Missouri Bills

Creates the "Clear Skies Act" prohibiting geoengineering, cloud seeding and other atmospheric interventions, authorizing DNR to investigate violations, and includes penalty provisions

Creates the "Clear Skies Act" prohibiting geoengineering, cloud seeding and other atmospheric interventions, and authorizing DNR to investigate violations, and includes penalty provisions

HCS/SB 982 - This act modifies provisions relating to the sex offender registry. Instead of listing certain sexual offenses, this act provides that any person who, since July 1, 1979, has been or is adjudicated for a tier I offense, tier II offense, or tier III offense in this state or in any other state, territory, the District of Columbia, foreign country, or federal, tribal or military jurisdiction shall be required to register as a sex offender. (Section 589.400) Offenders shall be classified as a tier I, tier II, or tier III offender. To the extent more than one tier definition applies, the highest tier shall be applicable tier for the offender. This act also provides that certain juvenile offenders and certain offenders who live or work in Missouri with registration requirements by other jurisdictions shall be assigned a tier, which shall be only for the purposes of registration visit frequency and removal eligibility. The initial determination as to the tier shall be made by the registration official and the Missouri State Highway Patrol ("Patrol") shall analyze the tier designation for accuracy. (Sections 589.400 and 589.414) This act additionally provides that any sex offender with primary residence outside Missouri who has a temporary residence in Missouri and who resides for more than a part-time period shall register for the duration of such person's temporary residency. This act also provides that nonresident sex offenders who works or is a nonresident student in this state shall register in the county where the status requiring registration occurs for the duration of such person's employment or attendance at any school of higher education as long as the status requiring registration remains active. (Section 589.400) The jurisdiction, in addition to the Attorney General, may certify appropriate sex offender treatment program for purposes of reductions of registration periods. Additionally, if records of program completion are unavailable, and completion of such program was required as a term of probation, then an order discharging the sex offender from probation or other record acknowledging satisfactory completion of probation shall constitute evidence of successful competition. (Section 589.400) This act modifies provisions relating to removal from registration for persons required to register because of an offense adjudicated in another jurisdiction. Such person shall file the petition or complaint for removal, termination, or relief from registration, or the declaratory judgment providing for removal, termination, or relief, instead of filing petition for removal, according to the laws of the adjudicating jurisdiction. Upon the entry of a judgment, rather than a grant of a petition for removal, providing that the person is no longer required to register, such judgment may be registered in this state by providing the information required by current law. Additionally, such persons may file a petition for removal from this state’s sexual offender registry and satisfy the requirements for removal based on adjudication in another state if: (1) The offense did not require the person to register as a sex offender in the adjudicating jurisdiction at the time the offense was adjudicated; or (2) The person never resided, worked, or attended school in the adjudicating jurisdiction and was never required to register in the adjudicating jurisdiction. (Section 589.401) Currently, if a petition for removal is denied, no successive petition shall be filed for at least five years from the judgment date of such petition. This act provides that if the denial was based on a statute or law that has since been amended, repealed, or invalidated, a person may file a petition within the five-year period. In addition to the current requirements of petitions for removal, such a petition shall contain the case number and court of the prior petition along with identification of the applicable change in the law. (Section 589.401) This act repeals the provisions relating to persons removed from the sex offender registry for certain offenses with a nonsexual nature as detailed in the act. Additionally, this act modifies the list of offenses, which exempts offenders who meet the other requirements provided in current law from registration, as follows: (1) Sexual conduct where no force or threat of force was directed toward the victim, the victim was at least 14 years of age, and the offender was not more than four years older than the victim at the time of the offense, unless the victim was under the custodial authority of the offender at the time of the offense; (2) Sexual conduct where no force or threat of force was directed toward the victim or any other individual