Rep. Barry Hovis

Maddy summaryHB 3479 modifies Kansas City police employment rules by requiring officers to retire at age 65 or upon reaching 35 years of service, whichever comes later. It also establishes new hiring standards, mandating that officers be U.S. citizens, able to read/write English, of good character, and at least 21 years old. The bill grants the police board sole authority to set employment conditions, including requiring competitive exams for hiring and establishing qualification lists for appointments. These changes directly affect Kansas City police officers and applicants, focusing on retirement timing and hiring qualifications.

Maddy summaryHB 3257 makes it a misdemeanor to impede, threaten, or harass a first responder while they are performing their duties. It specifically prohibits approaching within 25 feet after being orally warned, if the intent is to interfere with their work, cause physical harm, or harass them (defined as causing substantial emotional distress with no legitimate purpose). The law directly affects individuals who target police officers, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, or hospital staff working in emergency settings. Key provisions require a prior warning and define "first responder" to include law enforcement, firefighters, and emergency medical personnel. This bill creates a new legal consequence for disruptive or threatening behavior toward those providing critical public safety services.

Maddy summaryHB 2708 updates rules for prohibited items in prisons and jails. It specifically bans controlled substances (except prescribed), intoxicating liquor, weapons, unauthorized electronic devices (like cell phones), and other items banned by facility rules. Violations carry penalties ranging from misdemeanors to class B felonies, depending on the item. The bill also adds a new rule: people convicted of bringing certain drugs (alkaloids) can have their records cleared through a specific expungement process, but only if they haven’t previously violated these rules. Facilities must post clear lists of prohibited items for visitors.

Maddy summaryHB 3113 requires public buildings to store naloxone (an overdose reversal medication) in first aid kits and near defibrillators, and to inform occupants of its location and emergency procedures. It designates April as "Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month" and mandates school districts to establish drug-free advisory committees with community input, implement grade 6-12 fentanyl education, and develop prevention programs for students. The bill also directs law enforcement to investigate all drug-related deaths as homicide crime scenes, regardless of criminal charges, and to collaborate with schools on drug trafficking prevention in school zones. These provisions directly affect public buildings, school districts, and law enforcement agencies across Missouri.

Maddy summaryHB 1667, the "Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act," requires healthcare providers at abortion facilities to provide immediate medical care to any child born alive during or after an abortion, treating them as they would any other newborn. Providers must use standard medical care to preserve the child's life and arrange hospital admission, with failure to report violations carrying criminal penalties (up to 5 years in prison or $10,000 fines). The bill also establishes civil liability for providers who fail to provide care, for actions causing death of a born-alive child, or for performing unlawful abortions, allowing lawsuits for injury or death with damages including loss of companionship. It explicitly states that consent to an abortion cannot be used as a defense in such cases.

Maddy summaryHB 2255 revises Missouri's rules for expert witness testimony in court. For most cases (excluding family, juvenile, probate, and non-jury trials), it requires that expert opinions must be based on reliable methods, sufficient facts, and a reliable application of those methods to the specific case. In criminal cases, the bill prohibits experts from opining on whether a defendant had a mental state that constitutes an element of the crime. This affects all legal proceedings in Missouri that rely on expert testimony, ensuring greater scrutiny of such evidence in most courtroom settings.

Maddy summaryHB 1838 exempts certain farm vehicles from Missouri's biennial motor vehicle safety inspection requirement. Specifically, it removes the inspection mandate for farm vehicles registered as local commercial motor vehicles used exclusively for farming operations that travel fewer than 100 miles per calendar year. This applies to vehicles already defined as "covered farm vehicles" under state and federal law. The bill modifies existing safety inspection rules to exclude these qualifying farm vehicles from the standard inspection schedule.

Maddy summaryHB 2256 modifies Missouri's minimum prison terms for certain felony offenders sentenced after August 28, 2026. It requires offenders with one or two prior felony convictions (unrelated to the current offense) to serve at least 50% of their sentence or until age 70, whichever occurs first. The bill also mandates that presentence reports include available alternatives to incarceration, such as restorative justice programs, and details about the crime's impact on victims. This affects individuals convicted of qualifying felonies who are committed to the Department of Corrections, altering sentencing options and minimum service requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 3208 modifies the composition of boards of trustees for Missouri public school retirement systems. It specifies that the 13-member board must include: four members appointed by school boards (with staggered terms), four active members elected by the retirement system (with limits of two teachers and two nonteachers), two retired members elected by retirees (with one teacher and one nonteacher), one active school administrator elected by active members, and two members appointed by the Missouri Charter Public School Association (requiring at least one teacher). The bill also sets rules for filling vacancies, establishes voting procedures, and outlines trustee responsibilities like taking oaths and reimbursing expenses. This bill directly affects the governance structure of public school retirement systems in Missouri.

Maddy summaryHB 147 revises how Missouri police officers' retirement benefits are calculated by updating definitions in pension law. It directly affects current and future Missouri police officers who have service after October 1, 2001, particularly regarding their "average final compensation" for pension calculations. The bill establishes specific rules for determining this average based on years of service, whether an officer participated in the Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP), and their employment termination reason. Key provisions define how compensation is averaged over the last three years (or entire service if less than three years) for those without DROP participation, or over the last two years (or entire service) for those with DROP history. This is a definitional change to the pension system, not a new benefit or funding mechanism.