Maddy summaryHB 1696 establishes a clear priority order for who can make burial or cremation decisions for a deceased person, directly affecting families, funeral homes, and military dependents. It prioritizes: (1) an attorney-in-fact named in a durable power of attorney for this purpose, (2) a military-designated person via DD-93 form, (3) a surviving spouse, (4) surviving children (with guardian roles clarified for minors), and (5) other relatives or friends who assume costs. The bill requires decision-makers to be 18+, mentally competent, and willing to cover costs, while protecting funeral homes that follow claims of "next-of-kin" without liability if they verify properly. It also sets a 48-hour objection window if someone with a higher priority is notified, preventing disputes over final arrangements.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryHB 2701 designates a section of U.S. Highway 136/69 in Harrison County as the "Dr Scott Hall Memorial Highway." This bill directly affects the highway corridor and its users by renaming the route. The key provision requires the Department of Transportation to install and maintain signs designating the highway, with costs covered by private donations.
Maddy summaryHB 2929 establishes how districts without high schools (through 12th grade) pay tuition to districts that provide high school education. It requires sending districts to pay the receiving district's actual per-pupil cost of maintaining high school programs - calculated by dividing the district's costs (teachers' wages, maintenance, debt service, etc.) by average daily attendance - without exceeding those specific expenses. The tuition rate must be finalized and provided to the sending district by March 1st each year for the following school year, with disputes resolved by the state board of education. This directly affects students in districts without high schools and the districts that serve them.
Maddy summaryHB 1697 pauses fees paid to the Missouri Beef Industry Council by beef producers until the U.S. Congress passes a law requiring "Product of the U.S.A." labels on beef exclusively born, raised, and slaughtered in the U.S. The bill directly affects the Council, which would temporarily stop receiving these fees, and impacts beef industry operators who would not pay them during the suspension. The key mechanism is linking the fee collection to federal legislation, with fees resuming only if Congress enacts the required labeling law. This policy change delays a state-level fee stream pending federal action on country-of-origin labeling.
Maddy summaryHB 2286 bars Missouri government entities (including courts, legislatures, and agencies) from granting legal rights or personhood to non-human entities. It specifically prohibits recognizing legal personhood for items like rivers, land, artificial intelligence, real property, atmospheric gases, plants, nonhuman animals, and other non-human things. The law defines "legal personhood" as rights under Missouri law and lists 11 specific categories it blocks, such as bodies of water and nonhuman animals. This directly affects how Missouri government bodies handle legal cases involving these entities. The bill aims to prevent government recognition of legal rights for things that are not human beings.
Maddy summaryHB 1702 defines key terms and establishes new regulations for businesses offering sexually oriented materials or performances, primarily affecting adult entertainment venues like strip clubs, adult cabarets, and businesses selling explicit materials. It specifies that a "sexually oriented business" is one where more than 10% of display space shows such materials, and prohibits exterior advertising signs within one mile of state highways (allowing only two signs if located near highways). The bill also clarifies prohibited activities, including nudity (showing genitals or female breasts with minimal coverage) and "seminudity" (partial coverage of sensitive areas), and defines "sexually oriented materials" as depictions of nudity or sexual conduct. These provisions directly regulate how such businesses operate, advertise, and define their offerings under Missouri law.
Maddy summaryHB 1701 requires public schools to include specific human growth and development instruction in health classes, directly affecting students in grades where such curriculum is taught. The bill mandates medically accurate content covering abstinence as the preferred choice for unmarried students, STD prevention (including HIV/AIDS and HPV), contraception effectiveness rates, emotional consequences of teen pregnancy, and skills for healthy relationships. It specifically requires schools to show two videos: a high-definition fetal development ultrasound and the "Meet Baby Olivia" video (or successor), both depicting early human development. The bill also requires parental notification about curriculum content and the right to opt children out, while prohibiting abortion-related materials or services in school instruction.
Maddy summaryHB 1703 allows Missouri taxpayers who serve in the National Guard or military reserves to deduct a portion of their military-related income from their state taxable income. The deduction percentage increases gradually - from 20% in 2020 up to 100% starting in 2024 - and applies to income from training, reserve duty, or joining/re-enlistment bonuses. It directly affects Missouri military members (National Guard/reserves) who file state tax returns, reducing their taxable income for eligible military compensation. The bill also specifies that this deduction will no longer apply to civilian federal service positions (including uniformed roles) beginning in 2027.
Maddy summaryHB 1705 restricts foreign ownership of agricultural land in the state by capping total foreign ownership at 1% of all agricultural acreage. It bans new foreign business acquisitions after August 28, 2026, and requires existing foreign landowners to sell their holdings by August 28, 2031. All transfers of agricultural land involving foreign entities must be reviewed by the Department of Agriculture starting in 2026. The law also mandates the department to track compliance and report violations to the state.
Maddy summaryHB 1704, the Education Freedom Act, changes how public schools in Missouri are assessed by requiring a statewide system focused on practical skills like problem-solving and creativity (not rote memorization). It mandates that school districts create their own local assessment systems tied to their curriculum, developed with community input, and used for meaningful academic feedback. The bill also allows schools meeting high performance standards for three years to receive "Outstanding Schools Waivers," exempting them from certain state testing and classification rules. Test results from the statewide system may only be used for federal compliance and school performance ratings, not for classifying school districts.