HB 2417, the "Parents' Bill of Rights of 2026," grants parents and guardians specific access rights regarding their minor child's education in public schools and charter schools. It requires schools to provide parents with syllabi, reading lists, and teaching staff information; prohibit nondisclosure agreements for curriculum access; obtain parental consent for diversity, equity, and inclusion activities; and notify parents within 48 hours of specific safety incidents like assaults or weapon incidents. The bill also mandates access to student records, financial information about third-party contracts, and the right to object to classroom materials related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Parents can file complaints with local prosecutors if denied these rights, who may seek court orders to enforce them. This bill directly affects all parents of K-12 students in participating school districts.
HB 1886 establishes the "Designated Health Care Decision-Maker Act," allowing Missouri adults to formally designate a specific person to make health care decisions for them if they become incapacitated (unable to make decisions due to physical or mental condition). This designated person, distinct from existing legal roles like guardians or durable power of attorney agents, must act in the patient's "best interests" by ensuring equal access to care without discrimination based on disability. The bill defines key terms like "incapacitated," "best interests" (including promoting the highest attainable health standard), and "health care" to guide decision-making in hospitals, nursing facilities, or other care settings. It does not replace existing advance directives but creates a new, standardized process for appointing a decision-maker.
HB 2235 establishes that borrowers seeking loans secured by property conveyed via quitclaim deed must have been a party to the original warranty deed or obtained title through a quiet title action. This requirement directly affects individuals using quitclaim deeds to transfer property and apply for financing, such as home loans or refinancing. The bill would create a new eligibility standard for these loans, replacing or adding to existing title verification processes. Currently in early legislative stages (prefiled and read first time in January 2026), the bill has not yet been debated or voted on.
HB 2623 abolishes the death penalty in Missouri by repealing all existing statutes that allowed for capital punishment. The bill mandates that anyone convicted of a crime previously punishable by death - such as first-degree murder - must instead receive a sentence of life imprisonment without parole. This change affects all individuals currently on death row or convicted of capital offenses under prior law. The bill replaces death penalty provisions with new sentencing rules that classify such offenses as class A felonies and eliminate the death penalty as a possible sentence.
HB 2620 creates a Missouri income tax deduction for National Guard and reserve military members' training pay. It phases in a percentage deduction starting at 20% for 2020, increasing by 20% annually until reaching 100% by 2024. The deduction applies to income from inactive duty training (IDT), annual training (AT), and certain enlistment bonuses (starting 2025), but excludes civilian federal service pay. This directly affects Missouri taxpayers who serve part-time in National Guard or reserve units.
HB 2619 creates two new special license plates for Missouri veterans: one for those who served in both Afghanistan and Iraq (requiring both campaign medals) and another for veterans who served only in Afghanistan (requiring the Afghanistan Campaign medal). Eligible veterans must be honorably discharged or currently serving and pay a $15 fee in addition to standard registration costs. The plates replace "SHOW-ME STATE" with "AFGHANISTAN & IRAQ VETERAN" or "AFGHANISTAN VETERAN" and display the respective campaign medals on the left side. They are non-transferable (except to co-owners after the veteran's death) and cannot be used on commercial vehicles over 24,000 pounds gross weight.
HB 2624 establishes Missouri's "Kinship Infant Care Support Program" to provide financial support to relatives caring for infants under one year old. Eligible caregivers (like grandparents, aunts, uncles, or siblings) receive hourly payments so the infant's parent or parents can work, attend school, or complete job training for at least 20 hours weekly while meeting income limits (≤250% of federal poverty level). The program pays higher hourly rates for families below 150% poverty, requires background checks and initial safety training (including CPR and safe sleep practices), and limits payments to 60 hours weekly per infant (max two infants). Caregivers cannot receive this support if they already get other child care subsidies or foster care payments.
HB 2621 repeals Missouri laws that prohibited local governments from adopting "sanctuary policies" and penalized municipalities for doing so. Specifically, it removes sections of state law (67.307 and 285.550) that defined sanctuary policies as local ordinances limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities and threatened to cut off state funding for municipalities with such policies. The bill directly affects cities, counties, and other local governments in Missouri, allowing them to implement or maintain policies that restrict local officials from verifying or reporting immigration status to federal agencies. This change removes the financial penalty and legal restrictions that previously prevented municipalities from adopting these policies. The bill does not create new requirements but eliminates existing barriers to local sanctuary policy adoption.
This bill repeals a Missouri state law (Section 260.283, RSMo) that prohibited local governments from regulating plastic or paper bags. It allows cities and counties to impose fees, bans, or taxes on these bags for the first time. The change directly affects local governments, which can now create their own bag policies, and businesses, which must follow local rules instead of the state's uniform requirement. This removes a statewide restriction, enabling communities to address plastic waste through local decision-making.
HB 2632 prohibits insurers from using credit reports or insurance credit scores to set rates for auto, property, or renters insurance policies. It directly affects consumers applying for or holding these policies, requiring insurers to disclose if credit data influences rates and providing notice of adverse actions (like higher premiums). Key provisions include mandating disclosure at application, extending dispute resolution periods for credit errors, and requiring insurers to justify rate decisions based on non-credit factors if credit scores are unavailable. The bill excludes mortgage, commercial insurance, and payment plan options, and prohibits using credit inquiries as negative factors in scoring.
HB 2630 changes how vacancies in the state's general assembly are filled. It requires the governor to issue an election writ within seven days if a member dies during a recess, unless the vacancy occurs after the 40th Tuesday before the member's term ends. This directly affects governors, who must act faster to schedule special elections for vacant seats. The bill modifies the existing process to streamline vacancy fillings, ensuring timely elections for constituents. (Procedural bill; summary focuses on specific policy change.)
HB 2631 makes it a serious misdemeanor for anyone under 18 to knowingly possess a handgun or handgun ammunition. It specifically targets minors' firearm possession, with key exceptions allowing it for farm/ranch work (with parental consent), military service, inheritance, or home defense. The bill defines "handgun" as a single-handed firearm (excluding antiques) and clarifies that firearms transferred legally to minors won't be permanently confiscated if the minor later violates the law. Penalties include fines or jail time, but the law emphasizes parental consent and specific permitted activities to avoid criminalizing typical minor firearm use.
