Browse Legislation

Modifies requirements for state departments issuing bids when such bids are cancelled

SB 848 - This act repeals a provision of current law prohibiting the establishment of a state-based health benefit exchange under certain circumstances. This act is identical to provisions in the truly agreed to and finally passed SS/SCS/HCS/HB 2372 (2026), HB 3136 (2026), HCS/SS/SB 889 (2026), and HCS/SS/SCS/SB 890 (2026). TAYLOR MIDDLETON

SB 1176 - This act creates and modifies provisions relating to firearms. ASSAULT WEAPONS (Section 571.023) This act provides that no person, corporation, or other entity in Missouri shall manufacture, import, possess, purchase, sell, or transfer any assault weapon or large capacity magazine as defined in the act. Any person in violation of this act shall be guilty of a class C felony. This act shall not apply to government entities or agents, law enforcement officers, manufacturers selling to government entities, properly licensed firearms dealers, and any person legally in possession of an assault weapon or large capacity magazine prior to the effective date of this act. This provision is identical to SB 1337 (2026), and to a provision in SB 346 (2025), SB 405 (2025), SB 1100 (2024), SB 971 (2024), SB 330 (2023), SB 441 (2023), and HB 1533 (2020). UNLAWFUL POSSESSION OR TRANSFER OF A FIREARM (Section 571.070 & 571.080) This act provides that any person committed to a mental institution at 16 years of age or older is prohibited from possessing a firearm unless he or she petitions the court to remove the disqualification pursuant to current law. Additionally, this act provides that for firearm purchasers under the age of 21, a background check is required to determine whether the individual has a juvenile record that would disqualify him or her from purchasing firearms, pursuant to federal law. This provision is identical to a provision in SB 346 (2025), SB 971 (2024) and SB 330 (2023). TRISTAN BENSON, JR.

SB 962 - This act provides that a student enrolled in a school that receives state funds shall not be considered absent for the time such student spends attending a scheduled primary, general, or special election with his or her parent, legal guardian, or person standing in loco parentis to the student. A student may received only one excused absence during each scheduled election. Upon his or her return to school, the student shall be encouraged by school officials to demonstrate his or her attendance at the election by wearing an official sticker, badge, or other item indicating that he or she attended the election. This act is identical to HB 3201 (2026) and SB 344 (2025), and is similar to a provision in HCS/SB 1351 (2026). OLIVIA SHANNON

SB 1051 - This act requires all public schools, school districts, and public institutions of postsecondary education to treat discrimination motivated by antisemitism, as such term is defined in the act, in an identical manner to racially motivated discrimination. Schools and institutions shall include antisemitism-related conduct and penalties in their codes of conduct for students, faculty, and employees, as provided in the act, and shall prohibit behaviors that disrupt normal educational activity or create fear or intimidation. Criticism of Israel comparable to that of other countries shall not be considered antisemitism. The act shall not be construed to infringe on First Amendment rights or conflict with existing discrimination laws. The act further provides that no public school or public institution of postsecondary education shall discriminate because of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, disability, religion, or marital status in any program, admission, class, or service, including counseling and financial aid. While specialized programs, such as programs for gifted or disabled students, are allowed, equal access shall otherwise be maintained. To ensure compliance, each educational institution shall report incidents and complaints of antisemitism to the appropriate Title VI coordinator at either the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) or the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (DHEWD). If an educational institution fails to resolve issues within 30 days after being notified, the coordinator may escalate the matter to federal authorities. An annual report of these activities shall be submitted to the General Assembly by July 1 each year. This act is similar to SS/HB 2061 (2026), HB 2393 (2026), HB 746 (2025), and provisions in HCS/SS/SB 38 (2025) and in HCS/HB 937 (2025). OLIVIA SHANNON

Creates new provisions for bonds issued by a port authority

Establishes the offense of impeding, threatening, or harassing a first responder

SS/SCS/SB 1383 - This act ends the current pilot program for agricultural education in elementary schools and authorizes the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to establish an ongoing agricultural education program beginning in the 2027-28 school year. DESE shall develop a process for public elementary schools to participate in such program, and the local school board for each participating school shall fully fund the program and may employ an agricultural education teacher. DESE shall collaborate with Missouri agricultural commodity groups to establish instructional models for the program, as provided in the act. DESE shall evaluate the success and impact of the agricultural education program and report the results of such evaluation on the DESE website. Provisions of state law requiring the State Board of Education to form a work group to develop academic performance standards shall not apply to the provisions of this act. This act is identical to provisions in SS/HCS/HBs 2097 & 1905 (2026) and in SS/SCS/HB 2896 (2026). OLIVIA SHANNON

