HB 3332 modifies Missouri's Public Safety Recruitment and Retention Act to provide tuition awards for eligible public safety personnel and their dependents. Public safety personnel with at least six years of service (police officers, firefighters, EMTs, paramedics, etc.) may receive up to 100% of resident tuition for degrees in specific fields like criminal justice or fire science, subject to meeting license, employment, and admission requirements. Legal dependents of personnel with ten or more years of service also qualify for tuition awards covering associate or bachelor's degrees. The program requires applicants to first seek other federal and state financial aid before applying for the tuition award, with eligibility lasting up to five years or 120 credit hours.
HB 3238 requires school boards to publicly disclose financial conflicts of interest involving members, employees, and related parties for transactions over $500 annually, including business dealings with the school district. It mandates detailed written disclosures from school superintendents, administrators, and legal staff about their outside income, business ownership, and corporate ties. The bill also shifts the burden of proof to school districts in special education due process hearings under IDEA, requiring them to justify decisions about student evaluations or placements. Additionally, it prohibits school districts from hiring attorneys who employ school board members or employees for special education disputes.
SB 1648 creates the "Missouri Charter Public School Commission" within the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to oversee charter schools. The commission, consisting of nine governor-appointed members with limits on political party representation and congressional districts, will review and approve new charter school applications and manage their sponsorship. Key mechanisms include establishing a dedicated "Charter Public School Commission Revolving Fund" for administrative costs, requiring members to have education expertise, and mandating that charter schools comply with existing state charter school laws. The bill directly affects charter schools seeking sponsorship and the state education department's oversight structure.
HB 3373 creates a dedicated liaison position within the state's Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development to support homeless students pursuing college. The bill establishes a dedicated fund to finance this role and requires the liaison to develop resources tracking homeless students' academic progress, connect them with campus support services (like housing and financial aid), and build databases of community resources like food banks. It directly affects homeless and unaccompanied youth enrolled in state colleges by improving access to tailored support systems. The liaison must collaborate with high schools and colleges to identify students and coordinate services, all funded through a non-reverting state fund.
HB 3485 allows students attending private, home, or full-time virtual schools to participate in public school sports, fine arts, and other extracurricular activities if their own school does not offer those specific activities. Public schools must permit this participation without requiring students to attend public school classes or enroll in the public school. Students must provide residency proof, pass physicals for sports, follow the same conduct rules, and pay the same fees as public school students. The bill prohibits public schools from creating separate disciplinary or attendance rules for these students and prevents them from blocking participation based on a student’s school type.
SB 1778 requires public schools to incorporate personal finance education into their curriculum. It directly affects all public school students by mandating that schools teach topics such as budgeting, saving, and debt management. The key provision establishes a general requirement for schools to include this education, though the abstract does not specify exact grade levels or detailed content. This policy change applies to all public school districts and educators responsible for implementing the curriculum.
HB 3359 creates a tax credit allowing Missouri taxpayers to reduce their state income tax by 20% of qualifying donations to STEAM or robotics programs in local K-12 schools, with a maximum annual credit of $50,000 per taxpayer. Eligible donations include cash, educational materials, or up to 200 hours of employee time per year (valued at the employee's hourly wage). The program is capped at $10 million in total credits annually, and unused credits can be carried forward for up to seven years. This initiative, set to expire after six years unless renewed, requires schools to register with the state and mandates annual reporting on program participation and costs.
HB 3149 modifies Missouri county sales tax rules to specifically direct revenue from certain local sales taxes toward early childhood education. It requires counties seeking to fund early childhood education through new sales taxes to obtain voter approval via ballot measure, with the tax rate limited to a combined maximum of 1.5% after 2025. The bill mandates that any revenue collected for this purpose must be deposited into the dedicated early childhood education fund and managed under existing rules (Section 67.5420). This directly affects Missouri counties considering new local sales taxes for education, as well as voters who must approve such tax proposals. The bill does not create new taxes but changes how existing county sales tax authority can be allocated.
