HB 3024 requires public and charter schools to implement suicide prevention measures for students and staff. Starting in 2023-24, all teachers and licensed educators must complete at least two hours of annual suicide prevention training, including Columbia Protocol risk assessment tools by 2027. Schools serving grades 7-12 must print the 988 suicide lifeline number on student ID cards starting July 2025, and all high schools must provide mental health awareness instruction to students during their four years of high school. The bill directly affects school districts, educators, and students by mandating training, policy updates, and visible crisis resources.
HB 2251 establishes Missouri's "Free School Meals Program," requiring participating public, charter, and private schools to provide all students with free breakfast and lunch daily. Schools must qualify by participating in the USDA National School Lunch Program and meeting specific student eligibility thresholds. The state reimburses schools for the difference between federal meal reimbursement rates and the actual federal funds received per meal, covering up to one free breakfast and one free lunch per student each day. This program applies only to schools already enrolled in USDA meal programs with identified student poverty rates meeting federal criteria. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education administers the state aid payments and sets implementation rules.
HB 1662 requires all public schools to provide every enrolled student with one free breakfast and one free lunch each school day they attend classes. This applies to all students attending public schools as defined by state law, directly affecting every child in participating schools. The bill mandates daily meal provision without requiring families to qualify for reduced-price programs. It creates a new requirement for school districts to cover the cost of these meals for all students. The legislation is still in early stages, having been prefaced and read for the first time.
HB 2341 requires public and charter schools with 70% or more students eligible for free/reduced-price meals (through the National School Lunch Program) to offer breakfast after the school day begins (not before classes start), starting in the 2026-27 school year. This directly affects high-need schools, including those using the USDA Community Eligibility Option, while allowing schools to choose delivery methods like classroom breakfast or pickup. Schools already serving breakfast to 70%+ eligible students are exempt, and schools falling below the threshold must continue the program for two years before stopping. The state education department must notify schools, provide implementation guidance, collect data on breakfast models, and report annually on the program's effectiveness.
HB 2613 establishes Missouri's "Free School Meals Program," requiring qualifying schools to provide free breakfasts and lunches to all students. It applies to public, charter, private, religious, and parochial schools participating in federal meal programs that meet specific poverty thresholds (based on USDA Community Eligibility Provision criteria). The state would reimburse schools for the difference between federal meal reimbursement rates and actual federal payments received for each meal served. This ensures all students in participating schools receive two free, federally reimbursable meals daily at no cost to families.
HB 2183 bans the use of seclusion (involuntary confinement of a student alone in a room they cannot leave) in public schools, charter schools, and publicly contracted private providers, except when there is imminent danger of physical harm to the student or others. The bill also prohibits specific dangerous restraint techniques, such as those obstructing breathing, causing pain, restricting communication, or compressing the body. Schools must adopt written policies by 2022 defining restraint and seclusion, requiring annual staff training, and mandating detailed incident reports for every use, including documentation of time, location, methods, and injuries. These policies must ensure students are removed from seclusion or restraint as soon as the danger passes and prohibit all non-essential use.
SB 1271 creates and modifies rules for providing lactation accommodations in public and charter schools. It directly affects school staff who are nursing parents, ensuring they have access to appropriate facilities and time during the school day. The bill establishes specific requirements for schools to provide private, non-bathroom spaces and flexible scheduling for nursing needs. However, the provided context does not include specific details about the exact accommodations, timeline, or enforcement mechanisms. As a new bill (prefiled January 2026), no concrete policy changes have been enacted yet.
SB 1270 requires all public and charter schools to provide free feminine hygiene products to female students in grades 4 through 12. The bill mandates that schools make these products readily available in restrooms and health offices at no cost to students. It directly affects female students in those grade levels and school districts operating public or charter institutions. The key provision is the obligation on schools to supply these products, aiming to address accessibility needs during menstruation.
HB 2242 provides state funding to help public school districts hire licensed school nurses and mental health professionals. School districts can apply for a state supplement covering up to the full salary (including experience) for one nurse or mental health professional per school, with preference given to schools with the greatest need - based on factors like student health ratios, free/reduced lunch eligibility, and Title I funding. Districts may also use the funds to reimburse telehealth services for remote access to these professionals, subject to parental consent. The bill creates dedicated state funds for these supplements, ensuring unspent money doesn’t revert to general revenue and must be used solely for this purpose.
SB 1290 - This act establishes the "Missouri Healthy Schools Act" and prohibits public schools from serving, selling, or allowing a third party to sell ultraprocessed food, as such term is defined in the act, on campus during the school day. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education shall post on its website a standardized form public schools may use to certify compliance with the provisions of the act, along with a list of each public school that has provided such certification of compliance to the Department. This act is identical to HB 2887 (2026) and SB 802 (2025). OLIVIA SHANNON
