Rep. John Hewkin

Maddy summaryHB 3004 prohibits businesses from advertising or selling products as made with specific wood species (like oak or maple) if the product's visible wood surface isn't actually that wood. It directly affects retailers and manufacturers selling wood products, requiring their decorative surfaces to match advertised wood types. The bill gives the Department of Agriculture authority to create rules for enforcement, subject to existing state regulatory procedures. This aims to prevent misleading marketing by ensuring wood product claims accurately reflect the material used.

Maddy summaryHB 2898 modifies Missouri law governing how counties with land bank agencies handle tax-delinquent properties. It establishes new procedures for land bank agencies to acquire properties through tax sales after two years of unpaid taxes, replacing older rules. Key changes include restricting who can bid (barring current tax delinquents, land bank employees, and certain officials), requiring non-resident bidders to appoint a Missouri agent, and allowing counties to opt into this process. The bill directly affects counties operating land banks, potential property buyers, and tax collectors managing these sales. It focuses on streamlining land bank acquisitions while adding safeguards to prevent conflicts of interest in the bidding process.

Maddy summaryHB 2742 increases penalties for drivers who fail to stop for a school bus by adding 5 points to their license for this violation. It also allows school districts to install cameras on school buses to detect such failures, but only when the bus is actively loading or unloading students (stop arm extended and lights activated). School districts must approve camera use through a board vote, and footage can only be used as evidence for the violation - unrelated footage cannot be retained. The bill does not require districts to install cameras, only offers this option as a safety tool.

Maddy summaryHB 1850 updates Missouri's pharmacy auditing rules to protect pharmacies from unfair practices. It requires auditors (like insurance companies or pharmacy benefits managers) to give pharmacies 14 days' notice before on-site audits, involve licensed pharmacists for clinical reviews, and treat simple record-keeping mistakes as non-fraudulent. The bill allows pharmacies to correct minor errors within 30 days instead of facing penalties, and permits electronic prescriptions and digital records as valid proof. These changes directly affect Missouri-licensed pharmacies and the entities that audit their billing practices.

Maddy summaryHB 2125 establishes the "Missouri Voter Registration System," a computerized statewide database managed by the secretary of state to store and maintain voter registration information. The system requires unique voter identifiers, electronic access for election officials, and coordination with state databases (like motor vehicle records) to verify registration details, including driver's license or Social Security numbers. It mandates regular maintenance to remove ineligible voters while preventing errors, prohibits using voter data for commercial purposes (such as selling names for solicitation), and requires security measures to protect the system. This bill directly affects the secretary of state, local election authorities, and all registered voters in Missouri by standardizing voter registration processes and data handling.

Maddy summaryHB 2146 increases the investment limit for certain hospitals from 25% to 50% of their non-essential funds (funds not needed for immediate operations). Hospitals meeting specific criteria - receiving less than 3% of annual revenue from government taxes and less than 3% from local government appropriations - can now invest in mutual funds, high-rated bonds (with short maturities), money-market funds, or combinations of these. The bill requires remaining funds to be invested in ways permissible for the state treasurer. This change modifies existing investment rules for hospitals organized under Missouri's Chapter 96, 205, or 206.

Maddy summaryHB 2383 creates new criminal offenses targeting trespass and damage to critical infrastructure facilities, such as power plants, water treatment centers, telecom networks, pipelines, and dams. It establishes a misdemeanor charge for unauthorized entry and elevates damage to a felony, with penalties increasing based on the cost of damage or service disruption. The bill also prohibits unauthorized possession of copper, fiber-optic, or telecom materials (like cables or wires) without proper authorization, making it a felony for most individuals. These provisions directly affect trespassers, vandals, and unauthorized scrap handlers, while exempting authorized entities like utility companies and licensed recyclers. The law focuses on protecting essential infrastructure from intentional harm or theft of materials.

Maddy summaryThis bill limits digital instruction to 45 minutes daily for elementary students in kindergarten through grade five and requires at least 70% of assignments to be completed using pen, paper, or handwriting practice. It mandates daily access to printed books, hands-on learning tools (like blocks or science materials) in core subjects, and explicit cursive handwriting instruction starting in grade two, with requirements to read/write legible cursive by grade five. Exemptions apply for students with IEPs or 504 plans, and schools must adopt written technology-use policies, report device usage, and verify compliance with paper-based and cursive requirements. The law takes effect for the 2027-28 school year.

Maddy summaryHB 2384 prohibits counties and municipalities from requiring building practices that threaten affordability for residential and commercial properties. Specifically, it bans local governments from mandating sustainable, energy-efficient, or "green" building standards exceeding the 2009 International Residential Code (IRC) or 2009 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) for single- or two-family homes, condos, townhouses, apartments, or commercial buildings. The bill also requires local governments to approve or deny building permit requests within 30 days, with automatic approval if no response is given, and sets specific safety conditions for single-exit residential buildings. This directly affects developers, builders, and homeowners seeking construction or renovation approvals, while limiting local code enforcement authority.

Maddy summaryHB 1826 modifies Missouri school policies to allow students with asthma or anaphylaxis to self-administer prescribed epinephrine. The bill requires schools to authorize students to carry and use their own medication if a physician prescribes it, the student demonstrates proper use, a written treatment plan is approved, and parents sign a liability acknowledgment form (excluding negligence claims). Schools must keep emergency medication accessible and maintain required documentation on file. It also permits school nurses to maintain an emergency supply of epinephrine devices for student use during health crises.