Sen. Ben Brown

Maddy summarySB 1192 prohibits higher education accrediting agencies from using diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices as a factor in evaluating or accrediting colleges and universities. This directly affects public and private institutions seeking or maintaining accreditation, as they can no longer be assessed on their DEI efforts. The bill’s key mechanism is a clear legal prohibition requiring accrediting bodies to exclude DEI considerations from their accreditation standards and reviews. The bill is currently pending, having been prefaced in December 2025 and receiving its first reading in January 2026.

Maddy summarySB 1587 would add one associate circuit judge position to the 20th Judicial District in Franklin County, Ohio. This change directly affects the Franklin County court system by increasing judicial staffing capacity. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee after its first reading, with no further action taken yet. This is a procedural adjustment to court staffing, not a substantive policy change.

Maddy summarySB 1247 would allow certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) to select, issue orders for, and administer certain controlled substances during patient care. This directly affects CRNAs and their patients by expanding their scope of practice to include these specific medication-related actions without requiring physician oversight. The bill authorizes CRNAs to handle controlled substances like opioids or sedatives within their clinical responsibilities, as specified in the bill's language. This represents a concrete policy change to their professional authority, aligning their practice with current clinical standards.

Maddy summarySB 897 limits when health insurance companies can require prior authorization for medical services. It mandates that insurers must approve at least 90% of prior authorization requests from a provider for a specific service in the previous six-month period before requiring authorization. The bill also requires insurers to notify providers within 25 days of such determinations, establish appeal processes, and maintain an online portal for tracking authorization decisions. This primarily affects health insurance companies and healthcare providers in Missouri who participate in commercial health plans (excluding Medicaid managed care).

SB 1194 - This act repeals provisions relating to annual report cards for elementary and secondary schools and establishes new accountability measures for all public schools, charter schools, school districts, and the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). The State Board of Education may assign duties specified in the act to DESE or contract with a third party under state law. By July 15 of each year, the State Board of Education shall provide a confidential version of the school accountability report cards to each school district, public school, and charter school. Within 36 hours of the delivery of the embargoed report cards, the report cards shall be published on the DESE website in a clear and easily accessible location, and by August 15 of each year, the report cards shall be published in a clear and easily accessible location on each school or district website. The State Board of Education shall assign each school district, public school, and charter school a letter grade rating of A-F based on a 0-100 scale, where an "A" rating represents excellent student outcomes, a "B" rating represents more than satisfactory outcomes, a "C" rating represents satisfactory outcomes, a "D" rating represents less than satisfactory outcomes, and an "F" rating represents a failure to produce adequate outcomes. Each public school and public charter school shall earn a school rating and may be eligible to earn a performance-based funding award based upon student performance on the state-mandated annual summative assessments. A school district, public school, or charter school that does not test at least 95% of its students in the annual assessments shall have its rating lowered by one level. The "Show Me Success Program" is created to provide financial awards to schools that experience high student performance. The program includes a "Success Ready Graduate" measure for high schools. If funds are available, public schools and charter schools shall receive $100 per student if the school is in the top 5% of student performance statewide under criteria established by the State Board of Education. A school may earn $50 per student if the school is in the top 10% but below the top 5% of student performance statewide. These rewards shall begin after the 2026-27 state-mandated annual summative assessment and shall be based on the results of such assessment. Funds shall be used for nonrecurring bonuses to school faculty and classroom staff. DESE shall use a criteria-referenced growth measure, called "growth to proficiency", in addition to the existing normative value-added growth measure. Growth to proficiency shall evaluate for each student with two consecutive years of Missouri Assessment Program performance levels whether that student has made sufficient academic progress to put such student on a trajectory to reach grade-level proficiency within three years or by 10th grade, whichever comes first. The act describes the factors that shall be used in determining a school's or a school district's A-F rating. These factors include students' academic achievement status, academic growth, and, for high schools, the four-year graduation rate and a success ready graduate measure to be calculated by DESE based upon factors including students' achievement of Advanced Placement scores of 3 or higher, International Baccalaureate scores of 4 or higher, dual enrollment course completions with a "C" grade or higher, and career and technical education certificates, as provided in the act. For schools serving students in kindergarten through 8th grade, academic achievement level shall represent 40% of the rating, value-added growth shall represent 30% of the rating, and growth to proficiency shall represent 30% of the rating. For high schools, academic achievement level shall represent 25% of the rating, value-added growth shall represent 25% of the rating, growth to proficiency shall represent 25% of the rating, the success ready graduate measure shall represent 15% of the rating, and the student four-year graduation rate shall represent 10% percent of the rating. School districts, public schools, and charter schools shall also report, for high schools, the number of graduates who, within six months of graduation, attend postsecondary education or training programs, serve in the military or in national or community service, or are employed in a living-wage career as determined by a governmental agency or non-governmental organization with expertise in living-wage calculation. The State Board of Education shall additionally develop an annual accountability report card for DESE for the purpose of providing information about DESE's performance in supporting districts and schools in producing positive outcomes for students. This report card shall consider factors specified in the act, such as the school and district ratings, student proficiency on the statewide assessments, and an anonymous annual survey of all leaders of Missouri local educational agencies regarding their satisfaction with DESE's efficacy and timeliness of support and communication. The A-F grading scale for schools shall automatically increase to ensure rigor in the calculation such that when success is achieved, the following school year, expectations are raised so performance does not stagnate. Specifically, when 65% percent of schools earn an A or a B, the following school year, the school grading scale shall increase by five percentage points to earn an A, B, C, and D. OLIVIA SHANNON

