Rep. Bennie Cook

Maddy summaryHB 3245 restricts how Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) and SNAP benefits can be used. It prohibits using benefit cards at ATMs or for cash withdrawals, and bans purchases at liquor stores, casinos, or for alcohol, lottery tickets, tobacco, or other items deemed "not in the best interests of a child or household." Recipients violating these rules risk losing benefits for 3 months (first offense) to 5 years (third offense), while businesses accepting payments for prohibited items face fines up to $1,000 per violation. The bill applies directly to TANF and SNAP recipients and retail businesses accepting benefit cards.

Maddy summaryHJR 191 proposes a constitutional amendment to create a joint legislative committee for oversight of Missouri's conservation department and commission. This committee, composed of three House members (including one minority member) and three Senate members (including one minority member), must approve specific actions before the conservation department can implement them, including rule changes, property purchases, and director appointments. The amendment requires the department to submit these requests to the committee for approval or rejection under a process defined by law. If passed by voters, it would change how conservation decisions are reviewed, directly affecting the department's operations and requiring legislative input on key management actions.

Maddy summaryHJR 192 proposes a constitutional amendment to dedicate specific highway-related revenues to a new "state road fund" for transportation projects. It would require that 73% of the state sales tax on motor vehicles, trailers, and related fuels - after deducting collection costs - be deposited directly into this fund, with the remainder distributed to counties, cities, and a separate transportation fund. The fund must be used exclusively for state highway construction, maintenance, bond payments, and reimbursing counties for roads later adopted into the state system. This change would bypass annual legislative appropriations for these purposes, directly affecting Missouri's highway system, county road costs, and the state highways commission's budget authority.

Maddy summaryHB 3355 makes it a minor criminal offense (class D misdemeanor) to knowingly approach within 25 feet of a first responder after being orally warned not to, when the person intends to impede duties, threaten physical harm, or harass. It directly affects anyone who engages in such behavior toward law enforcement officers, firefighters, emergency medical technicians, or hospital staff performing emergency duties. Key provisions require an oral warning before the 25-foot approach, define "harass" as causing substantial emotional distress with no legitimate purpose, and specify the three prohibited intents. The law aims to protect first responders during active duty by criminalizing disruptive or threatening conduct near them.

Maddy summaryHB 3498 requires Missouri parolees and probationers to register with local law enforcement upon release and when changing residence, with failure to register potentially leading to revocation. It mandates that all conditions of probation or parole be recorded in the Missouri Uniform Law Enforcement System (MULES), a shared database accessible to law enforcement. The bill allows parole or probation officers to issue warrants for violations, enabling officers to arrest individuals without a warrant if they have probable cause. These changes directly affect parolees and probationers under Missouri supervision, while increasing data sharing between correctional agencies and law enforcement.

Maddy summaryHB 3499 expands pharmacists' scope of practice by allowing them to provide medication therapy services for influenza, group A strep, and COVID-19 under statewide orders from health authorities. It also permits pharmacists to prescribe certain medical devices (like home health equipment classified by the FDA as Class I or II) that meet specific criteria for medical use at home. The bill requires the state pharmacy board and healing arts board to jointly create implementing rules within six months. This directly affects pharmacists, enabling them to offer these additional services and prescriptions without direct physician oversight for these specific conditions and devices.

Maddy summaryHB 3516 designates a specific segment of Street/State Highway 17 in Texas County as the "Emmett Kelly Sr Memorial Highway." This procedural bill names a public road for commemorative purposes, directly affecting the area's highway signage. The Texas Department of Transportation would install and maintain signs for this designation, with all costs covered by private donations. No new laws or policy changes are created; the bill solely honors Emmett Kelly Sr. through highway naming.

Maddy summaryHB 2880 increases mandatory minimum prison terms for certain felony offenders in Missouri. It requires non-dangerous felony offenders with prior prison commitments to serve 80% of their sentence (up from 40-50% under current law), while those without prior commitments must serve 75% (up from 70%). Dangerous felons must serve 85% of their sentence. The bill also creates a Sentencing Advisory Commission to study sentencing disparities and alternative programs like probation and work release. It directly affects repeat felony offenders sentenced under the specified statutes.

Maddy summaryHB 2881 prohibits individuals convicted of specific sex crimes (like child exploitation, possession of child pornography, or promoting child sexual abuse material) from being within 500 feet of certain children's facilities in Missouri. It directly affects people with these convictions, barring them from state parks, playgrounds, public pools, youth-focused museums, and conservation education centers. Violating this rule is a class E felony for a first offense and a class D felony for repeat violations. The bill includes an exception allowing parents or guardians with a child in a program at a conservation center to be present with permission from the center manager.

Maddy summaryHB 3008 expands pharmacists' scope of practice to include managing medication treatment plans under physician protocols for specific conditions like minor illnesses, emergencies, or chronic conditions without requiring a new diagnosis. It permits pharmacists to prescribe nicotine replacement therapy, administer certain vaccines (excluding specific high-risk types), and provide HIV postexposure prophylaxis, all while working within defined boundaries. The bill requires written protocols from physicians (not nurses or physician assistants) and explicitly prohibits pharmacists from diagnosing or independently prescribing outside these specified scenarios. It also clarifies that pharmacists remain responsible for supervising support staff and maintains existing regulations for pharmacy ownership and nonprescription drug sales.