Legislative update: March 1, 2024

March 1 is the last day to file bills in both chambers of the General Assembly. As of Feb. 29, 1,698 bills and resolutions had been filed in the Missouri House. In the Senate, 871 bills and resolutions had been filed. Of the total filed, 16 had been passed by the House and sent to the Senate for consideration, two had been passed by the Senate and sent to the House. 

The House Judiciary Committee voted Do Pass 13-0 on HB 1886, a Missouri Bar priority, re-starting the process for consideration by the full House.

The General Assembly will be on its Spring recess March 15-22, at which time no activity will take place.  Generally speaking, if a piece of legislation has not crossed from its chamber of origin by that time, there is little chance it will be Truly Agreed to and Finally Passed as insufficient time remains in the session for that to occur.

2024 introduced legislation

To see legislation that has been introduced, organized by subject matter or practice area, visit The Missouri Bar’s Legislative Engagement Center. The bills are automatically updated with the latest status of the bills listed and provide links to the individual bill webpages. If you have any questions or comments about specific legislation, please contact The Missouri Bar government relations staff at 573-659-2280 or govrel@mobar.org.

Bar-initiated legislative proposals (2024 introduced legislation)

Committee hearings of interest

Senate

The Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee met on Feb. 26 and held public hearings on the following:

SB 869 (Moon): Creates provisions relating to lifetime protection orders

• In support: Kayleigh Kozak; Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys; Missouri Office of Prosecution Services; ArmorVine; and Timothy Faber
• In opposition: none

SB 1007 (Crawford): Establishes the Missouri Uniform Fiduciary Income and Principal Act, which modifies provisions relating to trust and estate administration

• In support: Missouri Bar Probate & Trust Division; The Missouri Bar; and Missouri Bankers Association
• In opposition: none

SB 1220 (Trent): Modifies provisions relating to the compensation of jurors

• In support: Judicial Conference of Missouri
• In opposition: none
• For information: Western District Commissioner Cole County

SB 1370 (Black): Modifies a provision relating to the establishment of treatment courts by providing for a mental health treatment court

• In support: Judicial Conference of Missouri; Empower Missouri; and Missouri Association of Public Administrators
• In opposition: none

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

SB 864 (Rehder): Modifies provisions relating to costs and fees in divorce proceedings

• Do Pass by a vote of 5-0

SCS SBs 1221 & 988 (Trent): Modifies provisions relating to estate planning, including notice for transfers of the principal place of administration of a trust, electronic wills, and estate planning during the COVID-19 state of emergency

• Do Pass by a vote of 5-0

The Senate Appropriations Committee met on Feb. 27 and heard a presentation on the Missouri Department of Public Safety’s proposed budget.

The Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee met on Feb. 28 and held public hearings on bills including:

SB 989 (Carter): Modifies provisions relating to civil actions

• Deals with civil liability if found not guilty under stand your ground laws
• In support: none
• In opposition: none

SB 1155 (Mosley): Creates the CTF Medical Alert System

• Helps find missing people who are in danger because of eminent needed medical treatment
• In support: Theda Wilson
• In opposition: none

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

SCS SBs 1300 (Bean): Directs the Missouri Department of Revenue to take certain actions regarding the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration's Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse

• Do Pass by a vote of 4-0

SB 772 (Gannon): Modifies provisions relating to licenses issued by the Missouri Department of Revenue

• Do Pass by a vote of 4-0

SB 1015 (Bernskoetter): Modifies the application process for Missouri Conservation Heritage Foundation special license plates

• Do Pass by a vote of 4-0

SB 1156 (Fitzwater): Exempts certain vehicle dealers from place of business inspections

• Do Pass by a vote of 4-0

The Senate Health and Welfare Committee met on Feb. 28 and held public hearings on the following:

SB 851 (Brown): Modifies provisions relating to telemedicine

• Telehealth flexibility; allows information gathering via adaptive questionnaire
• In support:  SSM Health; Associated Industries of Missouri; Missouri Hospital Association; and Hims & Hers 
• In opposition: Missouri State Medical Society; Missouri Academy of Family Physicians; and Missouri Association of Osteopathic Physicians and Surgeons

SB 874 (Bean): Repeals provisions relating to hemp extract for the treatment of intractable epilepsy

• Repeals because the program is now defunct and federally authorized drugs are used instead
• In support: Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services; and Missouri Hemp Trade Association
• In opposition: none

SB 1095 (Razer): Modifies provisions relating to abortion

• In support:  none
• In opposition: none

SB 1326 (McCreery): Modifies provisions relating to forensic examinations of victims of sexual offenses

• In support: Missouri Hospital Association; and Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence
• In opposition: none

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

SB 899 (Black): Modifies provisions relating to child care provider licensing requirements for certain providers

• Do Pass by a vote of 7-0

SB 1111 (Black): Creates a prescribed pediatric extended care facility license issued by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services

