Rep. Brandon Phelps

Maddy summaryHB 2587 restricts drone operations near specific facilities to enhance security. It prohibits flying drones within 400 feet vertically over correctional centers (prisons), large open-air venues (like stadiums with 500+ capacity), or mental health hospitals without authorization. Exceptions allow facility staff, law enforcement, utilities, and others with written permission or official duties. Violations are typically infractions, but delivering weapons, drugs, or aiding escapes escalates penalties to felonies (class B, C, or D). The bill requires facilities to post 11x14 inch warning signs and permits law enforcement to intercept drones posing immediate threats.

Maddy summaryHB 2536 repeals two existing Missouri law sections (1.020 and 163.048) and replaces them with five new sections defining terms for legal use. The bill specifically adds definitions for "Female" (describing reproductive anatomy related to egg production) and "Male" (describing reproductive anatomy related to sperm production), alongside standard legal terms like "certified mail" and "county attorney." This is a definitional bill, not a substantive policy change, as it establishes terminology for use in other statutes rather than creating new protections or programs. The bill does not directly affect any specific group or mandate new actions beyond clarifying existing legal language.

Maddy summaryHB 2874 creates rules for air ambulance membership plans, which are non-insurance programs that let people pay for air ambulance services in advance. It directly affects Missouri residents enrolled in MO HealthNet (Missouri's Medicaid program), as these individuals cannot purchase or renew such memberships. Key provisions require membership organizations to: (1) stop selling to MO HealthNet enrollees, (2) offer a partial refund or transfer if someone joins Medicaid during their membership, and (3) clearly state in all marketing and applications that the plan is not insurance and Medicaid beneficiaries are ineligible. The bill also mandates specific disclosures about Medicaid ineligibility and prohibits marketing to Medicaid members. Violations can be reported to the state Attorney General for enforcement.

Maddy summaryHB 3401 requires hospitals to create workplace violence prevention plans to protect healthcare staff, including nurses, doctors, and security personnel, from physical violence or threats. The bill mandates that each facility form a committee with specific staff representatives, develop a plan including confidential reporting systems, annual training, and clear definitions of workplace violence (covering physical attacks, weapon use, and threats), and install specific warning signs in emergency and labor/delivery areas. It also prohibits retaliation against staff who report violence and requires facilities to provide post-incident support. Hospitals must annually review these plans and make them available to staff, with limited redactions for security reasons.

Maddy summaryHB 3111 replaces Missouri's existing licensing framework for bail bond agents with a new "Professional Bail Bondsman and Surety Recovery Agent Licensure Act." It establishes a seven-member regulatory board with specific composition requirements (including three active bail bond business owners, one judge, one law enforcement officer, and two licensed agents) and creates a dedicated fund for administrative costs. The bill sets new licensing rules for bail bond agents and surety recovery agents, prohibits judges, law enforcement, and court employees from holding licenses, and requires agents to work under licensed general bail bond agents. These changes apply directly to individuals and businesses operating in Missouri's bail bond industry.

Maddy summaryHB 2071 modifies Missouri's medical malpractice insurance rules by requiring the state-run insurance pool (joint underwriting association) to suspend operations when medical malpractice insurance is "reasonably available" to healthcare providers in the regular insurance market. Specifically, the association must stop operating if voluntary market coverage becomes accessible and the pool insures two or fewer individual physicians annually for two consecutive years. This directly affects healthcare providers seeking coverage and insurance companies required to join the pool when it operates. The bill ensures the state pool only serves as a backup when private insurers aren't offering coverage, reducing unnecessary costs for providers and insurers during stable market conditions.

Maddy summaryHB 2072 revises Missouri's definition of fourth-degree assault by specifying seven distinct scenarios that constitute the offense, such as recklessly causing injury, placing someone in fear of immediate harm, or knowingly causing offensive physical contact with a person with a disability. It adjusts penalties: most violations remain class A misdemeanors, but causing offensive contact (subdivision 6) or physical pain to a "special victim" (subdivision 7) escalates penalties based on prior offenses - ranging from class C misdemeanors to class D felonies for repeat violations. For subdivision 7 violations, the bill mandates minimum incarceration periods (6 months for first offenses, 1 year for repeat) with no fines or probation until served. This directly affects individuals committing assault, particularly those targeting vulnerable victims or with prior assault records.

Maddy summaryHB 2069 establishes legal rules for fully autonomous vehicles (SAE Levels 4-5) operating without human drivers in the state. It requires these vehicles to achieve a "minimal risk condition" during system failures, submit a law enforcement plan to public safety, and carry proof of financial responsibility. The bill mandates special vehicle registration and titling identifying them as autonomous, while clarifying that automated systems are legally considered the "driver" for traffic law compliance. It also specifies crash reporting protocols and exempts these vehicles from certain driver-focused equipment laws when operating autonomously.

Maddy summaryHB 2070 requires health care facilities to notify health care workers or law enforcement officers within 48 hours if they are exposed to one of 19 specific infectious diseases (including HIV, hepatitis, COVID-19, measles, and tuberculosis) while performing job duties. First responders who transported patients may also request exposure information from health care facilities after transport. The bill applies to health care workers, law enforcement officers, and first responders (like firefighters and EMTs) directly affected by such exposures. It adds these notification requirements to existing laws without changing treatment protocols or testing procedures.

Maddy summaryHB 2672 creates the "Missouri Disabled Veterans Personal Property Tax Credit Act," allowing counties to offer a tax credit on personal property taxes for qualifying disabled veterans who own up to two vehicles. The credit equals the veteran's U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs disability rating (up to 100%), directly benefiting Missouri veterans with a 70% or higher service-connected disability rating who reside in adopting counties. Counties must voluntarily adopt the credit via local ordinance, and the credit reduces the veteran's tax bill without changing the vehicle's assessed value or tax rate. Veterans must provide annual proof of disability rating and vehicle ownership, and the credit does not apply to taxes for the blind pension fund. Counties decide whether to implement the credit, with no requirement for statewide adoption.