HB 1947 creates the Missouri Gaming Bureau within the Department of Public Safety to handle criminal and regulatory investigations for the state's gaming and lottery industries. The bureau, led by a Missouri State Highway Patrol officer appointed by the patrol superintendent, will investigate violations at casinos (under sections 313.800-313.850) and video lottery operations. It grants bureau members full peace officer authority to enforce gaming rules and investigate violations on casino premises. The bureau will be funded using administrative revenues from the state lottery and gaming license fees, directly affecting casinos, video lottery operators, and the Missouri Gaming/Lottery Commissions.
HB 1978 removes the expiration date for Missouri's RX Cares program, making it permanent. The program, administered by the Missouri Board of Pharmacy, focuses on promoting medication safety and preventing prescription drug abuse through funding for education and community programs. It allows the Board to allocate funds to private or public entities for these purposes, while prohibiting use of funds for state prescription drug monitoring systems. The bill eliminates the previous requirement that the program end on August 28, 2026, ensuring ongoing operation without sunset provisions.
HB 1938, known as the "Respect the Whistle Act," creates two new offenses related to school and recreation athletic events in Missouri. It prohibits harassment of athletic officials (defined as behavior causing reasonable fear of harm during contests) and unauthorized entry or remaining on event sites after being forbidden by officials. Violators face fines up to $500, up to 90 days in jail for harassment, or up to six months for entry violations, plus mandatory 40-hour community service and court-approved counseling. The law directly affects attendees, spectators, or participants at public or private school athletic contests or sanctioned recreation events.
This bill requires Missouri's MO HealthNet program to cover childbirth education classes for eligible low-income individuals. It achieves this by updating existing state health insurance statutes to include payment for prenatal and childbirth preparation courses as a covered benefit. The changes directly impact pregnant women enrolled in the state's Medicaid program by ensuring their insurance plans pay for these educational services. The legislation modifies current payment rules to explicitly allow reimbursement for these classes without adding new funding requirements.
HB 1934 establishes a 15-member "College Admission and Financial Aid Letter Consistency Task Force" to create standardized forms for public colleges and universities in Missouri. The task force, appointed by specified groups including students, parents, college administrators, and counselors, must develop standard admission and financial aid letters by January 1, 2027. The standardized financial aid letter must clearly list estimated costs (tuition, fees, books, etc.), all aid types with repayment explanations, graduation rates, and a glossary of terms. This bill directly affects public Missouri colleges/universities, requiring them to adopt these standardized letters for student communications.
HB 1970 establishes Missouri's "Biometric Information Privacy Act," requiring businesses (private entities) that collect biometric data - such as fingerprints or facial scans - to create public policies for how long they retain and permanently destroy this information. The law mandates specific written consent from individuals for collecting biometric data, limited to purposes like secure access control or tracking work hours without location monitoring. It excludes government agencies, courts, and health-related data (e.g., medical scans under HIPAA) from its scope.
SB 942 allows trucks transporting construction materials (like asphalt or concrete) or raw materials (like sand or gravel) to exceed standard weight limits by up to 10% when moving directly between production sites and construction projects or material-processing facilities. This applies only if vehicles are properly maintained, do not exceed the manufacturer's weight rating, and avoid the interstate highway system, bridges with lower weight limits, or speeds over 30 mph on bridges with posted limits. The bill directly affects construction companies and trucking firms hauling these materials within Missouri. It does not change general weight regulations for other freight or vehicles.
SB 1477 would change current law to allow motorcycle riders to use any color for auxiliary lighting (like turn signals or auxiliary lights), instead of being restricted to only amber or white. This directly affects motorcycle owners and manufacturers by removing color restrictions on these lights. The key provision eliminates the existing requirement for specific light colors, permitting any color choice for auxiliary lighting systems. The bill focuses solely on this regulatory change to motorcycle lighting standards.
This bill creates the "Study Commission on Grandparents Raising Grandchildren" to examine challenges faced by Missouri grandparents raising their grandchildren. The commission, composed of 30+ members including state agency directors, advocacy representatives, and grandparents themselves, will study issues like healthcare, education, and financial support. It must submit findings and recommendations to the Missouri General Assembly by January 15, 2027, after which the commission will dissolve. The bill does not enact new laws but directs a formal study to inform future policy decisions.
HB 1996 replaces Missouri's current rules for driver's license suspensions and revocations with new provisions. It allows courts or the director of revenue to grant limited driving privileges for essential activities like work, school, medical care, or shopping at grocery stores and pharmacies if an undue hardship would occur without driving. To qualify, applicants must submit a written request, provide proof of insurance, and sometimes install an ignition interlock device in their vehicle. After a license suspension ends, the license is returned immediately upon meeting requirements; after revocation, a new license must be applied for.
HB 2616 modifies Missouri's Working Family Tax Credit Act to make the tax credit refundable starting in 2027. This means eligible taxpayers who owe less state income tax than their credit amount will receive the difference as a refund, rather than losing it. The credit equals 10% of the federal Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) for 2023, with a potential increase to 20% if Missouri's state revenue grows by at least $150 million over previous fiscal years. The bill also requires the state to proactively identify and notify eligible taxpayers who didn't apply for the credit, using data from federal and state tax records.
HB 2391 modifies Missouri law to expand prescribing authority for advanced practice registered nurses (APNs). It allows APNs with a board-certified controlled substance prescriptive authority to prescribe medications in Schedules III, IV, and V, and limited Schedule II (specifically hydrocodone for hospice patients). The bill requires APNs to either work under a collaborative practice agreement with a physician or qualify for an exemption from that requirement. It also prohibits APNs from prescribing controlled substances for themselves or family members and limits Schedule II/hydrocodone prescriptions to 120-hour supplies without refills. This directly affects APNs seeking greater prescribing independence within defined boundaries.