• Do Pass by a vote of 6-1

House

The House Committee on Crime Prevention and Public Safety met on Feb. 22 and held public hearings on the following:

HB 1544 (Allen): Establishes the offenses of delivery of a controlled substance causing great bodily harm and delivery of a controlled substance causing death

• In support: Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorney
• In opposition: none
• Electronic Witness Forms

HB 1545 (Allen): Modifies provisions relating to minimum sentences

• Reduces elderly to age 60 as eligible for geriatric parole
• In support: Justice Action Network; Families Against Mandatory Minimums; Bobby Bostic; Bo Cornelius; Sheena Eastburn; Bahiya Shakur; Abby Cornelius; and Empower Missouri
• In opposition: Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys
• Electronic witness forms

HB 1991 (Gallick): Requires schools to establish cardiac emergency response plans, AED (Automated External Defibrillators) machines, and CPR classes

• In support: American Heart Association; Clark Elementary School nurse; Shari Taylor; Dr. Treena Sturgeon; Children’s Mercy Hospital – Kansas City; Missouri Nurses Association; Missouri NEA; Missouri State Medical Association; and St. Louis Children’s Hospital
• In opposition: none
• Electronic witness forms

HB 2576 (Casteel): Modifies the offenses of trafficking of drugs in the first and second degree

• In support: Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorney
• In opposition: none
• Electronic witness forms

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

HCS HB 1481 (Christ): Modifies provisions relating to the operation of certain law enforcement agencies

• Do Pass by a vote of 17-3

HCS HB 1692 &1748 (Sparks): Establishes the offense of aggravated fleeing a stop or detention of a motor vehicle

• Do Pass by a vote of 19-0

Archived video of committee hearing

The House Professional and Licensing Committee met on Feb. 22 and held public hearings on legislation that included the following:

HB 1800 (Copeland): Modifies provisions relating to criminal history background checks

• Does not add entity background checks but ensures such checks comport with FBI requirements
• In support: Missouri State Highway Patrol; and Missouri Division of Professional Registration
• In opposition: ArmorVine
• Electronic witness forms

Archived video of committee hearing

The House Budget Committee met on Feb. 26 and heard presentations and held a public hearings on the Supplemental Budget Bill.

The House Committee on Children and Families met on Feb. 27 and held public hearings on the following:

HB 2495 (Kelley): Requires that a guardian ad litem who is appointed to a child to have an ethical obligation to that child

• CASAs have an ethical obligation to the child, while GALs have an obligation to the court
• In support: Rebecca Wanasik; Kimberly Smith; and Tesa Gorsick
• In opposition: none
• For information: ArmorVine
• Electronic witness forms

HBs 2690 and 2691 were heard together

• Medical kidnapping
• In support: Rebecca Wanasik; Kimberly Smith; Missouri Stand for Health Freedom; and Tesa Gorsick
• In opposition: Missouri Network Against Child Abuse

HB 2690 (Gragg): Establishes and modifies provisions relating to child abuse or neglect

• Electronic witness forms

HB 2691 (Jones): Establishes and modifies provisions relating to child abuse or neglect

• Electronic witness forms

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

HB 1537 (Casteel): Expands the definition of special victim to include staff members of the division of youth services

• Do Pass by a vote of 5-4, with 1 voting present.

Archived video of committee hearing

The House Judiciary Committee met on Feb. 28 and held public hearings on the following:

HB 1750 (Haffner): Modifies provisions for eminent domain for utility purposes

• Relates to the power of eminent domain for solar and wind energy
• In support: Missouri Farm Bureau; Missouri Cattleman’s Association; Missouri Corn Growers Association; Cathy Vogelweid; Wiley Hibbard; Charles Greg Crawford; Patricia Stemme; Susan Burns; and Tom Weislocucher
• In opposition: Sierra Club
• For information: John Stambaugh; Ameren; and Evergy
• Electronic witness forms

HB 1729 (Haden): Allows real property owners building a fence to enter an adjoining property up to 10 feet without liability for trespassing

• In support: Brent Haden; Missouri Farm Bureau; and Missouri Cattlemen’s Association  
• In opposition: none
• Electronic witness forms

HB 2210 (Roberts): Modifies provisions relating to criminal conduct

• Gives victims right to be informed about, and to be heard at, post-conviction hearings
• In support: none
• In opposition: none
• Electronic witness forms

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

HCS HB 2064 (Black): Establishes provisions relating to mental health courts

• Do Pass by a vote of 13-0

HCS HB 1886 (Veit): Modifies provisions relating to judicial proceedings

• Do Pass by a vote of 13-0

Archived video of committee hearing

The House Corrections and Public Institutions Committee met on Feb. 28 and held a public hearing on the following:

HB 2665 (Christofanelli): Requires certain political subdivisions to reimburse other political subdivisions for the daily cost of housing inmates or detainees

• In support: none
• In opposition: none
• For information: St. Charles County
• Electronic witness forms

 Archived video of committee hearing