Columbia News

The Senate reconvened on Monday, February 20, 2023, while the House reconvened on Tuesday, February 21, 2023, for a shorter legislative week, following its observation of Presidents’ Day.  At the close of the week, the General Assembly truly agreed and finally passed its first bill of the 2023 Regular Session.  HCS HB 14, an early supplemental appropriations bill, was signed by the presiding officers on Thursday and presented to the governor.  The appropriations bill includes an 8.7% cost of living adjustment and shift differential increases for state employees (including the Judiciary and the Office of State Public Defender). 

The House sent an additional three bills to the Senate for consideration, bringing the total number of House bills and joint resolutions sent to the Senate this session to seven:

• HCS HB 184 (Murphy), requiring political subdivisions that require the installation of electric vehicle charging stations at certain businesses to pay the costs associated with the installation, maintenance, and operation of such stations
• HCS HB 417 (Henderson), relating to grants to employers to encourage employees to obtain upskill credentials
• HCS HBs 640 & 729 (Sharp), modifying provisions relating to the Kansas City Police Department

To date, the Senate has sent twenty-three bills and joint resolutions to the House for consideration, including SCS SB 103 (Crawford), which modifies provisions relating to court operations (including court automation, compensation for court reporters, and court surcharges for expungement petitions).  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.    

Entering next week, on the House Calendar, there are three House bills nearly ready for third reading:

• HCS HB 268 (Riley), establishing the Regulatory Sandbox Act
• HB 415 (O’Donnell), requiring dealers to collect and remit sales tax on motor vehicle sales
• HCS HBs 994, 52 & 984 (Parker), modifying and establishing provisions relating to judicial proceedings

Each of these bills must be approved by the House Fiscal Review Committee before a final floor vote can occur.  Eleven bills are currently on the House Perfection Calendars, and additional bills may be added as the week progresses. 

HCS HBs 994, 52 & 984 originally dealt with the definitions of “adult” and “child” as they relate to orders of protection.  Committee and floor amendments expanded the bill to include the following provisions: 

• ORDERS OF PROTECTION – DEFINITIONS OF “ADULT” AND “CHILD” (Sections 455.010, 455.035, and 455.513)
• GUARDIANSHIPS AND CONSERVATORSHIPS (Section 475.050)
• COURT AUTOMATION FUND (Section 476.055)
• COURT REPORTER SALARIES (Section 485.060)
• CHILD CUSTODY PROCEEDINGS (Section 487.110)
• 22ND JUDICIAL CIRCUIT LAW LIBRARY SURCHARGE (Section 488.426)
• JUROR COMPENSATION (Section 494.455)
• DISCLOSURE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION (Section 509.520)
• UNIFORM INTERSTATE DEPOSITIONS AND DISCOVERY ACT (Sections 510.500,
• 510.503, 510.506, 510.509, 510.512, 510.515, 510.518, and 510.521)
• BAIL CONSIDERATIONS (Section 544.453)
• TAMPERING WITH A JUDICIAL OFFICER (Section 575.095)
• PUBLIC DEFENDER – FEDERAL AND OTHER FUND (Section 600.042)

On the Senate Calendar, there are currently six Senate bills slated for third reading, after they have been approved by the Senate Fiscal Oversight committee.  In addition, there are twenty-four Senate bills on the Formal Perfection Calendar, including  SCS SB 72 (Trent), the Judicial Privacy Act, and ten Senate bills on the Informal Perfection Calendar.   

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.