SS/SB 948 - This act provides that a parent has a fundamental right to direct the upbringing, education, health care, and mental health of such parent's child free from government interference. A governmental authority shall not restrict parental rights unless such authority demonstrates that the restriction is essential to further a compelling governmental interest and is the least restrictive means of furthering that compelling interest. This provision applies to all state and local laws, resolutions, and ordinances and to the implementation of such laws, resolutions, and ordinances. (Section 1.390) The act outlines certain parental rights that are exclusively reserved to a parent without obstruction by or interference from this state, any political subdivision of the state, any governmental entity, or any other institution. Under the act, parents shall have the right to: (1) Direct the education of the child; (2) Access and review all written and electronic educational records of the child; (3) Direct the child's upbringing; (4) Direct the child's moral or religious training; (5) Consent in writing to all physical and mental health care decisions for the child; (6) Access and review all health and medical records of the child; (7) Consent in writing before a biometric scan of the child is made, shared, or stored; (8) Consent in writing before any record of the child's blood or DNA is created, stored, or shared, unless authorized pursuant to a court order; (9) Consent in writing before any governmental authority makes a video or voice recording of the child, unless, without abrogating rights secured under the Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution, such recording is made as part of an event or circumstance described in the act; (10) Be notified promptly if a governmental authority suspects that abuse, neglect, or a criminal offense has been committed against the child, unless such notification is reasonably believed to be likely to endanger the life or physical safety of the child; (11) Opt the child out of any personal analysis, evaluation, survey, or data collection by a school district except what is necessary and essential for establishing a student's educational record for a student of the school district; (12) Excuse a child from school attendance for religious purposes; (13) Participate in parent-teacher organizations and other school organizations that are sanctioned by the board of education of a school district; (14) Receive, upon first contact with a representative of the Department of Social Services, an accurate written itemization containing all details of allegations of child abuse or neglect of the child, excluding only the name of the person who made the allegations; and (15) View a publicly available, easily accessible accounting of all financial transactions conducted with school district funds without being required to submit a formal request or otherwise make direct contact with the school district to access such information. Except for law enforcement personnel, a governmental authority shall not encourage or coerce a child to withhold information from the child's parent; nor shall a governmental authority withhold from a child's parent information that is relevant to the physical, emotional, or mental health of the child. A parent who believes his or her rights have been violated under this act may assert that violation as a claim or defense in a judicial or administrative proceeding, regardless of whether the government is a party to the proceeding, and obtain appropriate relief against the government, including declaratory relief, injunctive relief, compensatory damages, and reasonable attorney's fees and costs. (Section 1.391) Additionally, each school district shall maintain an easily accessible online record of all money the district receives and spends. Each public school within a school district shall prominently link to the district's financial ledger on the school's own website. (Section 162.192) The act additionally repeals provisions authorizing minors to consent to medical treatment or procedures involving venereal disease and drug or substance abuse. (Section 431.061) This act is similar to HB 2426 (2026). OLIVIA SHANNON
SB 1567 - This act establishes the "Missouri Integrated Safe Driving Program" to provide standardized driver education instruction and training for pupils in grades 9-12. The program shall include instruction on the safe operation of motor vehicles, the rules of the road, and applicable motor vehicle laws, including Missouri's driver licensing system. The Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) shall receive and review sample instructional lessons from recognized statewide professional organizations and school districts and shall make approved sample lessons available to school districts and charter schools. Beginning with the 2027–28 school year, school districts and charter schools may implement a plan adopting the program and may utilize the sample lessons provided by DESE. The program shall promote knowledge, attitudes, habits, and skills necessary for safe driving; address distracted driving as a significant traffic safety concern; explain law enforcement procedures during traffic stops; and provide current data regarding risky driving behaviors. Districts may require pupil participation in program-related lessons within existing courses, as provided in the act. The program shall not require pupils to physically operate a motor vehicle; nor shall the program be construed to prohibit school districts or charter schools from offering other elective driver education courses. This act is substantially similar to HB 2195 (2026). OLIVIA SHANNON
