Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2510, sponsored by Rep. Steinmeier, which would create a coordinated state framework for critical minerals involving the Departments of Natural Resources, Economic Development, and Higher Education and Workforce Development. The sponsor said Missouri is well positioned because it contains 36 of 60 minerals deemed critical to national security and manufacturing, and argued the bill would help Missouri pursue federal funding, build a workforce pipeline, and support advanced manufacturing with a five-year sunset. Committee members questioned the need for a new state structure and fund, the cost to Missouri, the role of universities, and whether the task force was too narrowly written around the University of Missouri system and mistakenly included DESE instead of higher education. A Missouri Chamber witness supported the bill for its economic and national security benefits, while an environmental witness urged adding an environmental professional to the task force and a mining permitting framework, citing health and water concerns and suggesting a separate mining-regulation bill as an amendment. The committee then took up House Bill 2585, sponsored by Rep. Castile, which updates Missouri workforce development statutes to align with federal law and implement the new Workforce Pell Grant program. The sponsor said the bill would allow short-term, high-value training programs in fields like welding, public safety academies, health technology, and trucking to qualify for Pell support, while preserving oversight and tying eligibility to outcomes such as completion, job placement, and earnings. Members asked about the number and makeup of the workforce board, whether the bill’s staffing references still pointed to the wrong department, how the 150% poverty-level threshold and reporting metrics would work, and whether the board could move quickly enough to meet federal timelines. A Missouri Community College Association witness said all 12 community colleges have programs likely to qualify and explained the federal eligibility standards, including a 70% completion rate, 70% job placement rate, and three-year rolling data review; a FGA Action witness and the Missouri Chamber also supported the bill as a way to expand access to skills training and draw down federal funds. After the bill hearings, the committee received an informational presentation from the Midwestern Higher Education Compact. The presenter described the compact’s regional cost-saving work, including reciprocity for distance education, technology contracts, grants, and efforts on dual credit and FAFSA support. She also shared Missouri-specific data on educational attainment, enrollment trends, student migration, and net price, noting that Missouri lags slightly behind the U.S. in attainment, has projected declines in high school graduates, retains most in-state students, and has higher net prices for low-income students than the Midwest average. The committee then adjourned.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Keywords: 959, house, all

Keywords: 959, house, all

Keywords: 959, house, all

Keywords: 959, house, all

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The Commerce Committee met in executive session with a quorum present and considered three measures. House Bill 3308 was amended with a committee substitute and a further amendment changing language from “deeded” to “owned” in a provision related to approved development plans; the committee then adopted the substitute and voted the bill do pass unanimously. House Bill 3080, dealing with historic tax credits, was also amended via committee substitute to restore credits for projects already underway after a Supreme Court decision affected the prior law; the committee adopted the substitute and voted the bill do pass by an 8-0 vote with one member present. The committee then took up House Bill 2366, which was described as the “illegal immigrant employee” bill, along with House Bill 2511, which was rolled into the same substitute. The committee substitute made several changes, including replacing “should have known” language with a constructive knowledge standard, requiring cooperation with the attorney general, adding sworn affidavit/perjury provisions, allowing E-Verify as an affirmative defense, limiting suspensions to state licenses and permits after injunction, increasing monetary penalties, authorizing the AG to suspend and punish upon a guilty finding, and granting immunity to contractors who report illegal operators in good faith. After adopting the substitute, the committee voted the combined substitute for House Bills 2366 and 2511 do pass unanimously, then adjourned.