SB 939 - Under this act, no more than half of the governing body members of the following institutions of higher education shall reside in the county in which the institution's main campus is located: - Harris Stowe State University, Saint Louis City (Section 174.300); - Northwest Missouri State University, Nodaway County (Section 174.332); - Missouri State University, Greene County (Section 174.450); - Missouri Southern State University, Jasper County (Sections 174.450 and 174.453); - University of Central Missouri, Johnson County (Section 174.450); - Southeast Missouri State University, Cape Girardeau County (Section 174.453); - Truman State University, Adair County (Section 174.610); - Lincoln University, Cole County (Section 175.020); and - State Technical College of Missouri, Osage County (Section 178.632). The act repeals any other geographical restrictions on the makeup of such governing bodies. This act is similar to provisions in SS/SCS/HB 2896 (2026). OLIVIA SHANNON

SB 922 - This act creates the offense of unlawful possession of a firearm by a minor. A person under the age of 18 commits such offense if he or she knowingly possesses a handgun or ammunition for a handgun. This offense shall be a class A misdemeanor. This act shall not apply to any of the following people with the prior written consent of his or her parent or guardian: • A temporary transfer or possession of a handgun or ammunition by a person under the age of 18 in the course of employment, farming, target practice, hunting, or during a firearms safety course; • A person under the age of 18 who is a member of the U.S. Armed Forces or National Guard; • A transfer by inheritance of title of a handgun or ammunition to a person under the age of 18; and • A person under the age of 18 who is using a handgun or ammunition in self-defense. Additionally, this act provides that any firearm confiscated for the purposes of prosecution or investigation shall be returned to the owner if the firearm was used by a minor to commit an unlawful act and such minor was not the lawful owner of the firearm. This act is identical to SB 868 (2026), SB 34 (2025), and SB 790 (2024), is substantially similar to HB 2631 (2026), HB 695 (2025), and SB 217 (2023), and is identical to a provision contained in SB 1793 (2026). TRISTAN BENSON, JR.

Establishes the Missouri Ireland Trade Commission

Establishes the "Sudden Cardiac Arrest Screening Act"

SB 1702 - Currently, the Seventh Judicial Circuit, located in Clay County, has four circuit judges. This act increase the number of circuit judges to five beginning in fiscal year 2028. This act is identical to a provision in HCS/HBs 2968, 2427 & 3086 (2026), HB 3363 (2026), and HB 3448 (2026) and is substantially similar to a provision in HCS/SB 945 (2026) and in HCS/SB 1067 (2026). KATIE O'BRIEN

SB 1273 - Under this act, cities, counties, and school districts (defined as "political subdivisions") shall not adopt or enforce any ordinance, policy, resolution, deed restriction, property use restriction, or other such restriction that prevents property they sell, lease, or transfer from being used for any lawful educational purpose by a charter school. The act also prohibits any deed restriction or other such restriction that limits property to specific non-educational uses. Any existing restriction that bars property previously used for educational purposes from being used for future educational purposes is void. Any ordinance, policy, regulation, deed, use restriction, or contract made in violation of this act is void from its inception. Additionally, when a school district offers to sell or lease an unused school building or facility that is not being used for academic, extracurricular, administrative, or athletic purposes, and that either has no approved plan for future use or has a plan that has not been carried out within two years, the contract shall include a right of first refusal allowing a public entity to purchase or lease the property first. The term "public entity" includes the state of Missouri and any of its political subdivisions, such as cities, counties, boards, agencies, or authorities. If the school district accepts an offer to sell or lease the unused building or facility to a non-public entity, such district shall post a public notice on its website stating that the property is available. The public notice shall include the property's square footage, the district's contact information, and a statement that the right of first refusal expires 60 days after this notification. If no offer from a non-public entity exists, a public entity may initiate negotiations to buy or lease an unused school building or facility. The school district shall begin good-faith negotiations within 60 days of the public entity's engagement, and negotiations shall last up to 30 days. An independent mediator shall obtain appraisals to determine a fair market sale or lease price. If multiple public entities express interest in the unused building or facility, the school district shall decide which entity shall purchase or lease the property. During negotiations, the school district may choose whether to sell or lease the property, at fair market value or less. A lease shall allow reasonable access and use of shared common areas. If a public entity leases the entire facility and incurs debt to make improvements, the school district shall subordinate its lease interest to that debt. The public entity shall have six months from the date of its written offer to complete the purchase or lease. While leasing, the public entity shall be responsible for all direct expenses, including utilities, insurance, maintenance, property taxes, and repairs. If a public entity later decides to sell a facility it purchased from a school district, such public entity shall first offer the property back to that district, following the same procedures set forth in the act. This act is similar to SCS/HCS/HBs 2404 & 2172 (2026) and to provisions in SB 1496 (2026), HB 2866 (2026), SB 398 (2025), HB 447 (2025), HB 1044 (2025), SB 1006 (2024), SB 1123 (2024), HB 2088 (2024), HB 2178 (2024), SB 304 (2023), SB 650 (2022), HB 2087 (2022), SCS/SB 55, 25, & 23 (2021), SB 315 (2021), HCS/HB 137 (2021), HB 322 (2021), HB 729 (2021), SB 649 (2020), SB 603 (2020), HB 1917 (2020), SB 51 (2019), SCS/SB 271 (2019), SS#2/SCS/SB 292 (2019), SCS/HB 485 (2019), HCS/SS/SB 218 (2019), HCS/HB 581 (2019), and HCS/HB 924 (2019). OLIVIA SHANNON

