KC Reporter

The General Assembly reconvened on Monday, February 13, 2023, but the celebration in Kansas City of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl victory impacted the legislative schedule this week.  The Senate ended the week early, adjourning on Tuesday evening after perfecting a number of bills, and will return on Monday, February 20, 2023.  The House conducted committee hearings on Wednesday and limited floor activity on Thursday, and its members will return on Tuesday, February 21, 2023 (with no session on Monday, in observance of Presidents’ Day). 

On Monday, February 13, 2023, the House adopted an early supplemental appropriations bill, HCS HB 14 by a vote of 151 ayes, 2 noes, and 1 present.  HB 14 includes a proposed 8.7% cost of living adjustment and shift differential increases for state employees (including the Judiciary and the Office of State Public Defender).  The bill has been reported to the opposite chamber, referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee, and scheduled for a hearing on Tuesday, February 21, 2023.    

In addition to the seven bills and one joint resolution included in last week’s Legislative Update, the Senate sent one additional bill to the House for consideration:

• SS #2 SCS SBs 4, 42, & 89 (Koenig), modifying provisions regarding transparency in public schools and creates the Parents’ Bill of Rights Act of 2023

On Tuesday, February 14, 2023, the Senate worked its way methodically down its Perfection Calendar, approving a number of bills, including: 

• SS SCS SBs 94, 52, 57, 58 & 67 (Hoskins), establishing tax credits for the production of certain entertainment
• SS SB 75 (Black), modifying provisions relating to public school retirement systems, including retirement allowance multiplier, working after retirement, and increases for members in domestic partnership with reduced monthly payments
• SB 20 (Bernskoetter), modifying terms of active employee members of the Board of Trustees of the Missouri Department of Transportation and Highway Patrol Employees’ Retirement System
• SCS SB 13 (Crawford), modifying provisions relating to financial institutions
• SS SB 24 (Hough), creating the “Missouri First Responder Mental Health Initiative Act”
• SB 101 (Crawford), enacting provisions relating to lender-placed insurance
• SS SCS SBs 119 & 120 (Luetkemeyer), modifying provisions relating to first responders
• SCS SB 103 (Crawford), modifying provisions relating to court operations, including court automation, compensation for court reporters, and court surcharges for expungement petitions [In December 2022, The Missouri Bar Board of Governors voted to support the underlying introduced bill, which would extend the expiration date for the fee used to partially fund the statewide court automation system.]
• SS SCS SB 70 (Fitzwater), adopting the Counseling Interstate Compact for professional counselors
• SS SB 23 (Hough), requiring motor vehicle dealers to collect and remit sales tax on motor vehicles the dealer sells
• SB 28 (Brown – 16), modifying provisions relating to access to public records of the Missouri highway patrol
• SB 47 (Gannon), modifying provisions relating to licenses issued by the Department of Revenue

These bills are now on the Senate Bills for Third Reading Calendar. 

To date, the House has sent four bills to the Senate for consideration: 

• HCS HB 14 (Smith – 163), an early supplemental appropriations bill
• HCS HB 115 & 99 (Shields), modifying provisions relating to the scope of practice for physical therapists
• HCS HB 301 (Roberts), modifying and establishing provisions relating to public safety
• HCS HJR 43 (Henderson), relating to constitutional amendments

On Thursday, February 16, 2023, the House third read and passed HB 184 (Murphy), which would require political subdivisions that mandate the installation of electric vehicle charging stations at certain businesses to pay the costs associated with the installation, maintenance, and operation of such stations. 

To see more bills of interest, organized by subject or practice area, visit The Missouri Bar’s Legislative Engagement Center (and bookmark the page).  These bills of interest feeds are automatically updated with the latest status of the bills listed and provide links to individual bill webpages.  The bills of interest listed at the end of this update are just a sample of those already introduced this year, many of which could significantly impact the administration of justice, the integrity of the judiciary, or the dignity of the profession of law.   If you have any questions or comments about specific legislation, please contact Government Relations staff at 573-659-2280 or govrel@mobar.org for more information.   

Original source can be found here.