Summary: The committee held public hearings on several bills, beginning with HB 2855, which would let the Department of Labor adjust workers’ compensation administrative taxes and the second injury fund surcharge in smaller 0.1% increments instead of 0.5%. The sponsor and the department said the change would better right-size collections and reduce the burden on employers; the Missouri Chamber also supported the bill as good governance. No opposition was presented, and the hearing on HB 2855 was closed. The committee then heard extensive testimony on HB 3142, a camp-safety bill prompted by the Camp Mystic flooding tragedy in Texas and a Missouri drowning case. The sponsor and multiple grieving parents urged mandatory emergency plans, staff training, background checks, licensing, weather warnings, and clearer oversight for summer camps. Supporters included the American Camp Association and some state and youth-safety advocates, while opponents—especially camp operators, the Missouri Afterschool Network, and park and recreation representatives—argued the bill was too broad, could burden day camps and church camps, and might worsen child-care shortages. Several witnesses suggested the bill should be narrowed to distinguish overnight residential camps from lower-risk day camps and possibly be housed under DSS rather than DESE. No vote was taken. Finally, the committee took testimony on HB 1893 and HB 2075, which would require sex-segregated multi-occupancy restrooms and locker rooms in private schools and public buildings, with enforcement tied to state funding in some cases. Sponsors said the bills were meant to create clear statewide standards and protect privacy and safety; opponents argued the measures would harm transgender and intersex people, be difficult or impossible to enforce, and create safety and discrimination problems. Supporters emphasized private-school autonomy and concerns about safety in shared facilities. The hearing concluded after extensive questioning, with no action or vote reported.

Summary: The House met for prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance, and approval of the House Journal, which passed 121-2 for February 26 and by voice vote for February 27. Members then offered several points of personal privilege, including tributes to law enforcement officers killed and wounded in Christian County, expressions of support for the affected families and departments, and recognition of a local racquetball championship and visiting guests, including U.S. Representatives Mark Alford and Eric Burlison and a child’s birthday. The chamber then took up numerous bills on third reading. HB 2097/1905, an elementary agriculture education pilot program, passed 148-0. HB 2167, authorizing the Attorney General’s Office to employ post-certified investigators in-house, passed 97-50, but its emergency clause failed 88-58 after debate over whether a unique emergency existed. HB 2747/2047, the Clean Slate expungement bill, passed 140-7 despite concerns about a fiscal note and implementation costs. HB 2587, addressing unmanned aircraft threats around large public gatherings and critical infrastructure, passed 140-2 and its emergency clause was adopted 133-11 ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup matches in Kansas City. Other bills passed included HB 1977 on civil detention for mental health evaluation (137-9), HB 2593 on National Guard and veterans-related matters including cybersecurity and tuition assistance (144-2), HB 1948, a fatherhood bill aimed at helping fathers overcome barriers to involvement with their children (141-4), and HB 2473, which clarifies handling of interest in real estate broker escrow accounts (149-0). The House also moved several bills to perfection, including HB 1786 on Highway Patrol purchase authority, HB 2105 on landlord water and sewer billing transparency, HB 2397 on water district dissolution thresholds, HB 2108 on Jefferson City viaduct and land conveyance issues, HB 2818 to annex St. Joseph Memorial Airport into city limits, and HB 1980 expanding peer review protections to EMTs and paramedics. The day ended with announcements, including an elections committee meeting and a rescheduled freshman meet-and-greet with the Attorney General.

Summary: The subcommittee held an informational hearing on the Information Technology Services Division (ITSD) within the Office of Administration, with no quorum present and no formal action taken. Chair Voss said the purpose was to review ITSD’s programs, budget needs, and future plans, and members emphasized the value of an informed appropriator. Representative Riggs cautioned that the state should avoid jeopardizing federal broadband funding and asked that AI-related work remain consistent with federal expectations. ITSD leadership, including CIO John Loren and Deputy CIO Tara Damp, outlined the division’s scope and recent modernization efforts. They said ITSD supports 15 executive agencies plus the governor and lieutenant governor, manages about 1,200 production software solutions, handles roughly 35,000 help desk requests per month, and defends against billions of cyberattacks monthly. They highlighted investments in layered security, data center and network redundancy, a unified Microsoft 365 environment, modern development tools, and portal platforms. Damp reviewed the history of IT consolidation, noting budget reductions after 2007, then increased investment beginning in 2020 and especially with ARPA funds in fiscal 2023. Members asked about spending projections, subscription-based licensing, procurement modernization, and the role of non-consolidated agencies such as MoDOT and Conservation. The committee also discussed future funding needs and benchmarking. ITSD said its current spending is about $287 million, with a projected ongoing need of about $345 million to maintain and modernize services, while Gartner comparisons suggested Missouri spends less per employee and as a share of operating budget than peer states. Members asked for more detailed fiscal-year spending profiles for major initiatives and for clarification on what is and is not included in the projections, including Social Services and HR1-related work. ITSD said it would provide additional detail. A major portion of the hearing focused on AI strategy and governance. Tim Marsheski, ITSD’s director of AI and innovation, described a cautious, pilot-based approach centered on secure use, human oversight, and data governance. He cited examples such as an internal HR chatbot that reduced average response time from about 45 minutes to two minutes, pilots with DESE data transformation, and efforts to use AI for code assistance, document scanning, and workflow support. Members asked about workforce impacts, training, closed versus open models, and whether AI could help with auditing and fiscal analysis. ITSD said it is still early on workforce forecasting, but it is building governance, acceptable-use policies, and feedback loops to test tools, measure results, and scale only when they provide value and remain secure.

