Establishes provisions relating to immigration enforcement
HB 3301 creates the “Missouri Values Act” and adds five new sections to Missouri law governing how state and local agencies may interact with federal immigration authorities. The bill broadly restricts Missouri law enforcement agencies from using state resources to investigate, detain, arrest, or share certain information with immigration authorities for immigration-enforcement purposes, including honoring civil immigration warrants or detainer-style requests, except in specified circumstances. It also limits the use of agency facilities and personnel for immigration enforcement and bars local agencies from placing officers under federal supervision for immigration purposes.
The bill also requires the Department of Public Safety to develop model policies and guidance for public schools, libraries, health facilities, courthouses, shelters, and certain labor-related facilities to limit immigration-enforcement assistance and keep those places accessible regardless of immigration status. In addition, it directs the Department of Corrections to provide notice and consent forms before ICE interviews, to give inmates copies of immigration-related requests, and to avoid using immigration status to restrict programming or custody classification. The bill includes reporting requirements for law enforcement task forces and public disclosure of those reports, and it preserves the ability of agencies to share immigration-status information as allowed under federal law.
HB 3301 would significantly change how Missouri state and local agencies may cooperate with federal immigration enforcement by creating statutory limits on detainers, civil immigration warrants, transfers to immigration authorities, and the use of public resources for immigration-related work. It would also impose new duties on the Department of Public Safety and the Department of Corrections, including policy development, reporting, and inmate notice procedures, while affecting public schools, libraries, courthouses, shelters, health facilities, and law enforcement databases. The bill would not eliminate all cooperation with federal authorities, but it would narrow and regulate that cooperation and make certain records and reports public.
Based on the bill text and the absence of committee testimony or recorded votes, the overall posture of the bill appears to be protective of immigrants and restrictive of local participation in federal immigration enforcement. The bill’s structure suggests support from lawmakers favoring sanctuary-style limits and access to public services regardless of immigration status. At the same time, the referral to the Emerging Issues Committee indicates the measure was still in the early legislative process and had not yet generated recorded floor-level support or opposition in the available history.
The main points of contention are likely to be whether Missouri should limit cooperation with ICE and other immigration authorities, and how far state and local agencies should be allowed to go in sharing information, honoring requests, or transferring custody. Opponents would likely object to the restrictions on detainers, civil warrants, and facility use, arguing they could hinder public safety or cooperation with federal law enforcement. Supporters would likely emphasize due process, civil liberties, and keeping schools, health facilities, courthouses, and shelters accessible to all residents. Another likely point of debate is the bill’s exceptions for serious offenses, task forces, and certain federal criminal immigration violations, which attempt to balance enforcement concerns with the bill’s broader limits.