Education

SB 969 - This act modifies provisions relating to public safety. SEXUAL OFFENDERS WITHIN SCHOOL PROPERTIES (Section 566.149) This act provides that any person required to register as a tier III sexual offender who is a parent, legal guardian, or custodian of a student shall not be present in any school building, any real property that comprises a school, or any place where a school-related activity is taking place. This provision is identical to a provision in SB 134 (2025). RIGHTS OF VICTIMS OF CRIMES (Section 595.209) This act provides that victims of certain crimes under the age of 19 years old shall have the right to appear by video during any deposition or hearing in lieu of appearing in person. This provision is identical to a provision in SB 134 (2025). TRISTAN BENSON, JR.

SB 1276 - This act creates new provisions relating to prohibiting discrimination in public entities. Public Schools (Sections 105.1701 and 105.1702) The governing body of a public school, including an elementary school, high school, or charter school, shall ensure that the following information is displayed on the school website in a publicly accessible location: • All training materials, including materials for instructors, concerning or used for staff and faculty training on all matters of nondiscrimination, diversity, equity, inclusion, race, ethnicity, sex, or bias, or any combination of these concepts with other concepts; • All instructional or curricular materials concerning nondiscrimination, diversity, equity, inclusion, race, ethnicity, sex, or bias, or any combination of these concepts with other concepts; and • Any procedures for the documentation, review, or approval of the training, instructional, or curricular materials used for staff and faculty training or student instruction at the school, including by the principal, curriculum administrators, or other teachers. Each state agency and political subdivision shall post on its website in a publicly accessible location all training materials, including materials for instructors, for training provided to employees of the agency or political subdivision on all matters of nondiscrimination, diversity, equity, inclusion, race, ethnicity, sex, or bias, or any combination of these concepts with other concepts, except any materials that the agency or political subdivision is required to keep confidential. A public school, including an elementary school, high school, or charter school, state agency, or political subdivision shall not: • Require or otherwise compel a student, teacher, administrator, or other employee to affirm, adopt, or adhere to any belief or concept that: • One race, sex, ethnicity, religion, or national origin is inherently superior or inferior to another race, sex, ethnicity, religion, or national origin; • An individual, by virtue of his or her race, sex, ethnicity, religion, or national origin should be blamed for actions committed in the past by other members of the same race, sex, ethnicity, religion, or national origin; or • An individual's moral character is necessarily determined, in whole or in part, by his or her race, sex, ethnicity, religion, or national origin. • Use public funds to contract with, hire, or otherwise engage consultants, trainers, or other persons to: • Direct or otherwise compel a student, teacher, administrator, or other employee to affirm, adopt, or adhere to any belief or concept prohibited by this act; or • Advocate concepts prohibited by this act, unless it meets certain exceptions as described in the act; or • Require a student, teacher, administrator, or other employee to attend or participate in a training, seminar, continuing education, orientation, or therapy that promotes any concept prohibited by this act. Proxy Discrimination (Sections 160.011, 160.2800, and 174.800) This act establishes provisions relating to proxy discrimination in educational institutions. The act defines "proxy discrimination" as the use of a facially neutral factor in student admissions that correlates with race, sex, color, ethnicity, ancestry, or national origin for the purpose of discriminating against or granting a preference to any individual or group on the basis of such characteristics. Proxy discrimination includes the use of certain factors described in the act, such as zip codes or socioeconomic indicators, which may be used individually or in combination with other factors for the purposes of discriminating against or granting a preference to any individual or group. "Traditional academic success factors" include standardized test results, grades, extracurricular activities, and academic recommendations. Under the act, any public educational institution with a selective admission process, including public schools, charter schools, and state colleges and universities, shall publish a comprehensive list of all factors considered or used in the admission process. The list shall include academic qualifications, extracurricular activities, personal essays, letters of recommendation, and other factors set forth in the act. The list shall be made publicly available on the official website of each educational institution and shall be easily accessible to prospective students, parents, and other interested parties. No educational institution or person making admission decisions for the institution shall discriminate or grant preferential treatment to any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin; nor shall any such institution or person engage in proxy discrimination or seek information on students' race, sex, color, ethnicity, ancestry, or national origin during the application process unless expressly required by federal law, as provided in the act. In any civil action challenging any instance of proxy discrimination, the person bringing the action has the burden of establishing a prima facie case of proxy discrimination through evidence that a particular factor or combination of factors other than traditional academic success factors was selected at least in part for the purpose of discriminating against or granting a preference to any individual or group on the basis of race, sex, color, ethnicity, ancestry, or national origin. The defendant has the burden of proving that the selection of the challenged factor or combination thereof was solely for a lawful purpose and not for the purpose of discriminating against or granting a preference to any individual or group. The use of traditional academic success factors by any educational institution or employee presumptively does not constitute proxy discrimination. To challenge the use of traditional academic success factors, the plaintiff has the burden of proving that the factors were manipulated, weighted, or otherwise used with the specific intent of discriminating against or granting a preference to an individual or group in violation of the act. Educational institutions shall have a grace period of nine months after the effective date of the act (or until May 28, 2027), to comply with the requirements relating to disclosure of factors considered in the admission process. Noncompliance with this act may result in penalties, including fines and potential loss of public funding, as provided in the act. Missouri Human Rights Act (Section 213.136) The act prohibits the state, including any political subdivision thereof, or any public university system, community college district, or public school district, from discriminating against, or granting preferential treatment to, any individual or group on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, or sex in the operation of public employment, public education, or public contracting. This act contains a severability clause. SCOTT SVAGERA