involved, if the victim was 18 years or older, unless the victim was under the custodial authority of the offender at the time of the offense; (3) Promoting obscenity in the first degree; (4) Promoting obscenity in the second degree; (5) Furnishing pornographic materials to minors; (6) Public display of explicit sexual material; and (7) Coercing acceptance of obscene material. (Sections 589.400 and 589.401) An offender shall have the burden of proving the requirements for exemption are met. For exemptions, a court may look beyond the offense of conviction and consider the underlying facts and conduct of the offense when evaluating the noncategorical exemptions. If a petition for exemption is filed before a person is required to register, the requirements of registration shall be automatically stayed pending the outcome of the petition for exemption. If the petition is denied, the registration requirements shall be in effect three business days following the exhaustion of all appeal rights. (Section 589.401) This act also provides that a petition for removal due to the offense being reversed, vacated, or set aside shall be the exclusive remedy for removal and shall include a certified copy of the action reversing, vacating, or setting aside the offense requiring registration. (Section 589.401) Furthermore, no declaratory action shall be filed for relief from registration requirements, except where registration is the result of an offense never requiring registration. (Section 589.401) The following offenses are modified or included as tier I offenses: • Kidnapping in the first degree with sexual motivation if the victim is 18 years of age or older; • Kidnapping in the second degree with sexual motivation if the victim is 18 years of age or older; • Kidnapping in the third degree with sexual motivation if the victim is 18 years of age or older; • Sexual conduct in the course of public duty if the victim is 18 years of age or older; • Promoting obscenity in the first degree if the victim is less than 18 years of age; • Promoting pornography for minors or obscenity in the second degree if the victim is less than 18 years of age; • Furnishing pornographic material to minors; • Public display of explicit sexual material if the victim is less than 18 years of age; and • Coercing acceptance of obscene material if the victim is less than 18 years of age. The following offenses are modified or included as tier II offenses: • Sexual abuse in the first degree if the victim is 13 to 17 years of age; • Sexual conduct in the course of public duty if the victim is 13 to 17 years of age; • Patronizing prostitution if the person patronized is 18 years of age or older; • Promoting prostitution in the first degree if the victim is 18 years of age or older; • Promoting prostitution in the second degree if the victim is 18 years of age or older; and • Promoting prostitution in the third degree if the victim is 18 years of age or older. The following offenses are modified or included as tier III offenses: • Kidnapping in the second degree if the victim is under 18 years of age, excluding kidnapping by a parent or guardian of a nonsexual nature; • Kidnapping in the first degree if the victim is under 18 years of age, excluding kidnapping by a parent or guardian of a nonsexual nature; • Sexual conduct in the course of public duty if the victim is under 13 years of age; and • Patronizing prostitution if the offender is a persistent offender or if the person patronized is less than 18 years of age. (Sections 589.404 and 589.414) This act additionally provides that the offender registration form shall include information regarding any temporary residences. If an offender has a guardian, the guardian may sign affirming the accuracy of the offender registration form. (Section 589.407) Regular in-person appearances to the registration official following initial registration shall be required: (1) Annually for tier I offenders; (2) Every six months for tier II offenders; and (3) Every ninety days for tier III offenders. (Section 589.407) Additionally, registrants shall appear in person to the registering official and complete all forms required by the United States Marshall's Service no less than 21 days before travel outside of the United States. (Section 589.414) The chief law enforcement registration official shall enter, rather than forward to the Patrol, the completed offender registration forms and related updates into the online sex offender registry within three days. The Patrol shall enter ensure the information entered into the registry is accessible through the Missouri Uniform Law Enforcement System and forwarded to the National Crime Information Center. The Patrol shall also regularly update the web page to remove persons who have been removed or exempted, persons deceased, or persons who have moved out of state. Lastly, this act modifies certain information related to sex offenders and the metadata of the sex offender registry that is considered as an open or closed record under Missouri Sunshine Law. (Sections 589.410 and 589.417) TRISTAN BENSON, JR.

