Technology

SB 1502 - This act establishes the "Missouri Consent and Likeness Protection Act" which provides that no adhesion contract, disclaimer or waiver, or condition of entry shall be valid or enforceable if it: (1) Waives or limits an individual's right to bring a civil action for the unauthorized use of the individual's identity attributes; or (2) Grants the right to use an individual's identity attributes without allowing the individual to seek judicial relief. As it relates to the use of identity attributes, any provision that purports to release liability, require arbitration, waive jury trial, limit damages, or provide consent without reasonable and just compensation shall be void. Additionally, the rights and requirements of this act shall not be waived by contract. Consent for the commercial or promotional use of identity attributes shall be valid only if the consent is: (1) Affirmative, explicit, and written; (2) Negotiated by all parties in good faith; (3) Separate and distinct from any general terms or conditions; (4) Clearly describing the specific use of the identity attributes, that such use is limited in a duration not to exceed a period of twenty years, and the certain parties authorized to use the identity attributes; and (5) Whether reasonable and just compensation is provided; and (6) Freely revocable at any time. Additionally, consent for the use of identity attributes shall not be implied by an individual's entry onto premises, presence in a public or quasi-public space, participation in an activity, purchase of a ticket, or failure to read or object to posted terms. Consent for the commercial or promotional use of identity attributes obtained through adhesion contracts or disclaimers or waivers shall be conclusively presumed invalid. Furthermore, this act shall apply to any entity doing business in Missouri and to any individual physically present in Missouri at the time of the alleged violation. Any individual whose identity attributes are used in violation of this act may bring a civil action for damages. The court may award a prevailing plaintiff any actual damages, statutory damages of not less than $10,000 per violation, the disgorgement of profits earned through the use of the identity attributes, injunctive and declaratory relief, and reasonable attorney's fees and costs. Additionally, the Attorney General may investigate and bring an enforcement action to enjoin any act or practice which is a violation of this act. Upon a showing of a violation, the Attorney General may seek a civil penalty of up to $25,000 per violation. KATIE O'BRIEN

HB 1652 would amend state food safety laws to explicitly deem any food containing "cultivated meat" (meat grown from cultured animal cells) as adulterated. This means products made from lab-grown meat would be considered unsafe under current regulations, directly affecting producers and sellers of such products. The bill adds "contains any cultivated meat" to the list of conditions making food adulterated, alongside other safety violations like contamination or harmful additives. It does not address safety testing or labeling requirements for cultivated meat, only its legal classification under existing food safety definitions. The bill is currently in early legislative stages (prefiled and first reading).

HB 1842 allows Missouri website owners and the state Attorney General to challenge lawsuits alleging website accessibility violations (under laws like the ADA) if those lawsuits are deemed "abusive." It defines abusive litigation as primarily seeking payment from defendants rather than fixing accessibility issues, requiring courts to consider factors like the plaintiff's history of similar lawsuits and the defendant's resources. If litigation is found abusive, the suing party must pay the defendant's legal fees and potentially up to three times those fees as punitive damages. The law includes a 30-day window for defendants to correct accessibility issues to avoid a presumption of abusive litigation.

HB 2208 establishes rules for operating fully autonomous vehicles (without human drivers) on public roads in this state. It requires these vehicles to achieve a "minimal risk condition" during system failures, submit law enforcement plans to the Department of Public Safety, and maintain proof of financial responsibility. The bill mandates special vehicle registration and titling identifying the vehicle as fully autonomous, while exempting them from human-driver-specific traffic laws during autonomous operation. These provisions directly affect companies operating self-driving vehicle fleets, ensuring safety protocols and accountability without restricting human control when needed.

HB 3043 requires virtual currency kiosk operators to clearly disclose key risks to customers before transactions, such as that virtual currency isn't backed by government or protected by deposit insurance. It authorizes the state attorney general to bring civil lawsuits against operators who violate these disclosure rules or other provisions of the law. The bill defines critical terms like "virtual currency kiosk" (an electronic terminal for exchanging fiat currency and virtual currency) and mandates operators to provide written risk disclosures covering irreversibility, market volatility, and regulatory changes. It also establishes confidentiality rules for state division records and ensures federal laws like the Bank Secrecy Act take precedence if conflicts arise. This law directly affects businesses operating physical kiosks for virtual currency exchanges within the state.

HB 2815 establishes a state no-call database in Missouri, allowing residential and business subscribers to register their phone numbers to avoid unsolicited telemarketing calls. The Missouri Attorney General must create and maintain this free database, setting rules for how subscribers can register or revoke their objection and how businesses must access the list before making calls. Businesses making telephone solicitations are required to check the database to avoid contacting registered numbers, with the Attorney General working with telecom companies to provide public education about the service. The law also mandates annual updates to include numbers from national do-not-call lists and prohibits blocking caller ID services to circumvent the database.

SB 1553 authorizes financial incentives, such as tax credits or grants, for companies producing specific critical materials (e.g., minerals for clean energy technology) and certain pharmaceuticals. It directly affects domestic manufacturers in these sectors by potentially lowering production costs through government support. The bill's key mechanism is creating these targeted financial benefits to encourage increased domestic manufacturing capacity. Currently pending in the Senate Economic and Workforce Development Committee after initial readings.

HB 3034 requires that autonomous vehicles operating on public roads in this state must have a licensed, trained driver physically present in the vehicle at all times who can immediately take control. The bill mandates that operators follow standard traffic safety rules, drive carefully at safe speeds, and avoid stunt driving. It directly affects autonomous vehicle operators, manufacturers, and drivers testing or using such vehicles on state roads. Violations would be punishable as misdemeanors, with higher penalties if an accident occurs. The bill establishes baseline safety requirements for autonomous vehicle operation without eliminating the need for a human driver.

HB 3139 requires Missouri schools to establish standardized computer science courses covering topics like AI, cybersecurity, and algorithms for all grades. It allows these courses to count toward math or science graduation credits while mandating schools to inform students and parents about potential college admission impacts. The bill creates a dedicated fund for teacher training in computer science and requires all high schools to offer at least one CS course by 2023. Schools must also report student demographics in these courses to track participation across gender, race, and special education status.

HB 3126 allows local election authorities to publish redacted images of voted ballots and their electronic ballot selections (called cast vote records) on their official websites. It requires that all personally identifiable information be removed before publishing any ballot image or record. These published records must be retained by election authorities following the same rules that apply to other election records. The bill directly affects election offices and voters seeking transparency about how votes were recorded, without disclosing individual voter identities.