Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The House first established a quorum, then took up several bills for perfection and printing. House Bill 305, as a committee substitute, was presented as a library materials policy bill for public and school libraries. Supporters said it would create transparent reconsideration and appeals processes, emphasize local control and parental/community involvement, and protect user privacy, especially for minors. Some members raised concerns about language affecting minors’ access and whether materials should be removed during reconsideration, but the substitute was adopted and the bill was ordered perfected and printed. Members then considered House Bills 2366 and 2511, a bipartisan construction-industry enforcement bill aimed at illegal labor and off-the-books hiring. The sponsor said it would give the Attorney General subpoena power, require affidavits for complaints, and impose stronger civil penalties to protect law-abiding contractors and workers. Several members supported it as a workers’ protection and free-market measure, while others asked about possible overreach and whether the bill would affect other industries such as agriculture. The committee substitute was adopted and the bills were ordered perfected and printed. House Bill 2409, a child care tax credit package, drew broad support despite some members’ general opposition to tax credits. The sponsor said the bill would address Missouri’s child care shortage through three credits: a contribution credit to expand capacity, an employer-provided child care credit, and a provider credit, with caps, sunsets, and support for licensed and contracted providers. Members cited workforce, economic development, and family stability concerns, while one member criticized the legislature for cutting child care funding in the budget. The bill was adopted and ordered perfected and printed. The chamber also advanced House Bill 1885 on the Missouri Clean Water Commission, making technical changes to board membership and conflict-of-interest rules; House Bill 2658 and related telephony provisions, which expanded the no-call list to any phone subscriber and added anti-spoofing penalties; House Bill 1919, requiring more employers to file certain tax returns electronically; and House Bill 1871, an elections omnibus bill. The elections bill included changes to filing deadlines, testing windows for voting equipment, military voter procedures, confidentiality for permanently disabled voters, write-in candidate requirements, and an amendment that removed an added two weeks of no-excuse absentee voting to eliminate the fiscal note. All of these measures were adopted and ordered perfected and printed.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The House convened with prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and approval of the previous day’s journal by roll call vote, 122-1. Members then used points of personal privilege and guest introductions to honor former legislator and city public servant Edward L. Bushmeyer, recognize Jean Carnahan during Women’s History Month, welcome students, conservation groups, Coro Fellows, YMCA advocates, Easter Seals guests, and a Project Home presentation of a wooden flag honoring veterans. The chamber also observed a moment of silence for Bushmeyer and recognized several special guests and student groups throughout the morning. The main floor business focused on budget reappropriation and capital bills. House Bills 2017, 2018, 2019, and 2020 were taken up in sequence, with the sponsor explaining that HB 2017 reappropriates unfinished prior-year projects, HB 2018 covers maintenance and repair of state facilities, HB 2019 funds new capital improvement projects, and HB 2020 handles remaining ARPA-related spending before the federal deadline. Members raised concerns about unspent general revenue, the $186 million for St. Louis tornado recovery, the Capital Commission Fund, accessibility costs in the Capitol renovation plan, and whether some projects had been adequately vetted. HB 2019 also received and adopted a $3 million amendment to support a state-owned road to the George O. White Nursery in Texas County through a Conservation/MoDOT partnership. Each of these bills was advanced by adopting the House committee substitute and ordering the bill perfected and printed. The House also debated House Bill 2760, the “Praise Act,” which would bar government from imposing stricter emergency restrictions on houses of worship than on comparable private entities, with exceptions for disasters, terrorism, and civil unrest. Supporters framed it as a religious liberty measure and said it would protect worship during emergencies; opponents argued it could undermine public health protections during pandemics and give religion greater protection than safety measures. No final vote on HB 2760 was shown in the transcript excerpt.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The House Agriculture Committee first met in executive session and approved House Bill 3014 by a vote of 20-0, with no discussion. The committee then adopted a House Committee Substitute for House Bill 3392, described as a small liability-related disclaimer change suggested by Ron Leone, and advanced the substitute bill by a vote of 21-0. The committee then held a public hearing on Senate Bill 938, presented by Representative Haley on behalf of Senator Bernsketter. The bill would raise a user fee from $4 to $6 for recorded documents, with the additional revenue split among county recorders, the Secretary of State, and the Department of Agriculture’s land survey program. Haley and supporters said the increase is needed to sustain the long-running land survey program, which has operated since 1969 without general revenue support, and to preserve Missouri’s strong survey mapping and online access services. Committee members asked about the size and distribution of the fee increase, whether it would automatically rise again, and how the related record-preservation funds are used. Testimony in support came from the Department of Agriculture, the Missouri Society of Professional Land Surveyors, and the Recorder Association of Missouri, all of whom said the increase would help keep the survey program viable and support local record preservation and digitization efforts. No opposition or informational testimony was offered, and the hearing was closed with no further business.