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
- In support: Missouri Bar Probate & Trust Division; The Missouri Bar; and Missouri Bankers Association
- In opposition: none
- In support: Judicial Conference of Missouri
- In opposition: none
- For information: Western District Commissioner Cole County
- In support: Judicial Conference of Missouri; Empower Missouri; and Missouri Association of Public Administrators
- In opposition: none
SB 864 (Rehder): Modifies provisions relating to costs and fees in divorce proceedings
- Do Pass by a vote of 5-0
- Do Pass by a vote of 5-0
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
- Helps find missing people who are in danger because of eminent needed medical treatment
- In support: Theda Wilson
- In opposition: none
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
- Do Pass by a vote of 4-0
- Do Pass by a vote of 4-0
- Do Pass by a vote of 4-0
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
- 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
- In support: none
- In opposition: none
- In support: Missouri Hospital Association; and Missouri Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence
- In opposition: none
SB 899 (Black): Modifies provisions relating to child care provider licensing requirements for certain providers
- Do Pass by a vote of 7-0
- Do Pass by a vote of 6-1
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
- 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
- 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
- In support: Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorney
- In opposition: none
- Electronic witness forms
HCS HB 1481 (Christ): Modifies provisions relating to the operation of certain law enforcement agencies
- Do Pass by a vote of 17-3
- Do Pass by a vote of 19-0
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
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
- Medical kidnapping
- In support: Rebecca Wanasik; Kimberly Smith; Missouri Stand for Health Freedom; and Tesa Gorsick
- In opposition: Missouri Network Against Child Abuse
- Electronic witness forms
- Electronic witness forms
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.
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
- In support: Brent Haden; Missouri Farm Bureau; and Missouri Cattlemen’s Association
- In opposition: none
- Electronic witness forms
- Gives victims right to be informed about, and to be heard at, post-conviction hearings
- In support: none
- In opposition: none
- Electronic witness forms
HCS HB 2064 (Black): Establishes provisions relating to mental health courts
- Do Pass by a vote of 13-0
- Do Pass by a vote of 13-0
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