SS/SB 914 - This act modifies provisions relating to sewage regulation. The act repeals a provision stating that a state standard for the location, size of sewage tanks and length of lateral lines is based on the percolation or permeability rate of the soil. Under the act, the state standard is based on soil properties. The act repeals a provision stating that soil tests are to be performed by persons who are qualified to perform the percolation tests and creates a new provision authorizing on-site soil evaluators registered by the Department of Health and Senior Services to conduct soils morphology evaluations. This act repeals a provision stating that contractors may be taught and allowed to perform percolation tests. The act repeals a provision relating to the Department of Health and Senior Services periodically reviewing any county and city regulation and enforcement record to ensure that the state standard for sewage regulation is being enforced. The act creates a mandatory registration program requiring continuing education before January 1, 2027, for on-site wastewater treatment system professionals qualified to perform percolation tests in accordance with the state standard as described in the act. Before January 1, 2027, the administrative authority may accept a percolation test at its own discretion if a soil morphology evaluation cannot be reasonably obtained. This provision shall be void and of no effect after December 31, 2026. Under the act, any person who intends to construct or make major modifications or repairs to an on-site sewage disposal system must submit an application fee and obtain a construction permit. The act repeals certain provisions relating to fees for repair of on-site sewage disposal systems. Under the act, the Department shall promulgate regulations establishing the conditions and requirements for the construction permit application, including the collection of reasonable fees set at a level to produce revenue not exceeding the cost and expense of administering the provisions under the act. The act is substantially similar to 2395 (2026), SB 601 (2025), a provision in the perfected HB 200 (2025), a provision in HCS/SS/SB 61 (2025), HB 2083 (2024), HB 814 (2023), and substantially similar to SB 1283 (2024), and SB 523 (2023). JULIA SHEVELEVA

HCS/SS/SCS/SBs 907, 1154 & 1272 - This act creates the "Act Against Abusive Website or Web Content Access Litigation". The Attorney General on behalf of a class of residents of this state, the state, or a political subdivision that is subject to litigation that alleges any website or web content access violation, or any resident of this state, the state, or a political subdivision of this state that is subject to litigation that alleges any website or web content access violation, may file a civil action against the party, attorney, or law firm that initiated such litigation for a determination as to whether such litigation alleging a website or web content access violation is abusive litigation. In determining whether a civil action alleging a website or web content access claim is considered abusive, the court shall consider the totality of the circumstances to find whether the primary purpose of the litigation was to obtain payment from a defendant due to the costs of defending the action in court. The act describes the factors to be considered in making this determination. A defendant who receives notice of an alleged website or web content access violation and in good faith takes substantial steps to correct the violation within 90 days shall have a rebuttable presumption that any subsequent claim for a website or web content access violation is abusive. There shall not be a presumption if the alleged violation is not corrected within 90 days after written notice or service of the petition. Additionally, nothing in this act shall prevent a defendant from filing a motion to dismiss or from notifying the plaintiff, prior to the end of the 90-day period, that the alleged access violation has been corrected in good faith. The Attorney General may intervene or bring an action on behalf of Missouri residents that are targets of abusive website or web content access litigation. The Attorney General may also issue guidance as to when litigation practices are deemed abusive, but such guidance shall not preclude legitimate accessibility enforcement actions. The court may award attorney's fees and costs to the party defending against the abusive litigation. The court may also award punitive damages or sanctions not to exceed three times the amount of attorney's fees awarded by the court. If the U.S. Department of Justice issues standards concerning website or web content accessibility under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, the provisions of this act shall expire with respect to any entity that has registered as a corporation with the Secretary of State's office, and the state and any political subdivision thereof. This act shall apply to litigation pending on August 28, 2026, and the 90-day correction period shall apply to any defendant in any pending litigation on August 28, 2026, that has complied with the requirements of this act prior to or within 90 days after such date. This act is similar to SB 1471 (2026), HCS/HBs 1694, 1674, 1780, 2056, 2312 & 1755 (2026), and HCS/HBs 1842 & 2150 (2026). KATIE O'BRIEN