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The committee met in executive session with a quorum present and first took up House Bill 21-24, offered by Representative Banderman. After brief discussion, the committee voted 6-3 to do pass the bill. The roll call showed support from Chair Reedy, Vice Chair McGaugh, Banderman, Caton, Van Schoiack, and Voss, with no votes from Woods, Barnes, and Smith. The committee then considered House Bill 3383, offered by Representative Vernetti, along with a committee substitute. The sponsor explained that the substitute added several provisions, including expanded nonprofit corporation coverage, inclusion of certain nonprofit organizations that register only in Missouri, and financial penalties for organizations that fail to comply with E-Verify or residency verification requirements. The committee adopted the substitute and then voted 8-0, with two members present, to do pass the House Committee Substitute for House Bill 3383. No further business was taken up, and the meeting adjourned. The chair noted that no Senate bills had yet been referred and asked members to watch for email updates on the committee schedule.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Children and Families heard public testimony on three bills. House Bill 3470, sponsored by Rep. Schmidt, would create a statewide Missouri partner network linking state agencies, nonprofits, faith-based groups, and private partners through a website and case management system to connect adults who opt in with resources for employment, housing, education, and self-sufficiency. Supporters said it is modeled on the Care Portal already used in 36 Missouri counties and could help reduce barriers and child abuse risk; committee members generally praised the coordination and asked for a list of participating counties. No opposition testimony was offered. House Bill 3322, sponsored by Rep. Hausman, would extend foster care school stability timelines from 10 days to 30 days, or 60 days in summer, and increase the mileage limit for staying in a school of origin from 10-15 miles to 30 miles. The sponsor and witnesses from the Foster and Adoptive Care Coalition and Foster Adopt Connect said the current limits can force unnecessary school changes and that more time and distance flexibility would better serve children in foster care, especially in rural areas. There was no opposition testimony. House Bill 1872, the Missouri Survivors Act sponsored by Rep. Reuter, would allow survivors of domestic violence to seek resentencing if abuse was a substantial factor in the offense. The sponsor and supporters from Missouri Appleseed, Forward US, and Empower Missouri argued the bill would let courts consider abuse that was previously excluded or not fully presented, including in older cases, and described examples of women serving long sentences after acting under coercion or abuse. Committee members raised procedural concerns about how the bill would interact with trial strategy, sentencing, appeals, and existing battered spouse syndrome law, but supporters said the measure is intended as a post-conviction remedy and that a substitute may address some of those issues. No opposition testimony was presented, and the committee adjourned after the hearings.

Summary: The House Committee on Transportation met on Senate Bill 1408, which would allow Missouri to raise the maximum speed limit on rural interstates from 70 to 75 miles per hour. Senator Berger, the bill sponsor, argued the change would better match neighboring states, improve traffic flow, and reflect modern vehicle safety technology. Several members supported the idea as a practical adjustment, while others questioned whether the time savings were worth the safety tradeoff, raised concerns about driver behavior, truck speed governors, road design, fuel use, and the possibility that higher posted limits would lead to even faster driving. Testimony was sharply divided. Supporters, including a motorist advocate and some committee members, said 75 mph is common in surrounding states and worldwide, that most crashes are caused by inattention rather than speed alone, and that MoDOT should be able to set limits based on engineering and traffic conditions. Opponents included a Hazelwood police lieutenant, AAA, the Missouri Insurance Coalition, and MoDOT Director Ed Hassinger. They argued that higher speeds increase crash severity and fatalities, that Missouri’s roads and traffic volumes differ from flatter neighboring states, and that the bill could disproportionately affect young and older drivers as well as roadside workers. MoDOT said its data shows speed is a major factor in fatal crashes and cited fatality increases in Arkansas and Kansas after those states raised rural interstate limits. Committee members also debated whether the bill actually mandates 75 mph or merely authorizes MoDOT to set it where appropriate. MoDOT and AAA said any increase should be tied to engineering studies and roadway-specific analysis, while supporters argued the department already has that discretion and that the bill simply removes an outdated cap. No vote was taken in the excerpt. After closing the hearing on SB 1408, the committee moved on to House Bill 3447, a towing and recovery bill that would require more insurance for large commercial vehicles, improve notice and dispute procedures, and address abandoned vehicles; testimony on that bill began with the sponsor and representatives from the towing and trucking industries.

