Rep. John Hewkin

Maddy summaryHB 495 revises Missouri's public safety laws for cities not within a county by creating a new board of police commissioners. The board will include the mayor plus four citizen members: one appointed by the governor and three appointed from panels submitted by the mayor and police officer organizations. The bill removes the previous population requirement (500,000+ residents) for cities to form such a board, making it applicable to all independent cities. It also establishes procedures for board member removal and appeals to the court. This change directly affects governance of police forces in Missouri's independent cities.

Maddy summaryHB 39 prohibits employers from firing employees who store a legally owned firearm in a locked vehicle on the employer's premises, provided the firearm is not visible and the employee is not legally barred from possessing firearms. It directly affects employees who legally carry firearms and work at locations allowing vehicle access on-site. The bill requires vehicles to be locked, firearms to be concealed, and employees to legally possess firearms to qualify for this protection. Employers also cannot face civil liability for injuries resulting from firearms stored compliantly under this law.

Maddy summaryHB 32 lowers the age requirement for enrollment in adult high schools from 21 to 18 years old, directly affecting adults aged 18 or older without a high school diploma. The bill establishes new adult high schools that must offer high school diplomas alongside industry certification programs, childcare for students, and flexible learning options (including limited online instruction). It requires nonprofit organizations to meet specific criteria, such as partnerships with colleges and plans to address local workforce needs, while ensuring diplomas are equivalent to traditional high school credentials with no distinguishing marks. The legislation also adjusts admission preferences to prioritize students receiving income-based assistance and clarifies how student transfers affect school dropout rate reporting.

Maddy summaryHB 546 would repeal current minimum wage and paid sick leave laws (sections 290.502 and 290.600, RSMo) and replace them with new provisions. The bill establishes a minimum wage of $13.75 per hour effective January 1, 2025, increasing to $15.00 in 2026, with future adjustments tied to the Consumer Price Index. It creates an exemption (under new section 290.800) allowing certain businesses to avoid both minimum wage increases and paid sick leave requirements. The bill does not specify which businesses qualify for this exemption in the provided text.

Maddy summaryHB 219 replaces multiple existing statutes with new provisions primarily defining terms and updating legal standards related to sexually oriented businesses and criminal offenses involving vulnerable persons. It establishes clear definitions for "nudity," "seminude," "sexually oriented business," and "specified criminal activity" (including offenses like child sexual abuse material, indecency with a child, and prostitution). The bill modifies how these definitions apply to business licensing, criminal penalties, and the closure of establishments deemed "nuisances" under these standards. It does not create new child protection programs but refines existing legal frameworks for regulating adult entertainment businesses and prosecuting related crimes. The bill passed the Missouri House unanimously in February 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1119 requires healthcare providers performing or present during an abortion to provide the same medical care to any infant born alive during or after the procedure as they would to any other newborn, including immediate hospital transport. It criminalizes failing to provide this care (up to 5 years imprisonment or $10,000 fine) and defines killing a born-alive infant as first-degree murder. The bill also creates civil liability for causing death, failing to provide care, or facilitating unlawful abortions, allowing lawsuits by affected individuals including the infant, the person who had the abortion, or their families. It prohibits defenses based on consent to abortion and voids any agreements related to self-induced or unlawful abortions.

Maddy summaryThis bill's title ("Modifies provisions relating to marriage") is inconsistent with its actual content. The bill text describes **intermediate driver's licenses for minors**, not marriage law. It establishes requirements for drivers aged 16-17, including: - Mandatory supervised driving (40+ hours), passing a test, and no recent traffic violations. - Restrictions on nighttime driving (1 a.m.-5 a.m.), passenger limits (max 1 non-family under 19 for 6 months), and safety belt use. - A pathway to full license at 18 with no violations in the prior year. The bill directly affects **minors aged 16-17** seeking driver’s licenses, with provisions aimed at reducing youth driving risks. (Note: The title appears to be a mislabeling; the content is solely about driver licensing.)

Maddy summaryHB 771 changes how long eligible Missouri workers can receive unemployment benefits based on the state's unemployment rate. It sets specific benefit durations: 20 weeks when the rate is 9% or higher, decreasing to 13 weeks when the rate falls below 6%. The duration is calculated using the average unemployment rate from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data for January-March and July-September each year. This directly affects workers who qualify for unemployment insurance in Missouri, as their benefit period length will adjust automatically with statewide joblessness trends.

Maddy summaryHB 804 requires health insurance plans in Missouri to cover non-opioid pain medications when a patient has an "elevated risk of opioid misuse" (defined as having a substance use history, an advance directive limiting opioids, higher overdose risk, or medical contraindications to opioids). It prohibits insurers from denying coverage for non-opioid options, forcing patients to try opioids first, or charging higher copays for non-opioid drugs compared to opioids in these cases. The law applies to all health benefit plans issued, renewed, or continued on or after January 1, 2026. This directly affects patients with specific risk factors and their healthcare providers, ensuring equitable coverage for non-opioid pain treatments.

Maddy summaryHB 79 requires health insurance plans to count all patient payments for medications without available generic substitutes toward the annual out-of-pocket maximum. This directly affects patients who need non-generic medications and health insurers or pharmacy benefit managers administering plans. The bill mandates that insurers include these costs in calculating out-of-pocket limits, prevents them from adjusting cost-sharing based on patient assistance programs for such medications, and applies to most health plans starting August 2025. It excludes health savings account-qualified plans for preventive care and certain labor-managed plans. The law aims to ensure consistent cost calculations for patients facing medication access barriers.