Rep. Sean Pouche

Maddy summaryHB 2760, the "PRAISE Act," prohibits state and local governments from restricting religious services during emergencies declared under specific laws, directly affecting places of worship and their attendees. It ensures religious services cannot be made impractical by emergency orders, unless the emergency involves imminent dangers like wildfires or terrorism that apply broadly to the area. The bill allows places of worship to be exempt from general emergency restrictions and provides a legal path for civil lawsuits seeking injunctions, damages, or declarations if violations occur. It explicitly excludes emergency evacuations for immediate threats but requires services to resume once the danger passes.

Maddy summaryHB 2559 requires state agencies to obtain legislative approval before implementing new administrative rules that would cost over $250,000 annually for government, businesses, or individuals. Agencies must notify the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules and the full legislature, which must pass a concurrent resolution approving the rule before it takes effect. Rules not approved this way become invalid, with exceptions for federal compliance or funding requirements. This directly affects state agencies creating significant-cost rules and shifts authority to the legislature for final approval.

Maddy summaryHB 2759 requires state agencies to publish a cost estimate and project completion date for any highway construction, maintenance, or repair work on the official public website when bidding for that work first closes. This applies directly to all state highway projects funded through public contracts. The key provision mandates this information be made publicly available at the specific moment bidding closes, improving transparency for contractors and the public. The bill does not change project standards or funding but adds a disclosure requirement during the contracting process.

Maddy summaryHB 737 replaces four existing Missouri statutes with new provisions governing financial accountability for children in state custody. The bill directly affects children under the Children's Division, their parents, and financial representatives (like fiduciaries or payees) handling funds for these children. Key mechanisms require all money received for a child - such as benefits from Social Security or Veterans Administration - to be accounted for in the child’s name and used *only* for "unmet needs" like tutoring, transportation, housing preparation, or technology (not for foster care costs or general maintenance). The law also mandates annual reviews to identify new benefits and ensures the division only acts as a representative payee when no other suitable candidate exists.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits Missouri state agencies, law enforcement, and political subdivisions from enforcing any "red flag law" that allows temporary or permanent seizure of firearms without a court hearing where the individual had a chance to be heard and a finding of probable cause for criminal activity (sections 3-5). It specifically bans the use of federal funds to enforce such laws (section 4) and creates civil penalties, including $50,000 per violation, for agencies that enforce them (section 7). The bill directly affects Missouri citizens who might be targeted by federal or state red flag laws, preventing state entities from complying with such orders. It exempts firearm seizures as evidence in criminal investigations (section 6) and states the law is an emergency measure for public safety.

Maddy summaryHB 1194, the "PRAISE Act," prohibits state and local governments from closing or restricting religious services during declared emergencies (like natural disasters or public health crises) under Chapter 44 or similar orders, ensuring places of worship are treated equally with other essential businesses. It specifically exempts religious services held on private property and allows them to resume once immediate dangers like floods or terrorist threats pass. Violations allow affected places of worship to sue for injunctive relief, damages, or other court-ordered remedies. The bill does not apply to emergency evacuation orders for imminent life-threatening situations.

Maddy summaryHB 1195 caps out-of-pocket costs for insured patients using insulin medications and epinephrine auto-injectors. It limits a 30-day supply of covered insulin to $35 and epinephrine auto-injectors to $100, regardless of the medication type or quantity. These cost limits adjust annually based on changes in the medical care component of the Consumer Price Index. The bill applies to health insurance policies issued after August 28, 2025, and requires a one-time reporting requirement on pricing practices, though its key provisions expire January 1, 2026.

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 1086 reclassifies single-family homes rented for less than 30 consecutive days as "residential property" for tax purposes, instead of treating them as "transient housing." This directly affects landlords using short-term rental platforms (like Airbnb) and local property tax assessors who determine tax classifications. The bill clarifies that such rentals - subject to sales tax under Missouri law - must be taxed as residential property, not under transient housing rules. This change ensures these properties are taxed at standard residential rates rather than higher transient rates. The law takes effect upon enactment, impacting how short-term rental properties are evaluated for property tax.

Maddy summaryHB 756 sets new salary standards for Missouri circuit clerks, directly affecting county and city clerks in all 114 counties and the city of St. Louis. It establishes tiered base salaries based on county classification (first, second, third, fourth) and location (e.g., counties with two cities holding court), with significant increases effective September 1, 2025 - such as raising first-class county salaries from $36,145 to $94,330 annually. The bill requires annual salary adjustments matching judicial department raises and replaces all previous fees collected by clerks with the new state-funded salary, requiring fees to be paid to the state or local governments. Circuit clerks in St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and Jackson County remain paid by local entities rather than the state.