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11
March
2022
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11:48 AM
America/Chicago

Legislative Update - March 11, 2022

GENERAL ASSEMBLY CONCLUDES FIRST HALF OF SESSION

Both chambers of the General Assembly reconvened on Monday, March 7, 2022, and adjourned on Thursday, March 10, 2022.  The legislature will be out next week for its traditional spring break. 

Disruptions and internal tensions continue to plague the Senate, but it has managed to approve six bills and one joint resolution and forwarded them to the House for consideration.  The House has approved twenty-six bills and four joint resolutions, a number of which were referred to Senate committees yesterday.

When the General Assembly returns on Monday, March 21, 2022, there will be eight weeks remaining for floor consideration of bills.  The deadline for floor consideration of regular bills will be Friday, May 13, 2022. The deadline for legislative approval of the Fiscal Year 2023 budget will be Friday, May 6, 2022. 

In a typical legislative session, the General Assembly would approve anywhere from 100-150 measures.  A dozen or so might have been approved and sent to the governor by the mid-point of session, but the balance would pass during the final week-and-a-half or two weeks of session.   

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

As of March 1, 2022 (the deadline for members of the General Assembly to introduce legislation without special leave), legislators have introduced 2,253 bills and joint and concurrent resolutions.  To review bills of interest and check their legislative progress, visit 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 7, 2022, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

  • SB 948 (White), modifying provisions relating to terms of probation – Witnesses
    Support: Adam Albach (Department of Corrections); Darrell Moore (Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys & Missouri Office of Prosecution Services); Rita Linhardt (Missouri Catholic Conference)
    Oppose: Patricia Churchill (Judicial Conference of Missouri)
     
  • SB 964 (Brown), modifying provisions relating to conditional release – Witnesses
    Support: Adam Albach (Department of Corrections); Darrell Moore (Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorney & Missouri Office of Prosecution Services)
     
  •  SB 1023 (Gannon), modifying provisions regarding the supervision of adult offenders on probation or parole from other states – Witnesses
    Support: Adam Albach (Department of Corrections)

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

  • SCS SB 886 (Luetkemeyer), modifying provisions relating to trust interpretation and trust decanting (Consent) (Bar-endorsed legislation)
    Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 0
    Do Pass Consent by a vote of 5 to 0 
     
  • SCS SB 919 (Burlison), creating the offense of mail theft
    Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 0 
     
  • SCS SB 937 (White), modifying provisions relating to change of venue for felonies and misdemeanors
    Do Pass by a vote of 4 to 1

The Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee met on March 8, 2022, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

  • 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 – Witnesses
    Support: Dorinda Padgett (individual); Angela Nelson (Triple A Missouri)
     
  • SB 970 (Eslinger), modifying provisions relating to qualifications for fire protection employees – Witnesses
    Support: Matt Luetkemeyer (Assistant State Fire Marshall); Tyler Hobbs (Department of Public Safety) 
     
  • SB 1022 (Brown), modifying provisions relating to off-premise sales by motor vehicle dealers – Witnesses
    Support: Vincent Wright (Enterprise Holdings); Jay Reichard (Missouri Automobile Dealers Association); Becky Lohmann (Tesla) 
     
  • SB 1038 (Brown), permitting vehicle platooning on Missouri roads – Witnesses
    Support: James Murphy (Locomation);Tom Crawford (Missouri Trucking Association); Ross Lien (Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry); Luke Reed (Missouri Department of Transportation)

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

  • SCS SB 713 (Razer), modifying provisions relating to the operation of motor vehicles while using electronic devices
    Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 0
     
  • SB 967 (Hough), requiring motor vehicle dealers to collect and remit sales taxes on sales of motor vehicles
    Do Pass by a vote of 4 to 1 
     
  • SB 796 (Mosely), repealing an annual mileage limitation applicable to historic motor vehicles
    Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 0

The Senate Seniors, Families, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee met March 9, 2022, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

  • SB 935 (Arthur), modifying provisions relating to MO HealthNet eligibility– Witnesses
    Support: Garrett Webb (Missouri Chapter of The American Academy of Pediatrics); Brian Colby (Missouri Budget Project); Sarah Schlemeier (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists – Missouri Section) 
     
  • SB 753 (Burlison), establishing the “Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act” – Witnesses
    Support: Patty Skain (Missouri Right to Life); Rachel Blackmore (individual); Jennifer Gore (Concerned Women for America)
    Oppose: Colleen McNicholas (American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists); Bet Huysman (OBGYN); Samantha Harwickhorst (individual); Leslie Washington (individual); Lilan Dodenhoff (individual); Dr. Emily Freeman (OBGYN)
    For Informational Purposes: Jennifer Carter Dochler (Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence)

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

  • SCS SB 671 (White), modifying provisions relating to the protection of vulnerable persons
    Do Pass by a vote of 6 to 0
     
  • SB 794 (Washington), modifying provisions relating to medical marijuana program participants in family court matters
    Do Pass by a vote of 5 to 1 
     
