HB 3305 requires public and charter schools serving grades 7-12 to implement suicide prevention training for educators and mental health awareness for students. Starting in 2023-24, school districts must provide at least two hours of annual suicide prevention training for all teachers and staff, including specific instruction on the Columbia Protocol (C-SSRS) and a virtual mental health tool by 2027-28. The bill also mandates that student ID cards display the 988 suicide lifeline number starting July 2025. Additionally, it requires high school students (grades 9-12) to receive mental health awareness instruction integrated into existing health or physical education courses beginning 2022-23. These provisions directly affect all public and charter schools, educators, and students in participating districts.
HB 3488 requires public and charter schools serving grades 7-12 to develop suicide and self-harm prevention policies by 2027, including strategies to identify at-risk students and protocols for responding to crises. Starting July 1, 2025, schools must print the national suicide lifeline number (988) and local police nonemergency numbers on student ID cards, with optional inclusion of text line codes (741741) or local hotlines. By 2027, schools must establish mandatory reporting procedures for staff to alert designated personnel about students at risk of suicide or self-harm, requiring immediate parental notification and risk assessments before releasing students. The bill also mandates the education department to create and periodically update a model prevention policy by 2021, incorporating school feedback.
HB 3495 bans the use of seclusion to confine students in public schools, charter schools, and publicly contracted private providers, except when there is imminent danger of physical harm to self or others. The bill prohibits specific restraint techniques that obstruct breathing, cause injury, restrict communication, or endanger students' health. Schools must adopt written policies by July 2022 requiring staff training, incident documentation, and immediate removal from seclusion once the danger passes. These policies must define prohibited techniques and align with safety standards for all students, including those with disabilities. The law aims to prevent harmful confinement practices while maintaining safety protocols for emergencies.
HB 3540 creates a voluntary mental wellness program called "Journaling for Joy" for school districts and charter schools. Starting in the 2027-28 school year, it allows schools to implement the program for students in third, sixth, and twelfth grades using approved curriculum that includes journaling workbooks, instructor guides, and structured prompts focused on emotional regulation and conflict resolution - without providing therapy or collecting identifiable mental health data. Schools must train teachers using department-approved materials, and the education department will track participation and non-identifiable outcomes like school climate through annual reports. The program expires on August 28, 2033, and requires annual state funding approval for implementation.
HB 3250 requires public schools to create a policy mandating written parental permission for students to leave class during school hours to participate in protests. The policy must specify each protest event's location, topic, and subject matter, and permission is required for every individual protest - not a blanket approval. Schools failing to obtain this permission risk losing per-pupil funding for each violation. This directly affects students, parents, and school districts by changing how student participation in protests is managed during school time.
HB 2748 requires all elementary school students (including those in alternative programs and with disabilities, as appropriate under disability laws) to participate in at least 60 minutes daily of supervised moderate physical activity starting in the 2026-27 school year. It also mandates a minimum 20-minute daily recess in elementary schools and allows middle school students to meet activity requirements through 225 minutes weekly of physical activity. The bill establishes a state recognition program for schools showing fitness improvements and permits districts to meet requirements through recess, physical education, or approved activities. These changes directly affect public school districts, students, and physical education staff across the state.
HB 3022 modifies Missouri's empowerment scholarship program to provide state-funded accounts for eligible students. It directly affects Missouri students with disabilities (via IEPs) or from low-income households (income ≤300% of free lunch standards), and schools accepting these funds. Key provisions require participating schools to not discriminate based on race, religion, or gender identity, and ensure public schools continue receiving state/federal funding for students who use scholarships to attend non-resident schools (counted for up to five years). The law expires five years after its effective date.
HB 3025 requires public school districts and qualifying charter schools (those serving 40%+ students from households earning ≤185% of federal poverty guidelines) to provide free tampons and sanitary napkins ("period products") in all restrooms of middle and high schools (grades 6-12) starting July 1, 2027. The state will cover all costs using dedicated funding for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. This directly affects schools meeting the income threshold, ensuring no-cost access to period products for students. The bill mandates physical availability in school restrooms without requiring student requests or fees.
HB 3121 creates Missouri's "Free School Meals Program," requiring participating schools (public, private, charter, or virtual) to provide all students with free breakfast and lunch daily after seeking federal reimbursement. The state will reimburse schools for the difference between federal meal rates and actual federal payments, funded by up to 1% of video lottery proceeds and donations to the "Healthy School Meals for All Fund." Additionally, tax-exempt organizations and individuals can deduct up to 75% of donations to this fund starting in 2027. The program expires after six years unless renewed and mandates biennial reports on participation and food security impacts.
HB 2827 bans corporal punishment in all public school districts by requiring written discipline policies that prohibit physical punishment and spanking. It mandates annual staff training on these policies, requires schools to report serious violent or drug-related offenses (including specific crimes like assault, kidnapping, or drug distribution) to law enforcement, and adds a new rule: students suspended for such offenses must stay at least 1,000 feet from school property during their suspension unless under specific adult supervision or enrolled in an alternative school nearby. The bill directly affects all public school students, staff, and districts in the state, replacing previous policies that allowed limited corporal punishment with a total prohibition.