Summary: The committee first met in executive session and took up House Bill 3174 by Representative Justice. Members adopted two committee amendments: one removed the bill’s mapping provisions so that the vendor-list portion could move forward separately, and another required schools to have at least one master key box for emergency responders. The amendments were rolled into a committee substitute, which the committee then voted do pass on a 10-0 roll call. A second executive-session bill was postponed until the following week because of a family emergency involving Representative Williams. The committee then heard Senate Bill 982, a cleanup and reorganization bill dealing with Missouri’s sex offender registry and related registration rules. Senator Mary Elizabeth Coleman said the bill was intended to align the registry statutes with prior changes, clarify tiering and registration requirements, address offenders with ties to Missouri but living elsewhere, and improve information-sharing rules for law enforcement and victims, including notice when a registrant dies or moves. Testimony in support came from the Missouri Alliance for Family Restoration, which said the bill codifies case law and reduces administrative confusion for the Highway Patrol and registrants. No opposition was offered. The committee also heard House Bill 3414, which would create a state offense modeled on a federal online-fraud law to help law enforcement pursue internet-based fraud, including schemes involving credit cards, account numbers, telecommunication identifiers, and similar access devices. The sponsor and a law-enforcement witness said the bill would give investigators another tool against increasingly common fraud, including elder fraud and VoIP-based schemes; a Maverick convenience stores representative also supported it as a response to changing technology. No opposition was presented. Finally, the committee heard House Bills 2628 and 3460, the CARE Act, which would require hospitals and health facilities treating sexual-assault survivors to inform patients about emergency contraception, provide it if requested, test and treat for sexually transmitted infections, and seek reimbursement through the Department of Public Safety. Sponsor Jacqueline Zimmerman said the bill is meant to reduce trauma and prevent pregnancies resulting from rape, and witnesses from sexual-assault nursing, reproductive-health, anti-poverty, medical, and nursing organizations supported it as a way to standardize care, especially in rural areas. Several members raised questions about whether the bill would require abortion-inducing drugs, whether hospitals could opt out on conscientious grounds, and how reimbursement would work; the sponsor said she intended to add language excluding abortion-inducing medications and that the current DPS forensic-exam payment structure would not change. No votes were taken on the later bills in the portion of the transcript provided.

Summary: The Committee on Veterans and Armed Forces met with a quorum and began with remarks honoring veterans on the committee, including presentation of Capitol-flown flags and certificates. The chair also announced new decorum rules, including a ban on hats except religious headwear, and reminded members about the importance of truthful testimony. The committee then moved into executive session to consider several bills related to veterans’ issues and benefits. The committee first took up House Bill 3029, which dealt with regulating veterans benefits matters and limiting bad actors who charge veterans for claims assistance. Members discussed concerns about private companies, accredited service officers, veterans’ choice, and whether the bill would reduce access or create future problems with VA reviews. Amendments were adopted to clarify that the bill would not cover housing loans and to remove a paragraph affecting certain registered providers. After debate, the committee voted 14-7 to do pass the House Committee Substitute for HB 3029. The committee then approved House Bill 3280, concerning spouse disability license plates, by a unanimous 21-0 vote. Next, the committee considered House Bill 2306 along with related bills HB 2276 and HB 2089 in a combined committee substitute. The measure would create property tax exemptions for disabled veterans and surviving spouses based on assessed value, with categories tied to disability ratings. Members asked detailed questions about how the exemption would interact with short-term rentals, remarriage, unoccupied homes, and the senior tax freeze. The sponsor explained the exemption would apply to a qualified primary residence and continue in certain cases such as assisted living or veterans homes. The committee adopted the substitute and then voted 18-2 to do pass the combined bill package. After the votes, the committee heard testimony from Heather, founder and executive director of Healing House and New Beginnings, a Christ-centered recovery program for women with substance use disorder. She described the program’s housing, recovery support, accreditation, and community outreach, and members praised its work. The committee also heard from Steve Baker of the Cass County Veterans Coalition, who described a local volunteer network that connects veterans to jobs and services. He emphasized that the coalition does not provide services itself but helps veterans find the right resources. The meeting concluded with no further business and adjournment.