SB 862's abstract states it "modifies provisions relating to gaming," but provides no specific details about which gaming-related laws are being changed or how. Without additional text or context on the bill's content, the exact provisions, affected parties, or policy changes cannot be identified. The bill was prefaced in December 2025 and referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee after its second reading in January 2026. A complete summary requires the full bill text, as the current information is insufficient to describe concrete mechanisms or impacts.

This bill (SJR 101) has a generic title and abstract stating it "modifies provisions relating to taxation," but the provided context does not specify *which* tax provisions are being changed, who would be affected, or the key mechanisms involved. Without details on the actual policy changes (e.g., tax rates, exemptions, or administrative processes), a substantive summary cannot be created. Procedural resolutions like this often require further review to understand the specific legislative intent. For a meaningful summary, the bill's full text or detailed description would be needed.

This bill increases the one-time death benefit payment for public school retirees from the current amount to $10,000. The change applies to retiree members who pass away on or after August 28, 2026, and directly affects the Public School Retirement System (PSRS). The legislation modifies the existing law to specify this new payment amount for eligible deceased members, without altering other retirement benefit calculations or survivor options. The bill is currently in the legislative process and has been referred to the Pensions committee for further review.

This bill creates the Missouri Rangers, a new training program for school protection officers designed to prepare them for handling emergency and violent crisis situations in schools. The Missouri State Professional Standards and Training Commission will oversee the program, which includes up to 160 hours of training covering firearms, active shooter response, defensive tactics, and other related skills, with physical requirements based on age. People who complete the training will receive a certificate and badge, and their arrest powers will be limited to weapons offenses and trespassing on school property, though active law enforcement officers are exempt from this restriction. The bill also specifies uniform requirements, mandates that Rangers be considered employees of the hiring school for liability purposes, and grants them qualified immunity.

This bill expands student transfer rights by allowing any student to move to a public school in a different district starting in the 2027-28 school year, removing previous restrictions that limited transfers only to students from unaccredited districts. School boards must report their capacity to accept transfers, and parents must notify the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to request transfers, which the department will then assign to available schools. The legislation eliminates tuition payments between districts for transfer students and counts them as residents of their new district for state and federal funding purposes. Districts must also provide transportation to designated receiving schools and handle special education responsibilities according to specific rules based on the type of sending and receiving districts.

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 3228 provides legal protection for teachers who intervene in school violence to protect themselves or students. It shields teachers and their school districts from lawsuits if they follow school procedures or act in good faith with a reasonable belief the intervention was justified. The bill explicitly excludes protection for cases involving willful misconduct or gross negligence. It also prohibits schools from creating policies that prevent teachers from intervening in such incidents. This bill directly affects educators and school districts by changing liability rules for on-the-ground safety responses.

SB 1641 allows students enrolled in private, home, or full-time virtual schools (defined as "eligible schools") to participate in public school extracurricular activities like sports, fine arts, and career programs under the same requirements as public school students. The bill prohibits public schools from blocking this participation solely because a student attends a private, home, or virtual school, provided the student meets standard criteria such as residency proof, health records, behavior standards, and financial obligations. Public schools cannot require these students to attend public school classes to join activities, though they may enforce existing rules for tryouts, rehearsals, or academic eligibility. The law also prevents schools from applying separate disciplinary policies to these students compared to public school attendees. This affects private/home/virtual school students seeking access to public school programs not offered at their own schools.