HB 2708 Missouri House · 2026 Regular Session

Modifies the offense of possession of unlawful items in a prison or jail

HB 2708 updates rules for prohibited items in prisons and jails. It specifically bans controlled substances (except prescribed), intoxicating liquor, weapons, unauthorized electronic devices (like cell phones), and other items banned by facility rules. Violations carry penalties ranging from misdemeanors to class B felonies, depending on the item. The bill also adds a new rule: people convicted of bringing certain drugs (alkaloids) can have their records cleared through a specific expungement process, but only if they haven’t previously violated these rules. Facilities must post clear lists of prohibited items for visitors.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Jan 6, 2026 Last action Apr 9, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced House Committee Substitute · 3 edits
MINOR
The bill was reclassified from a standard House Bill to a House Committee Substitute, indicating it has been amended by the House Committee. The most significant substantive change is the modification of the definition for prohibited electronic devices in correctional facilities; the language was updated to emphasize that devices must be 'capable' of being used for communication rather than just 'used' in such a manner, and the list of examples was expanded to include personal digital assistants and broadband devices.
Scope change
The scope of prohibited items was slightly broadened by changing the criteria for electronic devices from actual usage to capability of usage, and the list of specific device types was expanded.
DEFINITION

The definition of prohibited electronic devices was changed from requiring the device to be 'used' to initiate or receive communication to requiring the device to be 'capable' of being used for such purposes.

The list of specific prohibited electronic devices was expanded to explicitly include 'personal digital assistants' and 'broadband personal communication devices'.

TECHNICAL

The bill's header was updated to reflect its status as a 'House Committee Substitute' and the bill number was changed from 6229H.01I to 6229H.02C, indicating legislative processing steps.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
12
Key actions
4
Committee
6
Apr 9, 2026
Lower · Passed
Reported Do Pass (H) - AYES: 7 NOES: 2 PRESENT: 1
lower
Apr 9, 2026
Lower · Passed
Voted Do Pass (H)
lower
Mar 31, 2026
Committee
Referred: Rules - Administrative(H)
lower
Mar 5, 2026
Lower · Passed
HCS Reported Do Pass (H) - AYES: 7 NOES: 5 PRESENT: 0
lower
Mar 4, 2026
Lower · Passed
HCS Voted Do Pass (H)
lower
Feb 26, 2026
Committee
Referred: Corrections and Public Institutions(H)
lower
Jan 6, 2026
Introduced
Prefiled (H)
lower
1 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

Role
Legislator
Party
State
District
P
Photo of Barry Hovis
Barry Hovis
RRepublican
MO
146