Legislative Update - May 14, 2021
Today (Friday) marks the last day for the General Assembly to consider legislation. The legislative day that began on Thursday stretched into the early morning hours of Friday. Legislative action has moved in fits and starts, as conference committees are formed or dissolved, and the two chambers consider conference committee substitutes. In the Senate, most of Thursday’s debate centered around a single bill – House Bill 85 (relating to the right to bear arms).
To date, six bills have been presented to the governor, who has signed five of them. As of midnight, the General Assembly had Truly Agreed To and Finally Passed forty-six bills (including eighteen appropriations bills), one joint resolution (a proposed constitutional amendment), and two concurrent resolutions. These numbers may continue to climb until the constitutional deadline of 6:00 p.m.
Pursuant to the constitution, the legislature will automatically adjourn at midnight on May 30, 2021. The next two weeks will be devoted to enrolling, engrossing, and the signing of Truly Agreed bills by the presiding officers. Then, these bills will be presented to Governor Parson, who will have forty-five days to return any bill to the Secretary of State with his approval or reasons for disapproval. The joint resolution will be submitted to the voters in November 2022.
Lists of all bills Truly Agreed To and Finally Passed during the 2021 Regular Session can be found here (Senate website) or here (House website).
The following bills of interest have already been Truly Agreed To and Finally Passed:
CCS HCS SS SCS SBs 53 & 60 (Luetkemeyer) – Relating to the administration of justice
HCS SS SCS SB 71 (Gannon) – Relating to civil proceedings
Summaries and breakdowns of these and other bills will be provided in upcoming Legislative Updates over the next several weeks and made available on The Missouri Bar’s Legislative Engagement Center.
Although a great many bills of interest to members will not be passed this session, they are quite likely to be reintroduced during the next regular session. The Board of Governors and its Executive Committee welcome input on these bills at any time during the interim. Please review the bills of interest in your practice area (available on the Legislative Engagement Center) and submit any comments to Government Relations staff at govrel@mobar.org.
SENATE & HOUSE
For the most part, nearly all action took place on the floor or in conference committees. However, some House committees did conduct their final public hearings this week.
House Committee Action
The House Committee on the Judiciary met May 10, 2021, and held a public hearing on the following bill:
SB 317 – Senator Karla May (D – St. Louis)
Senate Bill 317 would amend 454.1005, RSMo, to provide that hearings to determine whether the suspension of a business, occupational, professional, recreational, or other license was appropriate when an obligor was not in compliance with a child support order would have to comply with due process and consider all relevant factors, including the obligor's current and past ability to pay the support, the need for transportation, and the need for the license for continued employment.
TESTIFYING IN SUPPORT
None
TESTIFYING IN OPPOSITION
None
TESTIFYING FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES
Kaitlin Whaley (Department of Social Services)
The House Committee on Crime Prevention met May 10, 2021, and held public hearings on the following:
HB 843 – Rep. Michael Person (D – Ferguson)
House Bill 843 would amend section 566.233, RSMo, to require law enforcement officers’ training on human trafficking to include instruction on victims' statements to assist officers identify persons associated with human trafficking and human trafficking victims.
HB 844 – Rep. Michael Person (D – Ferguson)
House Bill 844 would amend section 43.401, RSMo, to require law enforcement agencies to: (1) attempt to locate current photos of the missing person when receiving a complaint of a missing person; (2) scan the photos; and (3) enter them into the Missouri Uniform Law Enforcement System (MULES) and the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) within ten days of receiving the complaint.
TESTIFYING IN SUPPORT
Rita Person
TESTIFYING IN OPPOSITION
None
HB 1263 – Rep. Michael Person (D – Ferguson)
House Bill 1263 would amend chapter 197, RSMo, by adding one new section (197.730) to require licensed hospitals to provide at least twenty minutes of training and education regarding human trafficking awareness to each hospital employee, and to continue to provide the training once every two years.
TESTIFYING IN SUPPORT
Rita Person
TESTIFYING IN OPPOSITION
None
TESTIFYING FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES
Kaitlin Whaley (Department of Social Services)