Rep. Colin Wellenkamp

Maddy summaryHB 1756 designates the first week of June each year as "June's Week" in Missouri to honor June, a Missouri child with a rare pediatric cancer (ATRT-B), and to raise public awareness about rare pediatric diseases. The bill encourages Missourians to participate in events that promote early symptom recognition and support families affected by these conditions. It is a symbolic observance with no new funding or regulatory changes, solely focused on commemoration and awareness. This is a procedural resolution, not a substantive policy bill.

Maddy summaryHB 2304 requires schools to obtain written or electronic parental consent before making specific changes to a child's Individualized Education Program (IEP), including initial placements, placement changes, removal of services, or service minute changes exceeding 25%. It directly affects parents of students with disabilities and local school districts (LEAs), mandating they use a standardized consent form that includes options for full consent, refusal, or partial consent. The bill also requires schools to document consent dates and provide dispute resolution options if parents and schools disagree on IEP changes. Schools must allow parents to visit proposed programs before consenting and notify parents of conduct-related IEP changes per federal rules. The law takes effect July 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryHB 1734 creates a revolving loan program to help Missouri homeowners' associations finance natural erosion control projects that protect waterways and drainage systems. The program, funded by state appropriations and loan repayments, covers projects like restoring natural waterways, stabilizing banks with vegetation, and adding flood capacity, but excludes projects using impermeable surfaces. Eligible associations must be nonprofit, secure homeowner approval through documented meetings, and provide property liens as collateral, with loans covering up to 80% of project costs and repayable over a maximum of ten years.

Maddy summaryHB 3113 requires public buildings to store naloxone (an overdose reversal medication) in first aid kits and near defibrillators, and to inform occupants of its location and emergency procedures. It designates April as "Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Month" and mandates school districts to establish drug-free advisory committees with community input, implement grade 6-12 fentanyl education, and develop prevention programs for students. The bill also directs law enforcement to investigate all drug-related deaths as homicide crime scenes, regardless of criminal charges, and to collaborate with schools on drug trafficking prevention in school zones. These provisions directly affect public buildings, school districts, and law enforcement agencies across Missouri.

Maddy summaryHB 1908 ensures Missouri courts can grant a divorce (dissolution of marriage) or legal separation even if one party is pregnant. The bill explicitly states that pregnancy status does not prevent a court from entering such a judgment, removing any prior barrier. Courts must still meet standard requirements, including residency, the marriage being irretrievably broken (for divorce) or not (for legal separation), and arrangements for children and property. This change directly affects individuals in Missouri family court cases involving pregnancy who seek divorce or legal separation.

Maddy summaryHJR 189 proposes creating Missouri's "Show-Me Prosperity Fund," a permanent endowment designed to eventually eliminate all state taxes. The fund would grow through investments, and only after the state treasurer confirms sufficient annual investment income covers current tax revenue could it fund tax eliminations. Strict rules prevent using the fund's principal, limit annual withdrawals to 2% of its 5-year average value, and require voter approval for tax changes. This would directly affect all Missouri residents by potentially replacing state income, sales, corporate, and other taxes once the fund meets specific growth targets.

Maddy summaryHB 3362 establishes new rules for utilities serving large industrial customers in electricity and water. It defines "large" electricity users as those with annual peak demands of 50-100 megawatts or more (depending on the utility’s size) and large water users as those exceeding 2 million gallons per day or 80% of system capacity. Utilities must create contracts and rate structures reflecting each large customer’s fair cost share, preventing other customers from subsidizing these high-usage accounts. Electric providers must also develop load-shedding plans with large electricity customers to prioritize critical facilities and residential service during system operations.

Maddy summaryHB 3027, the Missouri Defense and Energy Independence Act, creates new sales tax exemptions for businesses producing critical materials (like metals for defense tech) and critical pharmaceuticals. It exempts purchases of materials, equipment, and energy used in manufacturing these items, as well as defense contractors' purchases under federal contracts and large-scale industrial laundries. The bill also exempts construction costs for nuclear security enterprises in cities over 400,000 population, with this exemption expiring August 28, 2034. These tax breaks directly benefit manufacturers and defense-related businesses in Missouri.

Maddy summaryHB 1733 establishes the "Firefighters' Procedural Bill of Rights Act" for Missouri firefighters employed by public agencies (including fire departments, emergency dispatch, and EMS). It requires that during investigations leading to disciplinary action, firefighters must be informed of their rights, including the Garrity warning (that answers won’t be used criminally), allowed reasonable breaks, and permitted to have a representative present. The bill also prohibits employers from coercing firefighters to disclose social media passwords or sharing their personal information with media without consent. These provisions apply to all formal interrogations by employers regarding alleged misconduct.

Maddy summaryHB 1732 restricts the use of license plate covers in Missouri, requiring any cover to be transparent, non-tinted, and not impairing the plate's visibility to the naked eye or law enforcement technology. It prohibits covers that obscure license plate information or reduce reflective qualities, directly affecting all vehicle owners who use such covers. The bill mandates that plates remain plainly visible with intact reflectivity, aligning with existing requirements for plate mounting and legibility. This change updates vehicle registration rules to standardize cover usage without banning covers entirely.