Education (Higher Education)

This bill (SB 1196) modifies grant provisions for specific workforce training programs, but the provided context lacks details on the exact changes or who is directly affected. The official abstract and recent actions (prefiled December 2025, first reading January 2026) do not specify key mechanisms, program eligibility, or affected groups. Without additional information on the proposed modifications, a substantive summary of policy changes cannot be provided. As a procedural bill with minimal detail in the context, a full summary cannot be generated.

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

HB 3221 prohibits state funding for college degree programs classified as "low-earning outcome" under federal law (Section 84001 of Pub. L. 119-21). It directly affects public colleges and students enrolled in these specific programs by blocking state financial aid, operational funding, grants, and facilities support for them. The bill requires the state higher education board to annually review federal determinations of such programs and enforce the funding ban. It also mandates yearly public reports tracking which programs are excluded, enforcement actions, and fiscal impacts on state budgets. This policy change targets funding allocation, not program availability or student eligibility.

SB 1733 - This act establishes "Alyssa's Law" and requires local educational agencies (LEAs) to implement wearable panic alert technology and critical incident response mapping. Beginning with the 2027-28 school year and continuing in all subsequent school years, each LEA shall provide each staff person with a wearable panic alert device. The device shall allow for immediate contact with local emergency response agencies, shall be capable of initiating a campus-wide emergency notification, such as a lockdown, and shall include certain other features specified in the act. Upon activation of an alert, the wearable panic alert system shall provide accurate location information at the room and floor level inside the facility and other areas that are part of the school grounds, such as parking lots and playgrounds. Before the school year begins, all school building personnel shall receive training on the emergency protocols and appropriate use of the panic alert device. Additionally, each LEA shall ensure, before the school year begins, that emergency response mapping is made available by the provider of the wearable panic alert device, at no cost to the LEA, to local first responder agencies. Emergency response maps shall be compatible with security software used by the school, be oriented true north, be overlaid on school floor plans, contain site-specific labeling that matches the structure of school buildings, be capable of managing electronic asset tags, have the ability to provide real time updates to changes to the physical structure of buildings, and have ownership retained by the LEA, as provided in the act. An LEA shall ensure all security data are accessible by a local law enforcement agency and coordinate with a local law enforcement agency to establish appropriate access protocols. Any records relating directly to the physical security or fire safety of the school facility or revealing security or fire safety systems held by a local educational agency are confidential and exempt from public disclosure under the Missouri Sunshine Law. Such records may, however, be disclosed to the owner or leaseholder of the school building; as required in furtherance of the LEA's official duties and responsibilities; to another agency in furtherance of that agency's official duties; or upon a showing of good cause before a court of competent jurisdiction. This act is similar to a provision in HCS/HB 3174 (2026). OLIVIA SHANNON

SB 1729 requires Missouri high schools to administer college and career readiness assessments, including a career-focused test leading to a nationally recognized work readiness certificate, before graduation. Students can choose between taking the ACT assessment or a WorkKeys test (which leads to a National Career Readiness Certificate), but cannot take both for the same assessment cycle. Public colleges and universities may accept WorkKeys credentials as credit toward technical degrees. The bill affects all Missouri public high school students and establishes a choice between two assessment pathways for career readiness.

HB 3480 modifies Missouri's Public Safety Recruitment and Retention Act to clarify eligibility for firefighters seeking free college tuition under the program. It requires firefighters to have at least six years of service, hold a valid fire safety certification, and work full-time in active firefighting duties (excluding volunteers or clerical roles). Eligible firefighters can use the benefit for associate or bachelor's degrees in fields like fire science, emergency management, or related health sciences, covering up to 100% of resident tuition. Dependents of firefighters with ten years of service also qualify for similar tuition coverage under the same terms.

HB 3439 modifies Missouri's Public Safety Recruitment and Retention Act to expand eligibility for free college tuition. It now includes volunteer firefighters (previously excluded) among public safety personnel who qualify, alongside police officers, paramedics, and EMTs. To qualify, applicants must have at least six years of service, meet specific licensing requirements, pursue approved fields like fire science or emergency management, and apply for other financial aid first. The program covers up to 100% of resident tuition for up to five years or 120 credit hours, with dependent benefits available for those with ten or more years of service.

SB 1777 - This act authorizes a low-performing school district to enter into a contract for the establishment of a "Public School Transformation Campus". If a school district is determined to be in the bottom five percent of scores on the Annual Performance Report (APR) or has a recent APR score consistent with an accreditation status of provisionally accredited or unaccredited, such district may contract with the governing body of a charter school that satisfies certain performance and financial criteria or another entity approved by the State Board of Education to operate a struggling school as a "transformation campus". A school district that enters into such a contract shall be exempt from certain state interventions that would normally apply to struggling schools or districts, such as the School Turnaround Act, special administrative boards, the lapse of an unaccredited district, or the transfer of students out of an unaccredited district. Before entering into a transformation contract, a district shall notify the Commissioner of Education of its intent to pursue the contract. The State Board of Education shall promulgate rules concerning how and when this notification shall occur, including certain information provided in the act. The Commissioner shall notify the district within 60 days of receiving all required information whether the proposed contract is approved or rejected. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) shall encourage approved entities to enter into such contracts with school districts. For accountability purposes during the first two years of a transformation, the transformation campus shall be evaluated with an alternate performance status and shall be publicly identified as a transformation campus. Following the first two years of transformation, the State Board of Education shall assign all performance ratings received by other public schools within the district to the transformation campus. DESE may provide, through state and federal funds where allowable, financial incentives to support transformations under this act. OLIVIA SHANNON

HB 3391 modifies rules for nonresident students attending public schools in Iowa. It allows certain property owners (including agricultural landowners paying school taxes in multiple districts) and school employees (contractors or regular employees) to send their children to schools in districts where they pay taxes or work, without tuition fees. Key provisions require property owners to pay at least $1,500 annually in school taxes for four years and submit written notice to districts, while school employees must work 20+ hours weekly. The bill also specifies that nonresident students under these provisions count toward school district enrollment for state aid calculations, excluding certain aid categories. These changes apply to school years beginning July 1, 2023, or later.

SB 1617 - This act establishes the "Accountability for Low-Earning Outcome Degrees in Higher Education Act of 2026", which requires the Coordinating Board for Higher Education to adopt rules prohibiting state funds from being allocated or expended for academic degree programs that satisfy the definition of a low-earning outcome program under federal law. The restricted funding categories include, but are not limited to, student financial aid, base operational funding, separately appropriated aid or grants, and capital or facilities funding. The Coordinating Board for Higher Education shall annually review updated federal determinations of low-earning outcome programs and adopt rules in accordance with the act. Additionally, the Coordinating Board for Higher Education shall submit an annual and publicly available report to the General Assembly documenting the programs prohibited from receiving state aid, the enforcement of such prohibitions, and the estimated fiscal impact due to the prohibitions. OLIVIA SHANNON