HB 2835 allows individuals convicted of drug-related felonies to access food assistance benefits (SNAP) if they meet specific conditions. To qualify, they must be in or completing approved substance abuse treatment, comply with court and probation requirements, avoid new drug offenses for one year, and pass voluntary sobriety tests. The bill directly affects people with past drug felony convictions who are actively working toward recovery through state-approved programs. It creates an exemption from a federal SNAP ineligibility rule for these individuals, using a state option permitted under federal law. The policy change applies only to those meeting all four criteria, not to individuals with additional drug convictions.
HB 2788 would have modified Missouri's unlawful firearm possession law by creating time-based exceptions for people with prior felony convictions. It would have allowed firearm possession after 10 years for violent felony convictions and 3 years for nonviolent felony convictions, following full sentence completion (including probation). The bill exempted antique firearms from these restrictions and defined "violent felony" as involving force/threat against others. However, the bill was introduced in January 2026 and withdrawn the same month without becoming law.
HB 3155 creates a new program for nonviolent offenders with serious substance abuse issues who haven't been convicted of violent crimes. It requires courts to refer eligible offenders to a 12-24 month treatment program in correctional facilities, with suspended incarceration during participation. The bill also mandates detailed information sharing when transferring offenders to correctional facilities, including health records, sentencing details, and victim impact statements. Additionally, it updates parole board guidelines to prioritize releasing lower-risk offenders, use risk assessments, and publish data on parole outcomes and recidivism.
HB 2881 prohibits individuals convicted of specific sex crimes (like child exploitation, possession of child pornography, or promoting child sexual abuse material) from being within 500 feet of certain children's facilities in Missouri. It directly affects people with these convictions, barring them from state parks, playgrounds, public pools, youth-focused museums, and conservation education centers. Violating this rule is a class E felony for a first offense and a class D felony for repeat violations. The bill includes an exception allowing parents or guardians with a child in a program at a conservation center to be present with permission from the center manager.
HB 2889 changes the legal definition of "delivery of a controlled substance causing death" to make it a class A felony. It applies when someone delivers or distributes a Schedule I or II controlled substance (like opioids or stimulants) and a death results, regardless of whether the user contributed to their own death or consented to the substance. The bill removes the defense that the user's actions caused their death, holding distributors fully accountable. This directly affects drug distributors who cause fatal overdoses through their actions.
HB 1881 amends Missouri's controlled substances law by adding specific fentanyl analogs and synthetic opioids to Schedule I (not Schedule III, as the title states). The bill lists numerous fentanyl derivatives (e.g., acetyl fentanyl, xylazine is not listed) and opioid compounds under Schedule I, which requires they have high abuse potential and no accepted medical use. This change directly affects law enforcement, healthcare providers, and individuals handling these substances by classifying them as illegal under Missouri law. The bill does not mention xylazine in its text; the title appears to contain an error, as the actual provisions focus on fentanyl-related compounds. This is a substantive policy change to drug scheduling, not a procedural measure.
HB 1857 modifies Missouri's law on unlawful firearm possession by expanding who is prohibited from possessing a firearm and adjusting penalties. It makes it a crime for individuals with certain felony convictions (including out-of-state), fugitives from justice, those habitually intoxicated, or mentally incompetent to possess a firearm. The bill also prohibits minors under 18 from possessing a firearm on public property, unless they completed a required hunter education course. Penalties are set as a class C felony (or class B if the person has a prior dangerous felony conviction or prior unlawful possession). Antique firearms are specifically exempt from these provisions.
SB 868 creates a new class A misdemeanor offense for minors under 18 who knowingly possess a handgun or handgun ammunition. It directly affects minors by making such possession illegal, except for specific exceptions like farm/ranch work with parental consent, military duty, inheritance, or self-defense in a residence. The law defines "handgun" as a firearm designed for single-hand use and excludes antique firearms. Key exceptions require parental written consent for farm/ranch activities, and possession during permitted hunting or target practice is allowed.
HB 2574 allows individuals who successfully complete Missouri’s substance abuse treatment program for nonviolent offenders to petition a court for limited driving privileges. This applies specifically to graduates of the state’s intensive treatment program for chronic nonviolent offenders with serious substance abuse addictions who have not been convicted of dangerous felonies. The bill creates a direct pathway for these individuals to request restricted driving rights after program completion, connecting treatment outcomes to driving eligibility. It does not change existing driving laws but adds this new eligibility step for program graduates.
HB 2602 proposes to exempt registered harm reduction programs from penalties for distributing needles/syringes under state drug laws. It creates a registration process through the Department of Health and Senior Services, requiring programs to partner with mental health/substance use treatment providers and avoid locations within 500 feet of schools (unless the school existed before the program opened). The bill directly affects registered syringe access programs, their staff, and volunteers who distribute or manufacture needles/syringes solely for these programs. This would make such activities legal under the law, removing criminal penalties for these specific actions. The bill is currently in early legislative stages (prefiled, first reading).
