Rep. Tonya Rush

Maddy summaryHB 2917 creates a "Senior Tenant Bill of Rights" for renters aged 60 or older. It requires landlords to provide written leases before move-in, give 30-day renewal notices, maintain safe housing, disclose all fees upfront, and follow clear rent increase guidelines. Seniors can report violations to adult protective services, which will assist with complaints and connect them to legal aid resources. The bill directly affects landlords renting to seniors and aims to standardize tenant protections for this age group.

Maddy summaryHB 3141 modifies school discipline policies and safety reporting requirements, not attendance data as its title suggests. The bill requires school districts to create written discipline policies covering corporal punishment procedures (requiring parental written permission), annual staff training, and mandatory reporting of specific violent crimes (like assault, sexual offenses, or weapons possession) to law enforcement when they occur on school property or during school activities. It also mandates that suspended students involved in such incidents must stay 1,000 feet from school property unless under direct adult supervision or meeting specific exceptions. These changes directly affect school districts, staff, students, and parents by altering disciplinary procedures and safety protocols. The bill is pending (introduced January 2026) and focuses on concrete safety measures, not attendance reporting.

Maddy summaryHB 3139 requires Missouri schools to establish standardized computer science courses covering topics like AI, cybersecurity, and algorithms for all grades. It allows these courses to count toward math or science graduation credits while mandating schools to inform students and parents about potential college admission impacts. The bill creates a dedicated fund for teacher training in computer science and requires all high schools to offer at least one CS course by 2023. Schools must also report student demographics in these courses to track participation across gender, race, and special education status.

Maddy summaryHB 3140 creates a mileage reimbursement component for Missouri's existing dual enrollment scholarship program. It provides eligible high school students with reimbursement for transportation costs (37 cents per mile) when attending dual enrollment courses at locations other than their high school, if the school doesn't offer transportation. To qualify, students must meet standard eligibility requirements including Missouri residency, a 2.5 GPA, and one indicator of economic need (like SNAP or free lunch eligibility). Reimbursements are calculated based on round-trip mileage, require record-keeping, and are paid quarterly. The program is funded through the newly established "Dual Credit and Dual Enrollment Scholarship Fund."

Maddy summaryHB 3131 requires that for all emergency calls classified as mental-health related, law enforcement must respond with a behavioral health specialist (such as a psychologist, social worker, or counselor) alongside the officer. This applies unless dispatch or on-scene assessment indicates an immediate threat of violence, in which case officers may initially secure the scene without the specialist but must bring them in once the scene is safe. The bill mandates standardized dispatch protocols to identify mental-health calls and assign co-response teams, directly affecting Missouri law enforcement agencies and emergency dispatch centers. It aims to improve crisis response by ensuring trained behavioral health professionals are part of the initial emergency team for mental health calls.

Maddy summaryHB 3138 requires police departments in counties with over one million residents to create a dedicated missing persons unit. This unit must coordinate missing person reports, enter data into state and national databases (MULES and NCIC), establish communication systems for missing persons information, and work with the state highway patrol's missing persons unit. Departments may hire new staff or reassign current employees for this unit, with costs covered by their regular operating budget. The bill directly affects large-county police departments and mandates specific operational procedures for handling missing persons cases.

Maddy summaryHB 2046 requires investor-owned electric utilities in Missouri to reimburse customers and local governments for actual damages caused by specific power outages. If more than 0.8% of a utility’s customers experience a 4+ hour outage with less than 50% voltage or total power loss, or a damaging power surge, the utility must pay for direct losses like spoiled food but excludes indirect costs. Local governments affected by the outage can also be reimbursed for emergency expenses. Utilities can seek a waiver from the Public Service Commission if the outage resulted from unavoidable events like severe weather, customer tampering, or third-party damage, but they cannot recover these costs from customers through rate increases.

Maddy summaryHB 2192 protects and promotes Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives in Missouri's public institutions, including schools, universities, and government agencies. The bill explicitly prohibits state laws, policies, or executive orders from defunding, restricting, or penalizing these efforts, covering DEI offices, inclusive curriculum training, and voluntary employee engagement programs. It requires the Missouri Commission on Human Rights to investigate complaints about violations and recommend remedies to restore affected DEI programs. The bill aims to ensure public institutions can maintain these initiatives without state interference.

Maddy summaryHB 1662 requires all public schools to provide every enrolled student with one free breakfast and one free lunch each school day they attend classes. This applies to all students attending public schools as defined by state law, directly affecting every child in participating schools. The bill mandates daily meal provision without requiring families to qualify for reduced-price programs. It creates a new requirement for school districts to cover the cost of these meals for all students. The legislation is still in early stages, having been prefaced and read for the first time.

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.