Immigration

SB 1124 would make it unlawful for individuals or businesses in Missouri to send money to people living in the state without legal immigration status. It directly affects anyone attempting to transfer funds (like remittances) to undocumented immigrants within Missouri. The bill creates new state criminal penalties for violating this prohibition, targeting money transmission services, employers, or individuals facilitating such payments. This is a substantive policy change, not a procedural measure, focusing on restricting financial transactions tied to undocumented immigration.

HB 1959 designates three annual observances in Missouri: June as "Immigrant Heritage Month" to celebrate immigrant contributions, October 2nd as "Wrongful Conviction Day" to raise awareness about wrongful convictions, and December 1st as "Freeman Bosley, Sr. Day" honoring a retired St. Louis politician. The bill creates no new legal requirements or funding but formally names these dates for public recognition. It directly affects all Missouri residents by encouraging participation in related events. The designation applies statewide with no specific restrictions or targeted groups.

HB 2062 changes Missouri's higher education residency rules for tuition purposes. It requires public and private Missouri colleges receiving state funds to treat as in-state residents any student who graduated from a Missouri high school (public, private, or home) or earned a high school equivalency in Missouri. Non-citizen students must provide a written statement agreeing to pursue legal status if eligible, but institutions cannot deny admission based solely on immigration status. The bill also mandates that all residency information collected during admission stays confidential.

HB 1763 modifies commercial driver's license (CDL) requirements for non-resident drivers, specifically targeting those working under U.S. temporary visa programs (H-2A agricultural, H-2B non-agricultural, or E-2 treaty investor). It requires verification of lawful U.S. presence before issuing a CDL and mandates that applicants provide proof of employment under these specific visa categories, including valid Form I-94 and foreign passports. The bill sets expiration dates for these non-resident CDLs to align with the holder's immigration status period (capped at one year), and requires the state to use the SAVE program to verify immigration status. These provisions apply directly to foreign workers in approved nonimmigrant visa categories seeking to operate commercial vehicles in the state.

HB 2134 requires state Department of Corrections and county sheriff's offices to apply for participation in the federal Warrant Service Officer Program, which allows law enforcement to serve immigration-related administrative warrants under federal law. The bill directly affects correctional facilities and local law enforcement agencies by mandating their participation in this program or offering an alternative "Jail Enforcement Model" for handling immigration status inquiries. Key provisions include requiring agencies to seek federal approval, address denial reasons, and apply for state waivers if repeatedly denied, while outlining processes for rulemaking and program renewal. The law focuses on enabling state/local officers to execute specific immigration warrants without altering federal immigration enforcement authority.

HB 2545 makes it unlawful for specific individuals to possess firearms, including those convicted of a felony, fugitives from justice, people habitually intoxicated or mentally incompetent, or certain non-citizens (like those illegally in the U.S. or on temporary visas without federal exceptions). Violating this would typically be a class C felony, but becomes a class B felony for repeat offenders or those with prior "dangerous felony" convictions. The bill explicitly excludes antique firearms from these restrictions. It modifies existing state law to clarify who is prohibited from firearm possession and adjust penalty levels.