  • SCS SB 830 (Brown), modifying provisions relating to home health licensing
    Do Pass by a vote of 6 to 0 
     
  • SCS SB 839 (Brattin), modifying provisions relating to child custody arrangements
    Do Pass by a vote of 6 to 1 
     
  • SCS SB 882 (White), modifying provisions relating to military affairs
    Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 0 
     
  • SCS SB 916 (Bernskoetter), modifying provisions relating to exempt child care facilities
    Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 0
     
  • SCS SB 982 (Arthur), transferring authority over child-care facility licensing and subsidies to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education
    Do Pass by a vote of 7 to 0
    Do Pass Consent by a vote of 7 to 0

HOUSE

The House Crime Prevention Committee met on March 7, 2022, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

  • HB 1917 (Hovis), modifying provisions relating to emergency orders to suspend peace officer licenses – Electronic Witness Forms
     
  • HB 1954 (Henderson), establishing provisions requiring certain persons convicted of driving while intoxicated to pay child maintenance – Electronic Witness Forms
    Support: Cecilia Williams (individual); Jennifer Wamsganz (Mothers Against Drunk Drivers) 
     
  • HB 2616 (Jeff Coleman), modifying provisions relating to criminal offenses involving a child – Electronic Witness Forms 
     
  • HB 2697 (Shaul), establishing the offense of organized retail theft – Electronic Witness Forms
    Support: Jim Moody (Consumer Healthcare Products Association)

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

  • HB 1705 (Roberts), establishing 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 7 to 1 (with two members absent) 
     
  • HB 1736 (Roberts), modifying provisions relating to medical marijuana facilities
    Do Pass by a vote of 9 to 0 with one member absent

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House General Laws Committee met on March 7, 2022, and held a public hearing on the following legislation:

In-person testimony was provided on the following legislation concurrently: HB 2197 (Cook); HB 2461 (Burger); HB 2734 (Bayse)
Support: 2 spoke in support                                               
Oppose: 26 spoke in opposition

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

  • HCS HB 2369 (Hurlbert), prohibiting public school membership in any statewide activities association that prohibits home school students from participating in any event or activity offered by the school district in which the student resides
    Do Pass by a vote of 13 to 1 
     
  • HCS HB 2595 (Shields), authorizing a tax credit for certain physicians providing preceptorships
    Do Pass by a vote of 14 to 0

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House Public Safety Committee met on March 8, 2022, and held a public hearing on the following legislation:

  • HB 2054 (Roden), modifying provisions relating to qualifications for fire protection employees – Electronic Witness Forms
    Support: Matt Luetkemeyer (Assistant State Fire Marshall); Tyler Hobbs (Department of Public Safety) 
     
  • HB 2704 (Hicks), modifying and establishing provisions relating to marijuana – Electronic Witness Forms
    Support: 26 spoke in support 
    Oppose: 7 spoke in opposition  
    For Informational Purposes: 3 spoke for informational purposes

Archived Video of Committee Hearing (Morning)
Archived Video of Committee Hearing (Afternoon)

The House Special Committee on Litigation Reform met on March 8, 2022, and took action on the following legislation in executive session:

  • HCS HB 2206 (Trent), modifying the statute of limitations for personal injury claims from five years to two years
    Do Pass by a vote of 6 to 3 
     
  • HB 1717 (Riley), modifying provisions relating to actions for damages due to exposure to asbestos
    Do Pass by a vote of 6 to 2

Archived Video of Committee Hearing

The House Judiciary Committee met on March 9, 2022, and held public hearings on the following legislation:

  • HB 2615 (Jeff Coleman), prohibiting mask and COVID-19 vaccine mandates in public schools – Electronic Witness Forms
     
  • HB 1931 (Wiemann), modifying provisions relating to the Treatment Court Commissioner in the 11th Judicial Circuit – Electronic Witness Forms 
     
  • HB 1960 (Murphy), creating provisions relating to masking requirements – Electronic Witness Forms
     
  • HB 1974 (Murphy), establishing a rebuttable presumption that child custody arrangements that award equal parenting time are in the best interest of the child – Electronic Witness Forms
    Support: Jeremy Roberts (individual); Linda Reutzel (individual); Ken Goines (attorney)
    Oppose: Carla Holste (attorney) of the children 
    For Informational Purposes: Jennifer Carter Dochler (Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence); Tressa Price (Agape House Incorporated); Jeff Miller (Americans for Equal Shared Parenting)
     
  • HB 2589 (Evans), modifying provisions relating to convictions of included offenses – Electronic Witness Forms
    Support: Darrell Moore (Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys & Missouri Office of Prosecution Services) 

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

  • HCR 71 (Riggs), urging the Missouri Delegation to support the creation of a federal district judge or magistrate position to be based in the Hannibal Federal Building or urge the confirmation of a judicial nominee from the Northern Division
    Do Pass by a vote of 9 to 0
     
  • HB 2678 (McCreery), allowing elected officials to use campaign funds for legal fees incurred as result of official duties
    Do Pass by a vote of 9 to 0

Archived Video of Committee Hearing