SB 1696 - This act specifies that the Board of Curators of the University of Missouri may acquire, manage, lease, purchase, sell, contract for, or otherwise acquire an interest in or participate in the ownership or operation of hospital, medical, or other health care facilities or providers. The Board of Curators and any public or private entities or individuals with which the Board of Curators collaborates for these purposes shall not be subject to penalties for violating state law prohibiting trade monopolies in the 25 counties specified in the act. This act is similar to SB 1602 (2026) and HCS/HB 3170 (2026). OLIVIA SHANNON

SB 1602 - This act specifies that the Board of Curators of the University of Missouri may acquire, manage, lease, purchase, sell, contract for, or otherwise acquire an interest in or participate in the ownership or operation of hospital, medical, or other health care facilities or providers. The Board of Curators and any public or private entities or individuals with which the Board of Curators collaborates for these purposes shall be immunized from liability under all federal and state antitrust laws in the 25 counties specified in the act. This act is similar to SB 1696 (2026) and HCS/HB 3170 (2026). OLIVIA SHANNON

SCS/SBs 1653 & 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, and school districts. In addition to providing information about student performance, the report cards shall be designed to satisfy federal reporting requirements and shall be presented in a standardized, clear, and easily accessible form so that they can be easily understood by parents, taxpayers, school personnel, legislators, and the media. The State Board of Education may assign duties specified in the act to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) or contract with a third party under state law. By September 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 September 30 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. A school district, public school, or charter school that does not test at least 95% of its students in the annual summative assessment shall have its rating lowered by one level. 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 grades below 9th 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 skilled workforce position as determined by a governmental agency or non-governmental organization with expertise in such positions. DESE shall additionally develop a statewide report card that provides the percentages of students attending schools with each grade rating and student performance on the MAP test relative to student performance on the National Assessment of Educational Progress. 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. A special school district or state-operated school in which all of the students enrolled are students with disabilities shall be exempt from state requirements relating to school accountability report cards. This act is similar to HB 2539 (2026) and to provisions in SCS/HCS/HB 2710 (2026) and in HCS/SB 1351 (2026). OLIVIA SHANNON

SB 1451 - This act increases the maximum gross income for eligibility for the Fast Track Workforce Incentive Grant from $80,000 to $100,000 for taxpayers who are married filing jointly and from $40,000 to $50,000 for all other taxpayers, adjusted annually based on inflation. This act is identical to SB 416 (2025) and SB 1056 (2024); is substantially similar to HB 855 (2025), HB 2278 (2024), and a provision in SCS/HCS/HB 1569 (2024); and is similar to HCS/HB 2151 (2026), HB 2992 (2026), and to a provision in HCS/SS/SB 1196 (2026). OLIVIA SHANNON

SCS/SB 909 - This act renames the "Missouri Student Religious Liberties Act" the "Missouri Safeguarding Personal Expression at K-12 Schools (SPEAKS) Act". The act adds political and ideological expression to the current protections for public school students' religious expression. The act additionally prohibits discrimination against student clubs on the basis of their religious, political, or ideological viewpoints or any requirement that the members of the club adhere to the club's sincerely held beliefs, comply with the club's conduct standards, or further the club's mission, as such mission is defined by the club. This act shall not be construed to limit school districts' ability to restrict speech that is not protected by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States; speech that is so offensive that a student is effectively denied equal access to educational opportunities; or conduct that intentionally, materially, and substantially disrupts school operations or the expressive activity of another individual in a campus space exclusively reserved for such activity. Any person or student organization harmed by a violation of this act shall have a private cause of action against the school, as described in the act. Any person or student organization aggrieved by a violation of this act may assert such violation as a defense or counterclaim in any disciplinary action or in any civil or administrative proceeding. The state waives immunity and consents to be sued in federal court for claims arising under this act. This act is identical to a provision in SCS/HCS/HB 2682 (2026). OLIVIA SHANNON

SB 1558 - This act provides that private schools serving students from prekindergarten through 12th grade shall not be civilly liable for designating restrooms and changing areas for the exclusive use of males or females only, based on the biological sex listed on an individual's original birth certificate. Exceptions are allowed for maintenance staff, emergency medical assistance, or parents accompanying children aged eight or younger with school permission. Additionally, political subdivisions are prohibited from passing rules that would prevent private schools from establishing single-sex facilities. Any political subdivision that violates this act shall cover the private school’s legal costs in any resulting lawsuit. The act contains an emergency clause. This act is identical to HCS/HB 1197 (2025) and to provisions in SCS/HCS/HB 2335 (2026), SCS/HCS/HB 2682 (2026), SCS/HCS/HB 2748 (2026), SCS/HCS/HBs 2913 & 3228, HCS/SS/SB 38 (2025), and in HCS/SS/SB 160 (2025), and is similar to HCS/HB 1893 (2026). OLIVIA SHANNON