Rep. Mark Matthiesen

Maddy summaryHB 518 increases the maximum credit amount and upper income limit for Missouri's "circuit breaker" property tax credit program. This change directly affects eligible Missouri residents who own or rent a home, including seniors (age 65+), disabled individuals, veterans with 100% service-related disabilities, and surviving spouses receiving Social Security benefits. The bill modifies the credit calculation by raising the cap on the maximum annual credit amount and expanding the income threshold for qualification. It also updates eligibility definitions for "disabled" status and clarifies requirements for claiming the credit on combined tax returns. The policy change aims to provide greater tax relief for qualifying homeowners and renters facing high property tax burdens.

Maddy summaryHB 1370 establishes specific nurse-to-patient ratios for different hospital units to ensure adequate staffing. It requires hospitals to maintain ratios like 1:1 for trauma ERs and critical care, 1:4 for medical-surgical units, and 1:6 for well-baby nurseries, based on patient acuity. The bill mandates hospitals to develop and file staffing plans with the health department, ensures nurses can refuse unsafe assignments based on professional judgment, and requires all nursing staff to demonstrate unit-specific competence before patient assignments. This directly affects hospitals, registered nurses, and patient care safety across all Missouri healthcare facilities.

Maddy summaryHB 819 establishes Missouri's Hospital Safety Grant Program, providing funding to licensed hospitals across the state to enhance security through physical upgrades and staff training. Hospitals can apply for grants to cover costs like surveillance systems, entrance redesigns, and training for security personnel and other staff on emergency response and threat management. Each hospital can receive up to $1 million annually, with a total annual cap of $20 million for all hospitals. Applications must detail specific security needs and proposed uses of funds, and grants will begin for fiscal year 2027.

Maddy summaryHB 1286 allows ambulance and fire protection districts to replace some property tax revenue with a local sales tax (capped at 1% total) after voter approval. Districts must hold a public vote using specific ballot language asking if they can impose the sales tax while reducing property taxes by 50% (for pre-existing taxes) or 75% (for new taxes). If approved, sales tax revenue funds district operations and is deposited into a special trust fund, with property tax levies adjusted annually to offset the new tax. This applies to districts in counties meeting specific population criteria, requiring direct voter consent for any tax change.

Maddy summaryHB 664 requires Missouri state agencies to obtain legislative approval before new administrative rules take effect. Specifically, agencies must submit proposed rules to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules, which can hold hearings and suspend rules costing over $250,000 until the full General Assembly votes on them. Rules cannot become effective until the legislature approves them via a concurrent resolution, with a 30-day waiting period after committee review. This change ensures all significant agency rules undergo direct legislative scrutiny before implementation.

Maddy summaryHB 988 reduces the tax assessment rate for most taxable personal property (like equipment and vehicles) from 33.3% to 10% over 11 years, starting in 2026. It also creates a future exemption for farm machinery and motor vehicles (10+ years old) from personal property taxes, but only if Missouri voters approve a constitutional amendment authorizing this exemption. The bill directly affects owners of qualifying personal property, such as farmers with older machinery or vehicle owners. Key provisions include a phased annual reduction in assessment percentages (e.g., 30% in 2026, dropping to 10% by 2036) and setting the stage for the exemption upon constitutional approval. The exemption itself is conditional on voter approval, not automatic.

Maddy summaryHB 638 allows political parties to designate voter challengers at polling places and absentee ballot counting locations. These challengers, who must be registered voters in the jurisdiction, can observe voting and ballot counting but may only challenge suspected election law violations after reporting to election judges. The bill requires parties to submit challenger names to election authorities four business days before an election, with replacements allowed if qualifications aren't met. Challengers cannot share voter lists that reveal vote counts, and their challenges must follow specific reporting procedures to election officials.

Maddy summaryHB 636 designates a segment of highway from Highway 94 to State Highway K in St. Charles County as the "Sergeant Colin I Arslanbas Memorial Highway." The Missouri Department of Transportation will install and maintain signs for this memorial at its own expense. This bill honors Sergeant Colin I. Arslanbas with a highway designation and has passed through legislative committees with no opposition.

Maddy summaryHB 517 adjusts the maximum annual increase allowed for property tax rates due to inflation in Missouri. It limits the inflationary growth factor to the lower of the Consumer Price Index or 5% before January 1, 2026, and 3% on or after that date. This directly affects counties, school districts, and other local governments that levy property taxes, requiring them to recalculate tax rates when property values change. The bill ensures tax revenue from existing property remains stable by capping how much rates can rise each year due to inflation, without changing the actual tax burden.

Maddy summaryHB 637 requires the Office of Childhood to create and distribute placards for licensed child care facilities. Each facility must post these placards prominently at their entrance, featuring a QR code that links directly to the facility's inspection reports. This bill directly affects licensed child care providers by making inspection history easily accessible to parents and caregivers through a simple scan.