Establishes the offense of impeding, threatening, or harassing a first responder
Summary
HB 1297 creates a new criminal offense in Missouri for impeding, threatening, or harassing a first responder after a person has received an oral warning not to approach. The bill applies when someone knowingly and willfully violates that warning and comes within 25 feet of a first responder who is lawfully performing duties, with the intent to interfere with those duties, threaten physical harm, or harass the responder.
The bill defines “first responder” broadly to include law enforcement officers, parole or probation officers, firefighters, and emergency medical care providers. It also defines “harass” as a willful course of conduct directed at a first responder that intentionally causes substantial emotional distress and serves no legitimate purpose. A violation is classified as a Class D misdemeanor.
Impact
HB 1297 would add a new section to Chapter 575 of the Missouri Revised Statutes, expanding the state’s criminal code to specifically protect first responders from interference, threats, and harassment while they are performing official duties. It would create a new misdemeanor offense and provide statutory definitions that could be used by law enforcement, prosecutors, and courts in applying the law to incidents involving emergency scenes, public safety operations, and related encounters.
Sentiment
Based on the bill caption and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes in the provided material, the bill appears to be framed as a public-safety measure intended to support first responders. There is no documented opposition or amendment activity in the supplied record, so the available context suggests a neutral-to-supportive posture, with the proposal presented as a straightforward protection for emergency personnel.
Contention
No committee transcript or vote history is provided, so no specific points of contention are documented in the available materials. Potential areas of debate, based on the text alone, could include the 25-foot buffer, the requirement of an oral warning, the breadth of the definitions of “harass” and “first responder,” and whether the new misdemeanor could be applied in ways that affect bystanders, protesters, or individuals at emergency scenes. However, these concerns are not attributed to any identified legislator or stakeholder in the record provided.