance Tax Credit, and Child Care Providers Tax Credit) – Electronic Witness Forms
• HB 1010 (Christofanelli), establishing provisions relating to the disclosures of identifiable information regarding certain children – Electronic Witness Forms
• HB 81 (Veit), modifying provisions relating to required background checks of individuals employed by or associated with licensed residential care facilities, child placing agencies, or residential care facilities – Electronic Witness Forms
• HB 1058 (Hausman), establishing the Uniform Child Abduction Prevention Act – Electronic Witness Forms

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

• HCS HB 715 (Kelly – 141), designating methods for determining state aid for educational costs of children in state custody – Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 0.

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

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

• HB 669 (Copeland), modifying provisions relating to the RAP Back system – Electronic Witness Forms
• HB 83 (Veit), creating the Change of Venue for Capital Cases Fund to reimburse a county that receives a capital case from another county for costs associated with the sequestering of jurors – Electronic Witness Forms
• HB 453 (Coleman), imposing a judgment of restitution in the amount of five thousand dollars for human trafficking offenses and establishing the “Human Trafficking and Sexual Exploitation Fund”– Electronic Witness Forms
• HB 750 (Perkins), establishing the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act– Electronic Witness Forms
• HB 493 (Burger), changing the age when a person may be excused from serving on a petit and grand jury – Electronic Witness Forms

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House Crime Prevention and Public Safety Committee met on February 23, 2023, in executive session and took action on the following legislation :

• HB 53 (Copeland), returning control of the City of St. Louis Police Department to a Board of Police Commissioners
• HB 213 (Sparks), returning control of the City of St. Louis Police Department to a Board of Police Commissioners
• HB 216 (Myers), returning control of the City of St. Louis Police Department to a Board of Police Commissioners
• HB 306 (Perkins), returning control of the City of St. Louis Police Department to a Board of Police Commissioners
• HB 359 (Cook), modifying provisions relating to the funding and operation of police departments
• HB 702 (Christ), modifying provisions relating to the operation of certain law enforcement agencies
• HCS HBs 702, 53, 213, 216, 306 & 359 (Christ), relating to the operation of certain law enforcement agencies – Do Pass by a vote of 20 to 4, with 2 absent.

Archived Video of Committee Hearing 

Legislative Dates to Remember

First Regular Session

Veto Session