SCS/SB 1142 - This act modifies provisions relating to limited liability companies. A new provision is created allowing any person to apply to the Secretary of State (SOS) to furnish a certificate of good standing for a domestic limited liability company, a foreign limited liability company, a domestic limited liability company series, or a foreign limited liability company series. A certificate of good standing issued by the SOS may be relied upon as prima facie evidence that the domestic or foreign limited liability company is in existence or is authorized to transact business in this state. The act provides that, not later than January 31, 2027, each series of a limited liability company shall be individually profiled, maintained, and searchable as a business entity on the business services website of the SOS in the same manner that a non-series entity is profiled, maintained, and searchable. This act is identical to certain provisions in the truly agreed to SS/SCS/HCS/HB 2508 (2026), certain provisions in HCS/HB 1713 (2026), and certain provisions in HCS/HB 3116 (2026). SCOTT SVAGERA

Proposes a constitutional amendment relating to restrictions on state revenue

Provides incentives for expanded downtown redevelopment projects approved by DNR

Modifies provisions relating to public labor organizations

Creates new provisions for zoning regulations for manufactured housing

Modifies provisions for ballot summary statements

Modifies and establishes provisions relating to public safety

Creates a provision relating to the sale of wood products

Modifies procedure for requesting audits of political subdivisions

Modifies provisions relating to the local senior citizen homestead tax credit

Modifies provisions relating to qualified firearms safety instructors

Modifies provisions governing local property tax ballots

Modifies provisions relating to automobile theft

Modifies provisions relating to boards of directors of newly established land bank agencies

Modifies provisions relating to public employee retirement systems

Creates, repeals, and modifies provisions relating to literacy of elementary school students

Provides a homestead exemption for disabled veterans

Establishes the offense of masked intimidation

Creates provisions relating to ibogaine treatment

Prohibits regulations on the sale or use of certain vehicles, tools, and equipment based on their fuel source

Creates provisions relating to hemp businesses

Relating to the careless operation of a motor vehicle

Establishes a Pediatric Disease Task Force

Establishes provisions relating to comparative negligence or fault in certain actions for damages

Modifies provisions relating to the assessment of certain broadband communications equipment

Modifies provisions governing accountability measures for elementary and secondary schools

Modifies provisions relating to port authorities

Establishes the "Hope for Missouri Patients Act"

Modifies provisions regarding the State Legal Expense Fund

Modifies provisions relating to ambulance districts

Restores voting rights to individuals on probation and parole

Modifies provisions relating to law enforcement interception of unmanned aircraft systems

Modifies provisions relating to separate bank escrow accounts maintained by brokers

Modifies provisions for eligibility for public assistance benefits

Modifies provisions related to the "Donated Food" food pantry tax credit

Authorizes certain political subdivisions to levy local taxes, upon voter approval

Authorizes the "Child Care Contribution Tax Credit Act", the "Employer-Provided Child Care Assistance Tax Credit Act", and the "Child Care Providers Tax Credit", relating to tax credits for child care

Prohibits a political subdivision from adopting policies for property transferred by political subdivisions from being used for lawful education purposes by a charter school

Modifies provisions relating to the Presidential Preference Primary.

Creates provisions restricting political subdivisions from imposing requirements that threaten affordability of developments or improvements of property

Establishes and modifies criminal offenses involving certain infrastructures

Creates provisions relating to a MO HealthNet waiver for nutrition services

Repeals the "Missouri Economic Diversification and Afforestation Act of 1990"

Establishes provisions relating to instructional methods in schools

Modifies provisions governing the taxation of property

Modifies provisions relating to child passenger restraint systems

Creates provisions relating to a post-consumer paint recycling program

Modifies provisions relating to the operation of, and investment of moneys by, certain hospitals

Modifies provisions related to the functions of the secretary of state

Modifies provisions relating to tobacco product regulations

Creates provisions relating to insurance coverage of orthotic, prosthetic, and assistive devices

Modifies provisions relating to health care

Creates provisions relating to disease surveillance conducted by the department of health and senior services

Modifies provisions relating to pharmacy benefits managers

Provides for the distribution of certain moneys for a memorial or museum dedicated to veterans in Perry County