HB 1704, the Education Freedom Act, changes how public schools in Missouri are assessed by requiring a statewide system focused on practical skills like problem-solving and creativity (not rote memorization). It mandates that school districts create their own local assessment systems tied to their curriculum, developed with community input, and used for meaningful academic feedback. The bill also allows schools meeting high performance standards for three years to receive "Outstanding Schools Waivers," exempting them from certain state testing and classification rules. Test results from the statewide system may only be used for federal compliance and school performance ratings, not for classifying school districts.
HB 1700, titled the "Anti-Red Flag Gun Seizure Act," prohibits Missouri state agencies, law enforcement, and political subdivisions from enforcing any "red flag law" that would temporarily or permanently seize firearms from citizens. The bill defines "red flag law" broadly to include federal or state laws requiring firearm surrender based on safety concerns, excluding only individuals charged with dangerous felonies while on bail. Key provisions ban the use of state funds to enforce such laws, impose $50,000 civil penalties for violations, and allow affected citizens to sue for damages. The law explicitly does not prevent standard firearm seizures as evidence during criminal investigations. This bill directly affects Missouri residents who might face firearm seizures under red flag laws and state officials responsible for law enforcement.
HB 1650 creates a new "assistant physician" license category for medical graduates meeting specific criteria, including U.S. citizenship/legal residency, passing required USMLE steps, English proficiency, and completing postgraduate training. It allows these professionals to provide primary care only in medically underserved rural/urban areas or federally qualified health centers under physician supervision, with health insurers required to reimburse them equally for services compared to physician assistants or nurse practitioners. The bill also establishes licensing procedures, limits continuing education requirements to match physicians, and outlines a path to full physician licensure after 60 months of collaborative practice. This directly affects medical graduates seeking this license, healthcare facilities in underserved communities, and health insurance providers.
HB 1709 updates Missouri's workers' compensation rules for permanent total disability claims. It establishes specific weekly payment formulas based on injury dates (1983-2038), capping benefits at 70-105% of the state average weekly wage. The bill clarifies that death benefits for permanent disability terminate with the employee, with no payments to dependents or estates. For toxic exposure claims (including mesothelioma), it creates tiered benefits: 200% of average wages for 100 weeks (non-mesothelioma) and 300% for 212 weeks (mesothelioma), with employer election options for liability.
HB 2314 prohibits businesses from designating changing rooms or restrooms (other than family restrooms) for use by people of both sexes, or allowing individuals to use facilities designated for the opposite sex. It defines "sex" as determined by a person's original birth certificate and requires "family restrooms" to be single-stall, fully enclosed, lockable, and ADA-compliant. The bill applies to all places of public accommodation, including businesses that collect membership fees, and includes procedures for handling discrimination complaints while protecting privacy during investigations. It aims to clarify facility access rules but does not address broader discrimination protections beyond public accommodations.
HB 1710 exempts corporations contracted by the state to provide dental care in correctional facilities from needing a separate corporate license to practice dentistry. This specifically applies to entities delivering dental services within state prisons, removing a licensing requirement that would otherwise apply to such corporations. The bill adds these correctional center dental service providers to an existing list of exempt entities, such as hospitals and federally qualified health centers. This change streamlines the process for state-contracted dental providers in prisons without altering individual practitioner licensing rules. The policy directly affects private corporations providing dental services in Missouri's correctional facilities.
HB 2313 prohibits using fetal organs or tissue obtained from elective abortions for medical, research, therapeutic, or any other purpose. It bans offering money or incentives to women to conceive or abort specifically to harvest fetal tissue, though it allows payments for burial, medical exams, or pathological examinations of fetal remains. The bill directly affects medical researchers, hospitals, and clinics that might have used such tissue, applying only to patient-choice abortions - not medically necessary procedures. It does not restrict other uses of fetal tissue or impact abortion access generally.
This bill creates a voter-approved constitutional glossary for Missouri, requiring public input and ballot approval for definitions of terms used in the state constitution. It mandates the Secretary of State to collect public proposals for definitions (including citations to constitutional uses) starting in 2027, with reviews by the Secretary and Attorney General to ensure definitions are concise, neutral, and accurate. Approved definitions, decided by simple majority vote on ballots beginning in 2028, become part of the official glossary. The Secretary of State would maintain and publish the glossary, allowing future updates through the same public-vote process.
HB 2251 establishes Missouri's "Free School Meals Program," requiring participating public, charter, and private schools to provide all students with free breakfast and lunch daily. Schools must qualify by participating in the USDA National School Lunch Program and meeting specific student eligibility thresholds. The state reimburses schools for the difference between federal meal reimbursement rates and the actual federal funds received per meal, covering up to one free breakfast and one free lunch per student each day. This program applies only to schools already enrolled in USDA meal programs with identified student poverty rates meeting federal criteria. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education administers the state aid payments and sets implementation rules.
HB 1715 creates a Missouri tax credit program to incentivize workforce and disaster recovery housing projects. It provides tax credits against state income or franchise taxes for housing developers, contractors, or nonprofits building projects that meet specific criteria, including locations in designated "distressed workforce housing communities" or counties with state disaster declarations eligible for FEMA aid. Projects must include at least two single-family homes (or four in non-small cities), three multi-unit dwelling units, or two units in redeveloped multi-use buildings. The credits cover qualifying costs like construction or rehabilitation, excluding amounts already covered by other government grants or tax credits, and target underutilized sites like brownfields (contaminated properties) or grayfields (blighted, outdated developments).
HJR 137 proposes a constitutional amendment to allow Missouri legislators to work as employees of school districts while serving in the General Assembly. Currently, Section 12 of Missouri's Constitution prohibits legislators from holding "lucrative office or employment" under state or local governments, but this amendment would explicitly add school district employees to the list of permitted positions. The change would remove a barrier preventing educators working for school districts from also serving as state representatives or senators. If approved by voters in 2026, this amendment would modify the state constitution to permit this specific employment relationship.
HB 2315 restricts the sharing of photographs or recordings of deceased persons' bodies in cases involving suspicious deaths with a domestic violence history. It prohibits coroners from making or distributing such copies except for criminal cases, court orders, or civil cases with specific authorization from legal heirs or family members (verified via declaration, ID, and death certificate). The bill also requires law enforcement to notify coroners about domestic violence histories when reporting such deaths. Key exceptions include use in forensic pathology, medical education, or law enforcement investigations. This directly affects coroners, law enforcement, and families seeking access to death-related images in domestic violence cases.