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Higher Education and Workforce Development met in executive session and first took up House Bill 2123, the Higher Education Funding Reform Bill. Representative John Black presented a committee substitute that reduced the scholarship amount to $5,000 per semester or the lesser of tuition, limited the scholarships to qualified higher education funding, preserved existing institutional scholarship programs for top ACT/SAT students, and revised the funding model language to better tie appropriations to workforce needs, graduation, retention, enrollment, accountability, and other institutional improvements. Members asked several questions about how the model would differ for two-year and four-year institutions, whether the 2023 study and 2024 interim committee findings were only part of the model’s basis, and how the bill’s language would affect legislative control over future appropriations. A major point of discussion was the substitute’s provision that, for the 2028–29 fiscal year, an institution’s state funding could not be reduced below the prior year unless all institutions were reduced proportionally. Some members expressed concern that this limited future budget flexibility, while others said the “unless” language preserved the General Assembly’s appropriations authority if reductions were made across the board. Black explained that the initial implementation would hold institutions harmless while the model was tested, with later adjustments based on the results. The committee adopted the substitute and then voted House Committee Substitute for House Bill 2123 do pass by a vote of 9 ayes, 0 noes, and 3 present. The committee then considered House Bill 1627, which was moved do pass without discussion. The bill received a unanimous do pass recommendation by a vote of 12 ayes, 0 noes, with some members recorded as present. The meeting then adjourned.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Government Efficiency held a public hearing on Senate Bill 889, sponsored by Senator Mary Elizabeth Coleman. Coleman described the bill as a cleanup measure aimed at repealing obsolete statutory references and provisions that have been superseded or missed in prior repeal language. She emphasized that the bill does not make substantive changes to most areas of law, with one notable exception: it repeals an old school corporal punishment statute that she characterized as outdated and inappropriate. She also said the bill does not alter any current tax credit programs, and that the measure had already been reviewed in legislative review and had been carefully vetted over several years. Members raised concerns about the bill’s breadth and whether it could create single-subject or legal challenge issues, as well as whether removing provisions might require reauthorizing them later if they were still useful. Coleman responded that the title and content were consistent, that the bill mainly removes obsolete or duplicated references, and that she did not expect a challenge. Representative Burton asked about dormant tax credits and other provisions such as education-related committees, Braille, kindergarten-related language, lottery contracts, and charitable tax credits, expressing concern about losing potentially useful statutes. Coleman said these provisions were long-dormant or superseded and offered to review specific items offline. Representative Smith asked whether any repealed statutes were still relied upon in practice or referenced elsewhere; Coleman explained that many deletions were secondary references left behind when earlier bills failed to fully clean up citations. No witnesses testified in opposition or for informational purposes. After the sponsor’s presentation and member questions, the chair closed the hearing on SB 889 without any vote or further action taken by the committee.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The House Committee on Insurance met with a quorum present and moved into executive session to consider House Bill 3314. Representative Hinman explained a House committee substitute that folded in provisions from two previously approved bills, House Bill 1615 and House Bill 2071, and updated the title to relate to insurance regulation. The committee adopted the substitute without objection. The committee then voted on the House committee substitute for HB 3314. After brief discussion, the roll call vote passed the bill 10-1. The chair noted that the committee had focused on industry-related measures with broad support. Before adjournment, the chair said the committee would be off the following Monday and would work out scheduling for remaining bills, noting potential conflicts with Tuesday hearings. No further business was taken up, and the committee adjourned.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Veterans and Armed Forces met with a quorum and began with remarks honoring veterans on the committee and discussing new decorum rules, including a ban on hats except religious headwear. The chair also emphasized the importance of truthful testimony and committee oversight. The committee then took up House Bill 3029, related to veterans’ claims assistance and unaccredited “claim shark” businesses. Members debated whether the bill would protect veterans from bad actors while preserving choice and access to reputable private services. An amendment was adopted to clarify that “veterans benefits matter” does not include housing loans under federal law, and the committee substitute was then adopted. After roll call, the substitute for HB 3029 was reported do pass by a vote of 14-7. The committee next heard House Bill 3280, the spouse disability license plate bill, and voted it do pass unanimously, 21-0. It then considered House Bill 2306 with a committee substitute combining it with HB 2276 and HB 2089, dealing with property tax exemptions for disabled veterans and surviving spouses. Members discussed how the exemption would work for primary residences, unoccupied homes, remarriage of surviving spouses, and interaction with other tax relief such as senior tax freezes. The substitute was adopted and the combined bill was reported do pass by a vote of 18-2. After executive session, the committee heard testimony from Heather, founder of Healing House and New Beginnings, a Christ-centered recovery program for women with substance use disorder, who described its growth, services, and outcomes. The final guest was Steve Baker of the Cass County Veterans Coalition, who described a volunteer network that connects veterans to resources, jobs, and service providers, especially for those unfamiliar with available benefits. Members praised both presenters and discussed broader needs for veteran support and better promotion of state programs. The committee then adjourned.

