Seventy-six new Missouri laws were enacted Friday.
Gov. Mike Kehoe signed them over the summer, and their effective date is 90 days after the end of the annual legislative session.
DRIVING
House Bill 1740, sponsored by Rep. Dave Griffith, R-Jefferson City, increases penalties and felony ratings for intoxicated driving crimes resulting in injury or death. The law bars parole or probation for five years for those convicted of drunk driving in a fatal crash. It also requires convicted drivers to install an ignition interlock device (IID) to receive limited driving privileges, while capping IID costs at 10% for drivers earning at or below 150% of the federal poverty level.
Sen. Mike Henderson, R-Desloge, sponsored Senate Bill 1135, establishing Bentley and Mason’s Law. The provision allows surviving family of intoxicated driving victims who leave behind minor children to petition to receive child maintenance payments from the convicted driver until the children reach adulthood. If the driver is incarcerated, payments must begin within one year of release.
SB 1408, sponsored by Sen. Jamie Burger, R-Benton, increases the speed limit on rural interstates and freeways from 70 mph to 75 mph. The change does not apply to urban areas. Missouri Department of Transportation officialsnoted that designated 75 mph zones remain under technical review, and the 70 mph limit remains enforced statewide until signage is updated later this year.
SB 1421, sponsored by Sen. Nick Shroer, R-Defiance, increases penalties for motorists who pass stopped school buses. Drivers who fail to stop while children are boarding or unloading face increased fines and five license points. Accruing eight points within 18 months results in license suspension. Violations resulting in injury or death carry elevated felony charges.
ADA COMPLIANCE
HB 1840, sponsored by Rep. Sheri Gallick, R-Benton, establishes a statewide communications access program to improve compliance with federal Americans with Disabilities Act standards. The legislation creates a Purple Alert system for missing individuals with developmental disabilities and includes Mason’s Law, which allows drivers with communication-impairing health conditions to link a designation to their vehicle license plate records.
The Act Against Abusive Website Litigation, SB 907, was sponsored by Sen. Brad Hudson, R-Cape Fair. The law provides small businesses 90 days to correct website ADA infractions before facing legal action, while authorizing businesses to countersue if an original lawsuit was filed primarily to extort a financial settlement.
FAMILY ISSUES
SB 982, sponsored by Sen. Mary Elizabeth Coleman, R-Arnold, reestablishes Missouri’s sex offender registry tier system. Tier I covers minor offenses, Tier II includes grooming and sexual exploitation, and Tier III addresses rape, child molestation and sex trafficking. Offenders may petition for registry removal after 10 years for Tier I and 25 years for Tier II, while Tier III offenders are permanently barred from removal.
HB 1908, sponsored by Rep. Cecelie Williams, R-Dittmer, prevents pregnancy status from delaying or blocking a legal divorce or separation.
Sponsored by Gallick, HB 1839 requires commercial websites where more than one-third of content is deemed harmful to minors to verify users are at least 18 years old. Sites must use third-party verification services, which are prohibited from retaining personal identifying data.
HB 2292, sponsored by Rep. Holly Jones, R-Eureka, will require service workers in certain professions, primarily mental health professionals, school workers and law enforcement employees, to report animal abuse if they see it occur. Eligible service workers must complete 90 minutes of abuse identification training by Dec. 31, 2027.
FREE SPEECH, EDUCATION
SB 1067, sponsored by Henderson, creates the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act. Eligible service workers must complete 90 minutes of abuse identification training by Dec. 31, 2027.
SB 905, sponsored by Sen. David Gregory, R-St. Louis, creates a Missouri Rangers training program permitting armed personnel in participating public schools under qualified immunity protection.
Rep. George Hruza, R-St. Louis, sponsored HB 2061, which provides protections against antisemitism and hate speech in public schools. Supporters say this law will not infringe on First Amendment protections.
HB 2896, sponsored by Rep. Chris Brown, R-Kansas City, makes several updates to public education. It removes the 2028 expiration date for the state Workforce Diploma Program and caps county residency limits for public university governing board members at 50%. The bill also authorizes the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to establish an ongoing elementary agricultural education program starting in the 2027-28 school year.
ECONOMY
HB 3231, sponsored by Rep. Brad Christ, R-St. Louis, expands Missouri’s economic development incentives under the Missouri Innovation, Public Safety and Accountability Act. Municipalities can apply for "innovation zone" designations to direct new tax revenues toward public safety, rural infrastructure, commercial redevelopment and office-to-residential housing conversions.
