Rep. Bill Irwin

Maddy summaryHB 1840 creates Missouri's "Purple Alert System" to help locate missing persons with developmental disabilities who face immediate danger. It directly affects individuals with intellectual disabilities, brain injuries, or other non-Alzheimer's cognitive conditions who go missing. The bill requires law enforcement to immediately notify officers, contact local media, and share details with neighboring agencies when such a case is reported. It also mandates training for officers on crisis intervention and policies to enhance emergency response and public awareness about developmental disability-related elopement risks. The system must be implemented by July 1, 2027.

Maddy summaryHB 1827 expands who can certify eligibility for Missouri disabled license plates and placards by adding licensed occupational therapists to the list of "other authorized health care practitioners" under Section 301.142. This change directly affects individuals seeking disabled placards (who now have more healthcare providers able to issue the required certification) and licensed occupational therapists (who gain authority to provide these certifications). The bill modifies the definition to include occupational therapists licensed under Chapter 324, allowing them to issue physician's statements for conditions they are legally authorized to diagnose and treat, while maintaining existing requirements for the certification format and content.

Maddy summaryHB 1740 updates the state's point system for driving violations, affecting drivers who accumulate points on their license record. It sets specific thresholds for license suspension (e.g., 8 points in 18 months) and revocation (12 points in 12 months), while allowing drivers to avoid full suspension by installing an alcohol interlock device in their vehicle. License reinstatement requires proof of financial responsibility (like insurance) and takes 30-90 days depending on prior suspensions, with shorter timelines for first-time offenses. The bill also clarifies that points cannot be reduced during suspension periods and mandates reinstatement fees for suspended drivers.

Maddy summaryHB 1839 requires commercial websites distributing more than one-third "sexual material harmful to minors" (defined as content appealing to minors' sexual interests without serious artistic value) to implement age verification for users under 18. It mandates that businesses use reasonable age-verification methods (like government ID checks) and prohibits retaining personal user data during verification. Websites must display specific health warnings about pornography's effects and a national helpline notice in 14-point font. The law excludes bona fide news organizations and internet service providers from compliance, and the Missouri Attorney General can enforce it through lawsuits seeking damages or injunctions.

Maddy summaryHB 2593 establishes a Missouri Military Family Relief Fund to provide financial assistance to Missouri National Guard members and their families, as well as to Missouri residents serving in federal reserve components. It creates three new service ribbons for specific military programs: a counterdrug program ribbon (eligible since 1989), a homeland response force ribbon (eligible since 2012), and an engineer explosive ordnance clearance agent ribbon (eligible since 2012). All ribbons require honorable service and may be awarded to surviving next of kin if a member dies before receiving the ribbon. The bill also clarifies the adjutant general's authority to manage these programs and issue rules for the relief fund.

Maddy summaryHB 1635 expands prescribing authority for certified advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) in Missouri. It allows APRNs with a special certificate to prescribe controlled substances in Schedules III, IV, and V, and certain Schedule II drugs (like hydrocodone) for hospice patients, under specific conditions. Key provisions include requiring collaborative practice agreements with physicians, limiting Schedule II/hydrocodone prescriptions to 120-hour supplies without refills, and prohibiting APRNs from prescribing for themselves or family members. The law directly affects APRNs and their physician collaborators, aiming to clarify and expand their scope of practice while maintaining safety safeguards.

Maddy summaryHB 2074 creates the "Missouri Disabled Veterans' Dependents Tuition Waiver," providing public college tuition waivers for dependents of veterans who died in service, died from service-connected disabilities, or were certified as permanently and totally disabled by the VA. Eligible dependents include children, stepchildren, and spouses who are Missouri residents and meet age requirements (under 26, or up to 31 if they served in the military). The waiver covers remaining tuition after federal/state aid, administered by the Missouri Veterans' Commission, and applies to one community college degree followed by one bachelor's degree. It excludes concurrent use with other state veteran-dependent tuition programs.

Maddy summaryHB 2441 increases penalties for illegally parking in spaces reserved for people with disabilities in Missouri. It raises fines from $50-$300 to $100-$500 for unauthorized use of these spaces, as specified in the amended statute (Section 301.143). The bill also requires clear signage with the accessibility symbol and the exact fine amount, and mandates that new parking spaces include wider access aisles for wheelchair lifts. This directly affects individuals who misuse disability parking permits and property owners responsible for maintaining compliant parking facilities.

Maddy summaryHB 2471 requires dental plans to calculate and report a "dental loss ratio," which measures the percentage of premiums spent on actual patient care (not overhead). Dental plans must file annual reports by March 1st detailing this ratio, based on specific formulas that exclude administrative costs and certain fees. If a plan's ratio falls below 85%, it must issue rebates to enrollees by August 1st of the following year, calculated as the difference between premiums and patient care spending. This bill directly affects private dental plans (excluding state programs like MO HealthNet) and their enrollees, mandating transparency and rebates when plans spend too little on care.

Maddy summaryHB 1992 makes it illegal to install, conceal, or place an electronic tracking device on a motor vehicle without the consent of all owners, specifically to monitor occupants. This law directly affects individuals who track vehicles without permission, such as partners, stalkers, or unauthorized third parties. Key exceptions include law enforcement during investigations, parents monitoring minor children in their vehicle, tracking stolen vehicles, and certain insurance or rental company uses. Violations are punishable as a class A misdemeanor for a first offense or a class E felony for repeat offenses, excluding manufacturer-installed tracking systems.