Criminal Justice (Policing · Public Safety)

SB 1671 would allow qualifying Missouri cities, including Lexington, to impose up to a 0.5% sales tax for public safety purposes, subject to voter approval. The tax requires a citywide ballot measure where voters must approve the specific tax rate (e.g., "Shall the city of Lexington impose a citywide sales tax of ___% for public safety?"). All revenue must be deposited into a special trust fund and used exclusively for police, fire, and emergency medical services equipment, salaries, and facilities. The bill specifies detailed population and geographic criteria cities must meet to qualify for this tax authority.

HB 3332 modifies Missouri's Public Safety Recruitment and Retention Act to provide tuition awards for eligible public safety personnel and their dependents. Public safety personnel with at least six years of service (police officers, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, etc.) may receive up to 100% of resident tuition for degrees in specific fields like criminal justice or fire science, subject to meeting license, employment, and admission requirements. Legal dependents of personnel with ten or more years of service also qualify for tuition awards covering associate or bachelor's degrees. The program requires applicants to first seek other federal and state financial aid before applying for the tuition award, with eligibility lasting up to five years or 120 credit hours.

HB 3277 authorizes cities meeting specific population and county size criteria (e.g., certain population ranges within defined counties) to impose a 0.5% sales tax for public safety, including funding police, fire, and emergency medical services. Before implementation, the city must seek voter approval through a referendum. All tax revenue must be deposited into a special fund and used exclusively for public safety purposes, with remaining funds after tax termination also dedicated to public safety. The bill applies to multiple qualifying cities across the state, not exclusively to one city like Northwoods.

HB 2911 modifies Missouri's Public Safety Recruitment and Retention Act to create a tuition award program for eligible public safety workers. It provides up to 100% of resident tuition for associate or bachelor's degrees in approved fields (e.g., criminal justice for police, fire science for firefighters) to personnel with at least six years of service who hold current licenses/certificates and meet admission requirements. Dependents of personnel with ten years of service qualify for similar awards. Applicants must first apply for all other federal and state financial aid before accessing this tuition award.