SJR 117 - This constitutional amendment, if approved by the voters, establishes the "Taxpayer Protection Act". This constitutional amendment requires nonrecall petitions and referred measures to be held on a general election, a municipal election, or on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of odd-numbered years. The amendment authorizes districts to consolidate ballot issues and allows voters to approve delays up to four years in voting on ballot issues, provided that district actions taking during the delay shall not extend beyond that period. The amendment requires a district to mail notice to each active registered elector with specific titles, as described in the amendment. Such notices shall include a summary both for and against the proposal. In addition to existing constitutional requirements for voter approval of new or increased taxes, this amendment requires voter approval for any new tax, tax rate increase, mill levy above the prior year rate, valuation for assessment ratio increase for a property class, extension of an expiring tax, or a tax policy change directly causing a net tax revenue gain to any district. Voter approval shall also be required for the creation of any multiple fiscal year direct or indirect debt or other financial obligation whatsoever without adequate present cash reserves pledged irrevocably and held for payments in all future fiscal years. The amendment requires each district to reserve a portion of its fiscal year spending to be used only for declared emergencies, as described in the amendment. The amendment places a limit on the percentage change in state appropriations equal to inflation plus the percentage change in state population in the prior calendar year, adjusted for any revenue changes approved by voters. The amendment also places a limit on the annual percentage change in a local district fiscal year spending equal to inflation plus local growth. If revenue from sources not excluded from fiscal year spending exceeds the limits in dollars for that fiscal year, the excess shall be refunded in the next fiscal year unless voters approve a revenue change as an offset. Initial district bases shall be current fiscal year spending and property tax collected for tax year 2025. Qualification or disqualification as an enterprise, as defined in the amendment, shall change district bases and future year limits. Future creation of district bonded debt shall increase, and retiring or refinancing district bonded debt shall lower, fiscal year spending and property tax revenue by the annual debt service so funded. Debt service changes, reductions, refunds, and voter-approved revenue changes are dollar amounts that are exceptions to any district base. The amendment prohibits new or increased transfer tax rates on real property. The amendment also prohibits any new state real property tax or local income tax. The amendment authorizes districts to enact cumulative uniform exemptions and credits to reduce or end business personal property taxes. The amendment requires real estate sales prices for past or future sales by a lender or government to be kept as public records. The amendment allows a local district to reduce or end its subsidy to any program delegated to it by the General Assembly for administration. For current programs, the state may require 90 days notice and that the adjustment occur in a maximum of three equal annual installments. This amendment is substantially similar to HCS/HJR 169 (2026). JOSH NORBERG

Maddy summarySB 1320 modifies Missouri court rules to make electronic business records more easily admissible as evidence. It allows photocopies, digital scans, or other accurate reproductions of business records (like invoices or logs) to be used in court if accompanied by a written statement from the record keeper confirming their accuracy and regular business use. The bill requires parties to share these records and the statement with all other sides at least seven days before trial, and clarifies that electronic signatures or digital records won't invalidate the affidavit. This directly affects courts and legal cases involving business records, streamlining evidence presentation for modern digital documentation.

Maddy summarySB 988 would create the Dental and Dental Hygienist Compact, an agreement between participating states. This compact would allow licensed dentists and dental hygienists to practice in multiple states without obtaining separate licenses in each state. It directly affects dental professionals seeking to work across state lines and patients in states participating in the compact. The key mechanism is establishing a standardized licensing framework that recognizes credentials across member states.

Maddy summarySB 1349 (Missouri) prohibits local and state licensing requirements for contractors performing industrial mechanical maintenance work at industrial facilities. It directly affects contractors employed by manufacturing businesses (defined as "establishments") within industrial facilities, such as factories or plants. The bill's key provision removes the need for these contractors to obtain a local license (issued by a city or county) or a state license specifically for this type of maintenance work. This change applies only to maintenance of mechanical systems within facilities engaged in manufacturing activities, as defined by Missouri law.

Maddy summarySB 1193 prohibits Missouri state departments from using state funds for any programs, staffing, or initiatives related to "diversity, equity, and inclusion" or similar terms that promote differential treatment based on race, gender, religion, or other protected characteristics. It specifically bans activities like claiming disparities result solely from oppression, implementing race-based hiring, or requiring private companies to adopt such programs for state contracts. Exemptions include compliance with court orders (approved by the attorney general) and the Americans with Disabilities Act. The bill aims to restrict funding for initiatives deemed to advance "diversity" programs, while allowing standard antidiscrimination compliance. This is a procedural spending restriction, not a substantive policy change.