HB 1936 lowers the age at which Missouri residents can be excused from jury duty from 75 to 70 years old. It also specifies additional exemptions, including for nursing mothers (with physician certification), health care providers (with service verification), religious employees (with religious supervisor certification), and those facing undue hardship (requiring documented evidence like medical records or tax returns). Individuals must apply for exemption before their jury duty date and provide supporting documentation to the court. This change directly affects older adults and others meeting the new exemption criteria, reducing the burden of jury service for these groups.
HB 1930 makes it a class D misdemeanor to knowingly approach within 50 feet of a first responder after receiving an oral warning not to, if the person intends to block their work, threaten them with harm, or harass them. It directly affects individuals who interfere with police, firefighters, or emergency medical personnel (including hospital staff in emergency settings) while they are performing their duties. The law defines "harass" as causing substantial emotional distress without a legitimate purpose. Violations carry penalties including fines or jail time for this new offense.
HB 1949 creates new provisions to improve access to maternal health care by allowing state health officials and licensed physicians to issue standing orders for services like prenatal vitamins and doula recommendations without requiring individual patient authorization each time. These standing orders must be posted online, expire after one year unless renewed, and terminate if the issuing professional leaves their position. The bill also provides legal immunity from criminal, disciplinary, or civil liability for professionals issuing orders in compliance with the law. This directly affects Missouri's Medicaid program (MO HealthNet) and eligible patients seeking maternal health services.
HB 1953 revises Missouri's law enforcement accountability standards by replacing existing statutes with five new sections. It clarifies that officers may only use force they reasonably believe is necessary to make an arrest, with deadly force permitted only in specific situations like when a person is committing a violent felony or threatening serious harm. The bill requires officers to intervene and report excessive force by colleagues during arrests or crowd control, and prohibits retaliation against officers who report misconduct. It also mandates immediate dismissal and license revocation for officers using respiratory choke-holds outside of specific exceptions. These provisions directly affect all Missouri law enforcement officers and their agencies.
HB 1929 modifies Missouri's law on dangerous dogs by defining the offense as owning a dog that has previously bitten without provocation and then bites again, or a dog that causes serious injury or death on its first bite. Penalties range from a class B misdemeanor for minor bites to a class D felony if the dog causes death, based on injury severity. The bill requires seized dogs to be held for 10 business days before destruction, but allows owners to appeal in court within 30 days to challenge the destruction. However, if a dog attacks someone engaged in criminal activity (excluding minor trespass), the owner is not liable and the dog is not destroyed.
HB 1988 revises Missouri's driver's license laws by replacing two existing sections with new provisions. It requires the director of revenue to return a license immediately after a suspension ends if the driver meets requirements, and mandates that revoked license holders apply for a new license. The bill creates a process for limited driving privileges, allowing courts or the director to grant temporary driving rights for essential needs like employment, medical treatment, school, or essential shopping (e.g., groceries or pharmacies) if an undue hardship would occur. Applicants must submit a written request, driving record, and proof of financial responsibility, though limited privileges are denied for certain offenses without an ignition interlock device.
HB 1964 updates Missouri's regulations for applied behavior analysis (ABA), a therapy commonly used to support individuals with autism spectrum disorders. The bill replaces outdated definitions with clear terms, specifying that ABA focuses on behavioral principles to improve social behaviors (excluding cognitive therapies, psychological testing, or counseling). It creates new licensing categories for ABA professionals, including "Licensed Behavior Analyst" and "Licensed Assistant Behavior Analyst," requiring certification from approved national bodies like the Behavior Analyst Certification Board. These changes directly affect ABA practitioners, the state committee of psychologists, and the division overseeing professional licensing.
HB 1935 repeals a requirement in Missouri law that mandated certain counties (those with charters and populations between 600,000-700,000) to hold regular county municipal court sessions in the evening outside the county seat. The bill replaces this provision with updated language that removes this specific scheduling and location rule. This change directly affects counties operating under the new county municipal court framework established by Section 66.010, RSMo. The bill focuses on procedural court operations rather than substantive policy changes.
HB 1950 replaces Missouri's existing maternal care reporting law with new provisions focused on reducing infant mortality. It requires counties to annually report infant deaths to local health agencies, disaggregate data by race/ethnicity, and establish fetal/infant mortality review committees in areas with high death rates (five+ deaths in a year or two consecutive years above the state average). Local health agencies must investigate at least 20% of term infant deaths (or one case if fewer than five deaths occur) with a confidential review process, prohibiting public disclosure of individual cases while allowing statistical reporting. This bill directly affects counties, local health agencies, and medical professionals involved in infant mortality reviews, aiming to identify disparities and improve care through data-driven analysis.
HB 1967 requires Missouri General Assembly members who sponsor a bill to remain present in the hearing room for the entire public hearing on that bill. The sponsor may briefly leave for essential health or personal needs (not meals or meetings) but must return within ten minutes. This rule directly affects bill sponsors during committee or floor hearings in the Missouri legislature. The bill does not change the content of legislation but aims to ensure sponsors are available to address questions during the public review process.
HB 1969 requires excavators (like construction companies) to submit a notice of intent to dig to Missouri's Department of Natural Resources (DNR) before starting work. The DNR must then check if the site is within a location contaminated with hazardous waste, including areas under active cleanup, requiring cleanup, or listed in the state's hazardous waste registry. If contamination is confirmed, the DNR mandates soil testing - either by the responsible party or directly by the DNR - to ensure worker safety. This affects excavation projects by adding a mandatory safety check before digging begins.
HB 1986 repeals a Missouri law that previously classified allowing a ballot to be seen as a class four election offense (a misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail or a $2,500 fine). The bill removes subsection (14) from Section 115.637, which specifically prohibited voters from letting others see their ballot "with the intent of letting it be known how he or she is about to vote or has voted." This change directly affects voters by eliminating a legal risk for showing how they marked their ballot. The bill does not alter other election rules or penalties for related offenses.
