HB 862 modifies minimum prison terms for felony offenders in Missouri. It requires non-dangerous felony offenders with one or two prior prison terms to serve at least 50% of their sentence (or 40% if under 70), those with three or more prior terms to serve 80%, and dangerous felony offenders to serve 85% before becoming eligible for parole. The bill sets a 70-year age limit and mandates a minimum 40% sentence served, with life sentences calculated as 30 years and sentences over 75 years capped at 75 years. It also creates a sentencing advisory commission to study sentencing disparities across Missouri courts.
HB 325 prevents Missouri counties, cities, and other local governments from creating rules that restrict licensed professionals in specific fields (like medicine, law, and engineering). It directly affects these professionals and local governments that previously could impose restrictions on their practice. The bill blocks local ordinances, regulations, or policies that interfere with a professional’s legally defined scope of work, but allows local governments to enforce zoning, building codes, fire safety, and health regulations that don’t limit professional activities. This shifts authority over professional practice regulations from local to state level.
HB 1072, titled the "Missouri Prenatal Equal Protection Act," proposes to treat unborn children as legal persons from conception under Missouri law, effectively making most abortions a crime. It would criminalize actions harming a fetus (including abortion) with new penalties, require prosecution in specific counties, and eliminate duress defenses for most such offenses - except when the mother is the defendant. The only exception allows medical procedures to save the pregnant person’s life if all alternatives to save the fetus failed. This bill directly affects pregnant people in Missouri, healthcare providers, and law enforcement, as it would replace existing abortion laws with new criminal provisions. The bill is currently pending after failing a committee vote in April 2025.
HB 1417, the "Missouri Prenatal Equal Protection Act," would ban abortion in Missouri except when a licensed physician performs a medical procedure to save the pregnant person's life, which accidentally results in the death of the fetus. It defines "person" to include an unborn child from fertilization, making abortion a criminal offense under existing homicide laws, and requires prosecutions to follow the same legal standards as cases involving born individuals. The bill repeals current provisions that allow abortion or "prenatal homicide," while creating limited exceptions for life-saving medical procedures. It directly affects pregnant people in Missouri and healthcare providers, prohibiting abortion except in narrowly defined medical emergencies.
HB 134 creates the "Missouri Task Force on Nonprofit Safety and Security" to study and recommend improvements for security at nonprofits in Missouri facing elevated terrorist threats. The task force will focus on federal grant programs for security measures (like facility upgrades and training) and develop outreach strategies to help nonprofits apply. It also establishes a state fund using dedicated moneys to cover security costs for nonprofits already approved for federal nonprofit security grants - eliminating the need for separate applications. The fund covers specific security enhancements (e.g., threat training, equipment, vulnerability assessments) and limits administrative costs to 5% of annual funds, with annual reports to state leaders.
HB 952 prevents double recovery in tort cases by limiting plaintiffs' ability to claim damages already paid by a defendant or their insurer. If a defendant or insurer pays a plaintiff's special damages (like medical bills) before trial, those amounts become non-recoverable from the defendant. The bill also blocks claims for damages reimbursed to a plaintiff's insurer for deductibles or paid claims, avoiding duplicate payments from both the insurer and defendant. It was defeated in the House on April 22, 2025, with 37 votes in favor and 107 against. The bill directly affects defendants, insurers, and plaintiffs in personal injury or tort litigation involving insurance coverage.
HB 953 establishes a Joint Committee on the Justice System to review Missouri's criminal justice system, including criminal laws, law enforcement, correctional institutions, and expungement procedures. The committee must file annual reports, create a subcommittee to revise the criminal code every decade, and form an advisory committee to study expungement processes, with a final report due by 2026. This procedural bill affects legislative oversight of justice system operations and sets a framework for future policy recommendations.
HB 242 modifies alimony (maintenance) rules in divorce cases by establishing three types of support: bridge (short-term, max 2 years), rehabilitative (max 4 years to gain skills), and durational (long-term, based on marriage length). It sets strict time limits: durational maintenance cannot exceed 50% of marriage length for short-term marriages (3-10 years), 60% for moderate-term (10-20 years), or 75% for long-term (20+ years). The bill also requires courts to consider new factors like retirement plans and self-sufficiency efforts, while allowing exceptions for "substantial hardship" cases. The bill passed committee but failed in the House on April 9, 2025 (20-120 vote), so it did not become law.
HB 1222 would prevent SNAP (food assistance) recipients from using benefits to purchase candy and soft drinks. It defines "candy" as sugar-based products like chocolate bars and "soft drinks" as sweetened nonalcoholic beverages (excluding milk-based drinks or those with over 50% juice). The bill requires the state social services director to seek a federal waiver to exclude these items from SNAP-eligible foods, requesting annual renewals if denied. If approved, SNAP benefits could no longer cover these specific food items.
HB 263 revises Missouri's rules for admitting expert witness testimony in court. It creates two tiers: for specific cases (like family court, juvenile proceedings, or non-jury trials), it allows expert opinions without strict foundational requirements. For all other cases, it requires experts to demonstrate their testimony is (1) helpful to the judge or jury, (2) based on sufficient facts/data, (3) derived from reliable methods, and (4) reliably applied to the case. The bill also prohibits experts in criminal cases from opining on whether a defendant had a mental state that defines the crime. This directly affects lawyers, experts, and courts handling testimony across most civil and criminal trials.
SB 336 modifies existing hospital price transparency laws in the state. It directly affects hospitals by changing how they disclose pricing information to patients. The bill alters specific requirements for hospitals to provide clear cost estimates for services, though the exact changes are not detailed in the abstract. This legislation aims to adjust current transparency rules without creating new mandates. (Note: The bill is still pending, having failed a committee vote on March 26, 2025.)
SB 254 would require drivers to stop at railroad crossings for "any on-track equipment" in addition to trains. This change directly affects drivers operating vehicles at railroad crossings throughout the state. The key provision expands the existing stop requirement to include all equipment on the tracks, not just trains. The bill aims to enhance safety by ensuring drivers stop for any potential obstruction on the tracks.
