HB 2417, the "Parents' Bill of Rights of 2026," grants parents and guardians specific access rights regarding their minor child's education in public schools and charter schools. It requires schools to provide parents with syllabi, reading lists, and teaching staff information; prohibit nondisclosure agreements for curriculum access; obtain parental consent for diversity, equity, and inclusion activities; and notify parents within 48 hours of specific safety incidents like assaults or weapon incidents. The bill also mandates access to student records, financial information about third-party contracts, and the right to object to classroom materials related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Parents can file complaints with local prosecutors if denied these rights, who may seek court orders to enforce them. This bill directly affects all parents of K-12 students in participating school districts.
SB 1192 prohibits higher education accrediting agencies from using diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices as a factor in evaluating or accrediting colleges and universities. This directly affects public and private institutions seeking or maintaining accreditation, as they can no longer be assessed on their DEI efforts. The bill’s key mechanism is a clear legal prohibition requiring accrediting bodies to exclude DEI considerations from their accreditation standards and reviews. The bill is currently pending, having been prefaced in December 2025 and receiving its first reading in January 2026.
HB 1973 modifies Missouri law to require schools and colleges to determine student athletic participation based on biological sex as recorded on a student's birth certificate or government record. It prohibits students from competing in sports designated for the opposite biological sex (e.g., a student assigned male at birth competing in girls' sports), except when no equivalent competition exists for their biological sex. Schools violating this law risk losing state funding, and affected students or parents can seek legal remedies. The law includes a sunset provision, expiring August 28, 2027, and defines "sex" as male/female based on reproductive biology and genome at birth.
HB 1998 prohibits Missouri public schools and colleges from using state funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programs. This applies to all public K-12 schools and public postsecondary institutions receiving state funds, including federal funds administered through the state. The bill requires institutions using state funds for DEI to repay those funds, lose all state funding for the current fiscal year, and face withheld future funding until compliance. It also mandates departments to monitor compliance, accept public complaints, and publish annual enforcement reports.
HB 2580 prohibits public school staff from supporting students' social transition to being perceived as the opposite biological sex. It requires staff to report student requests for such support to principals within 24 hours, and principals must notify parents within 72 hours. The bill bans staff from using alternative pronouns/names, discussing gender transition with students, or affirming a student's gender identity at school. Violations could lead to staff termination, license revocation, or parental lawsuits seeking damages or injunctions.
SS/SCS/SB 1085 - This act prohibits public school and charter school staff members from encouraging minor students in their "social transition", defined as the process of a minor student changing his or her gender presentation or expression, with the goal of being perceived and treated as a gender different from the student's biological sex. The act defines a "staff member" as a teacher, school employee, volunteer, contractor, or other individual authorized to provide services at a public school or charter school, including, but not limited to, any individual in a position of authority or responsibility, such as a counselor or health care worker. School staff members shall neither encourage a minor student to withhold information from his or her parent nor withhold certain health information from a student's parent. A staff member shall notify a minor student's parent by phone or email within 24 hours of receiving a request by the student to participate in the student's social transition. The act outlines certain actions that trigger this parental notification requirement, including a minor student's request to be referred to by a pronoun that does not correspond to the student's biological sex; a request to use a name that does not correspond to the student's legal name; a request to use a restroom designated for the opposite biological sex; or a request to participate on an athletic team designated for the opposite biological sex. No staff member shall engage in any conduct that facilitates the social transition of any minor student; deliver any presentation or lesson to any minor student regarding gender transition or social transition; or refer to a minor student by a title or pronoun that does not correspond to the student's biological sex, or by a name other than the student's legal name or a nickname or derivative thereof. A staff member or student shall not be subject to any disciplinary action for declining to address a person using a name that does not correspond to the person's legal name or a pronoun that is inconsistent with the person's biological sex. A staff member who discloses a violation of this act by another staff member shall be protected from any manner of retaliation as set forth in current law. If a school district discovers that a licensed educator has knowingly violated any provision of this act, the school district shall initiate disciplinary proceedings against that staff member, up to and including suspension or revocation of the individual's teaching license and suspension or termination of employment, as appropriate. A licensed educator at a charter school shall also be subject to disciplinary proceedings for violations of the act, up to and including suspension or revocation of the individual's teaching license and suspension or termination of employment, as provided in the act. The Attorney General may bring a civil action, including an action for injunctive relief, against a school district, public school, charter school, or staff member for any violation of this act. Any parent of a minor student may bring a civil action, including an action for injunctive relief or for damages, against the staff member or against the school district, public school, or charter school in which such minor student is enrolled for any violation of this act. If the parent prevails, the court shall award to such parent court costs and reasonable attorney's fees and any other damages or remedy which in the judgment of the court shall be appropriate. Any staff member may bring a civil action, including an action for injunctive relief or for damages, against the school district, public school, or charter school that employs such staff member for any violation of the act's prohibitions on certain disciplinary or retaliatory actions against school staff members. This act is similar to HB 2580 (2026). OLIVIA SHANNON
HJR 114 proposes a constitutional amendment to Missouri's Article I, adding Section 37 that would guarantee parents the fundamental right to direct their child's education without government interference. It specifically ensures parents can homeschool or educate children outside public schools without any government regulations, restrictions, or record-keeping requirements - even if they receive state funding or assistance. The amendment also requires public schools to provide transparent access to curricula and lesson plans via their publicly accessible websites. This proposal must be approved by Missouri voters in the 2026 general election to become part of the state constitution.
HB 2443 revises Missouri's laws governing degrees at public colleges and universities. It designates the University of Missouri as the sole state institution permitted to offer research doctorates (like PhDs) and certain professional degrees (such as law, medicine, or veterinary medicine), with limited exceptions. The bill creates a new Coordinating Board for Higher Education to review and approve all new degree programs, requiring institutions to prove they’ve explored collaboration with other schools, meet quality standards, address workforce needs, and align with state education plans. This replaces prior oversight structures and centralizes authority over degree offerings for public institutions.
HB 1612 requires all public school districts and charter schools to display the full text of the Ten Commandments in every classroom and school building starting January 1, 2027. School boards must ensure the display is at least 11x14 inches, with the text as the central focus in a large, readable font, though they may use existing funds or accept donations without mandatory spending. The bill applies directly to school district governing boards and charter school boards, mandating the physical placement of the religious text in educational spaces. It does not specify exemptions for secular content or address religious diversity within schools. The state board of education will develop implementing rules, but the bill itself focuses solely on the display requirement.
SB 923 repeals the legal permission allowing new charter schools to be established in Boone County, Indiana. This bill directly affects Boone County by ending the ability to create new charter schools under current law. The key provision removes the specific authorization from state statutes, meaning no new charter schools could be formed in the county without new legislation. This is a procedural change focused solely on eliminating the existing legal pathway for new charter school openings.