Summary: The committee first heard House Bill 2708, which would increase penalties for bringing or possessing unauthorized electronic communication devices in prisons and jails, raising the offense from a misdemeanor to a Class D felony and clarifying the statutory language. Representative Hovis said the bill is intended to deter contraband cell phones and similar devices that can be used to coordinate criminal activity, threaten victims, or continue gang operations from inside facilities. Department of Corrections staff supported the bill, saying cell phones are dangerous contraband and that current administrative sanctions are not always enough. Members asked about notice to visitors, current DOC discipline, whether the bill applies to inmates, staff, and visitors, and whether the language should be tightened to cover devices “capable of” communication; the sponsor agreed to have House Research review the wording and potentially offer a committee substitute. No opposition testimony was presented. The committee then heard House Bill 3038, which would place the Department of Health and Senior Services’ Office of Special Investigations into statute and give it limited authority to assist investigations of abuse, neglect, and exploitation of eligible adults. Representative Cook said the office already exists and the bill mainly codifies its role, allowing limited subpoena and search warrant authority to speed investigations, especially financial exploitation cases, while preserving local law enforcement and prosecutorial control. DHSS witnesses supported the bill, explaining that their investigators have long worked on vulnerable-adult cases and often need quicker access to records; they said the office has law enforcement experience and coordinates with Adult Protective Services and public safety agencies. Committee members asked about the fiscal note, vacancies, the definition of exploitation, whether the office can investigate public administrators or guardianship cases, and whether investigators have arrest authority; witnesses said the bill is not intended to create a new police force or expand arrest powers, but to formalize existing functions and improve access to records. No witnesses testified in opposition, and the hearing concluded without a vote.

Summary: The Insurance Committee first established a quorum and then went into executive session, where it voted House Bill 1615 and House Bill 2071 “do pass” with 11 ayes and no opposition on each bill, with one member present on the roll call. After returning to public session, the committee opened a hearing on House Bill 1647, sponsored by Representative Overcast, which was described as a fairness measure intended to prevent double recovery when insurance payments have already satisfied part of a claim. The sponsor and supporters said the bill was aimed at property damage claims and intercompany arbitration between insurers, though several members questioned whether the bill’s language was actually limited to property damage or instead reached broader collateral source issues and evidence rules. Committee members, especially Representatives Butts, Zimmerman, and Castile, pressed the sponsor on how the bill would work in practice, whether it would reduce a plaintiff’s recovery or instead affect insurer subrogation rights, and why arbitration was being addressed in an evidentiary statute. Supporters from the Missouri Insurance Coalition and other industry groups said the bill would clarify offset rules, preserve voluntary insurer-to-insurer arbitration, and prevent inconsistent court treatment of prior payments. Opponents, including attorney Blake Heath, argued the bill was drafted too broadly, did not stay confined to property damage, and was placed in the wrong statutory section because these issues are usually handled through insurer subrogation rather than in a lawsuit by the injured party. Additional support came from the Missouri State Medical Association, Associated Industries of Missouri, and the National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies, though some supporters also acknowledged the bill might need narrowing if the intent was property damage only. No vote was taken on House Bill 1647 during the hearing, and the committee adjourned after testimony concluded.

Keywords: 959, house, all

Summary: The House convened briefly, opened with a moment of silent prayer, and then recited the Pledge of Allegiance. Members were asked to check in with the clerks at the aisles to record their presence. No bills, committee reports, testimony, debate, or votes were taken up during this segment. The House then adjourned until 4:00 p.m. on Monday, March 2, 2020.