Veterans (Veteran Healthcare)

SB 1535 establishes a property tax credit for Missouri disabled veterans who own and occupy their primary residence. The bill directly affects qualifying disabled veterans by reducing their annual property tax liability. Key provisions create a specific tax credit amount (to be determined by the bill's final text) that lowers the total property tax owed on a veteran's homestead. This policy change provides direct financial relief for disabled veterans through the state property tax system.

HB 2861 designates July 16th each year as "Atomic Veterans Day" in Missouri. The bill specifically honors veterans who were exposed to ionizing radiation during nuclear testing, served in military occupation forces near Hiroshima or Nagasaki before 1946, or were prisoners of war in those areas. It encourages Missouri citizens to participate in events recognizing these veterans' unique contributions. This is a commemorative designation with no new funding or policy changes.

This bill regulates fees for professionals assisting veterans with benefits claims. It prohibits charging referral fees, setting upfront fees, or guaranteeing specific benefits. It requires written agreements that limit compensation to five times any monthly benefit increase (paid only if benefits improve) and mandates clear disclosure that the service isn't affiliated with the VA or Missouri Veterans' Commission. The bill also bans using medical professionals with employment ties for exams and restricts handling veterans' personal data through international call centers.

HB 3078 would allow Missouri counties to provide a property tax credit for disabled veterans with a 100% VA disability rating. It applies to primary residences valued at $500,000 or less, covering all local property taxes (except state blind pension fund levies). Counties must opt in via vote, and the credit passes to surviving spouses who remain in the home and don’t remarry. The credit is non-refundable, does not replace other tax relief, and is not an exemption from property taxes.

SB 1048 - This act creates the "Missouri Disabled Veterans' Dependents Tuition Waiver" to provide college tuition waivers for the children, stepchildren, and spouses of certain veterans. The act defines an "institution" as including any state college or university or public community college that receives appropriations from the General Assembly for operating expenses and satisfies certain other conditions established in current law. A dependent of a veteran shall be eligible to receive a waiver of tuition and fees at an institution, up to a maximum that shall not exceed the amount of tuition charged a Missouri resident at the University of Missouri-Columbia for attendance, if the dependent has a parent, stepparent, or spouse who is or was a member of the Armed Forces of the United States who died on active duty, died of a service-connected disability, died after discharge from the military as a result of injury or illness, is rated as permanently and totally disabled by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, or is classified as missing in action or a prisoner of war. For a dependent who is the child or stepchild of such a veteran, the act specifies that the dependent shall be under 26 years old unless the dependent serves on active duty with the Armed Forces of the United States, in which case the eligibility period shall be extended a maximum of five years, up to the dependent's 31st birthday. The Missouri Veterans Commission shall work with the Coordinating Board for Higher Education to implement the provisions of the act. The Missouri Veterans Commission shall ensure that the application process is accessible, transparent, and efficiently administered. The Executive Director of the Missouri Veterans Commission shall establish application procedures, determine applicants' eligibility, certify approved applicants, establish procedures for fraud prevention, and oversee program compliance and reporting, as provided in the act. The Executive Director shall work with the Coordinating Board for Higher Education to facilitate communication with institutions, ensure proper implementation of the waivers, and maintain program efficiency. The Coordinating Board for Higher Education shall ensure consistent implementation of the act across all institutions, develop guidelines for institutions to process tuition waivers, and coordinate with the Missouri Veterans Commission to ensure seamless communication and prevent administrative delays for eligible applicants. A tuition waiver shall be valid for one degree, diploma, or certificate from a community college and one baccalaureate degree from a state college or university. Receipt of a degree, diploma, or certificate from a community college shall precede receipt of a baccalaureate degree. A recipient of a tuition waiver shall be ineligible for the Wartime Veteran's Survivors Grant Program, the Survivors of Vietnam Veterans Scholarship Program, and any other state-funded veteran-dependent tuition grant, waiver, or scholarship. A student who has previously received any such grant, waiver, or scholarship shall not be eligible to receive a tuition waiver, and a student shall not concurrently receive a tuition waiver and any other such grant, waiver, or scholarship. A recipient of a tuition waiver may transfer from one institution to another without losing entitlement to the tuition waiver. If a recipient is granted financial assistance under any other student aid program, whether public or private, the full amount of such financial assistance shall be reported to the Missouri Veterans Commission and the Coordinating Board for Higher Education. This act is identical to HB 2074 (2026) substantially similar to SB 716 (2025). OLIVIA SHANNON

This bill proposes a constitutional amendment to provide a property tax exemption for disabled veterans in Missouri. It would exempt the homestead property (primary residence) of disabled veterans certified by the VA for 100% service-connected disability, as well as their surviving spouses who continue living in that home. The exemption covers real property used as a homestead but does not apply if the surviving spouse sells the home or stops using it as their primary residence. To offset lost tax revenue, counties would impose a replacement tax on certain business inventory property within the county.

HB 2588 creates the "Missouri Disabled Veterans Homestead Tax Credit Act," allowing Missouri counties to offer a real property tax credit to eligible disabled veterans who own their primary residence. It directly affects veterans with a 100% permanent and total service-connected disability rating from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, whose primary home has a market value of $500,000 or less. The credit equals all local property taxes paid (excluding state blind pension fund levies) on the qualified residence, is non-refundable, and carries over to a surviving spouse who remains in the home and doesn't remarry. Counties must adopt the program, and veterans must elect to participate; it does not reduce assessed property value or affect bonded indebtedness calculations.

SJR 77 is a Senate Joint Resolution proposing a property tax exemption for disabled veterans. It would authorize the state to exempt qualifying disabled veterans from paying property taxes on their primary residence. This resolution is currently in early stages (prefiled and first read) and would require further legislative approval to become law. It does not currently change tax policy but proposes a new exemption for disabled veterans if enacted.

HB 2276 creates a property tax exemption for Missouri veterans with service-connected disabilities, directly affecting qualifying veterans and their surviving spouses. It provides annual tax relief based on disability rating: $2,500 for 50-70% disability, $5,000 for 70-100%, and full tax exemption for 100% disability, all applied to the primary residence (valued under $250,000). Surviving spouses of veterans who died in service or with service-connected death may also qualify if they meet VA certification and residency requirements. The exemption begins January 1, 2027, and requires annual reapplication unless the veteran has a 100% disability rating.

HJR 113 proposes a constitutional amendment to grant Missouri veterans with service-connected disabilities partial or full property tax exemptions proportional to their disability rating. It directly affects veterans who are Missouri residents and have a disability rating determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The exemption reduces real and personal property taxes by a percentage equal to the veteran’s disability rating (e.g., 50% disability = 50% tax reduction), with 100% disability providing full exemption. This change would take effect for tax years beginning January 1, 2027.