Summary: The House Agriculture Committee met with a quorum and first took up two bills in executive session. House Bill 3014, previously presented by Representative Farnan, was approved due pass on a 20-0 roll call vote. The committee then considered House Bill 3392, adopted a committee substitute that added a small liability disclaimer for distributors and wholesalers at the suggestion of Ron Leone, and approved the committee substitute due pass on a 21-0 vote. The committee then held a public hearing on Senate Bill 938, presented by Representative Haley on behalf of Senator Bernskoetter. The bill would increase a long-standing user fee from $4 to $6 for recorded documents, with the additional revenue split among county recorders, the Secretary of State, and the Department of Agriculture’s land survey program. Haley and other members said the increase was needed to sustain the land survey program and reflect rising costs, while clarifying that the fee would not automatically increase again. Members asked questions about how the fee would be divided and what portions applied to different parts of the statute. Testimony was uniformly supportive. The Missouri Department of Agriculture, the Missouri Society of Professional Land Surveyors, and the Recorder Association of Missouri all backed the bill, citing the need to preserve the land survey program and support record storage, digitization, and microfilming efforts in county recorder offices. No witnesses testified in opposition or for informational purposes. The committee then adjourned after the hearing.

Summary: The Committee on Government Efficiency held a public hearing on Senate Bill 889, sponsored by Senator Mary Elizabeth Coleman, a cleanup bill aimed at repealing obsolete or superseded statutory references rather than making broad substantive changes. Coleman explained that the bill was compiled from legislative research materials identifying outdated provisions and said the only substantive policy item she wanted to highlight was the repeal of a school corporal punishment statute, which she described as outdated and oddly written. She also emphasized that the bill would not alter existing tax credit programs or create new ones. Committee members asked about possible single-subject concerns, the scope of the repeals, and whether any provisions being removed might still be useful or relied upon. Coleman said she did not believe the bill raised single-subject problems, that the repealed provisions had generally been dormant for years or decades, and that many were already superseded elsewhere in law. Representative Burton expressed concern that some provisions, including education-related items and tax credits, might be worth keeping if they are still useful, and said she would like to review specific sections further. Representative Smith asked whether any repealed statutes were still referenced elsewhere in Missouri law; Coleman responded that many of the changes were simply removing missed cross-references from prior legislation. No witnesses testified in favor, opposition, or for informational purposes. After questions concluded, the chair closed the hearing on SB 889 without any vote or further action taken at the hearing.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The Committee on Legislative Review met with a quorum and first took up House Bill 2179. Members adopted a House committee substitute that clarified public notice requirements by allowing a digital copy of an advertisement when no newspaper is available or able to print it. The committee then voted the House committee substitute for HB 2179 “do pass” by a 6-2 vote. The committee next considered House Bill 3465 and voted it “do pass” by a 5-3 vote. After a brief recess, the committee returned to open session for House Bill 2576, sponsored by Representative Black, which would name an overpass bridge in Webster County for Dr. Tommy McDonnell, a longtime physician and World War II veteran. The sponsor explained that the bill would also serve as a vehicle for additional naming requests through a future committee substitute. No testimony was offered in favor or opposition on HB 2576. Instead, the committee announced that the sponsor would collect and vet a list of requested names, and a House committee substitute would be brought back the following Tuesday for review. With no further business, the committee adjourned.