# Missouri HB496: Creates the "First Responder Recruitment and Retention Act" to provide free college tuition for first responders and their legal dependents

Missouri HB496, Creates the "First Responder Recruitment and Retention Act" to provide free college tuition for first responders and their legal dependents, is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Brad Christ (Republican); status failed, last action 2025-05-15 (Referred: Emerging Issues) (as of 2026-10-16).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MO-HB496-2025
- As of: 2026-10-16
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Missouri HB496
- State: Missouri
- Session: 2025 Regular Session
- Title: Creates the "First Responder Recruitment and Retention Act" to provide free college tuition for first responders and their legal dependents
- Status: failed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2024-12-10
- Last action: 2025-05-15, Referred: Emerging Issues
- Sponsor: Brad Christ (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: no
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 0

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview

No economic impacts identified for this bill.

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Brad Christ (Republican), House

## Actions (4)

- 2025-05-15: Referred: Emerging Issues (House)
- 2025-01-09: Read Second Time (House)
- 2025-01-08: Read First Time (House)
- 2024-12-10: Prefiled (House)

## Bill text

- Introduced, 2025-01-08: [PDF](https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills251/hlrbillspdf/1663H.01I.pdf)

## Related bills

- HB3: Appropriates money for the expenses, grants, refunds, and distributions of the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (signed)
- HB8: Appropriates money for the expenses, grants, refunds, and distributions of the Department of Public Safety and the Department of National Guard (signed)
- HB11: Appropriates money for the expenses, grants, refunds, and distributions of the Department of Social Services (signed)
- HB10: Appropriates money for the expenses, grants, refunds, and distributions of the Department of Mental Health, the Department of Health and Senior Services, and t… (signed)
- SB79: Modifies provisions relating to health care (signed)
- SB271: Modifies provisions relating to emergency services (signed)

## Sources
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills251/hlrbillspdf/1663H.01I.pdf)

## Related
- [HB3: Appropriates money for the expenses, grants, refunds, and distributions of the…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MO-HB3-2025)
- [HB8: Appropriates money for the expenses, grants, refunds, and distributions of the…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MO-HB8-2025)
- [HB11: Appropriates money for the expenses, grants, refunds, and distributions of the…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MO-HB11-2025)
- [HB10: Appropriates money for the expenses, grants, refunds, and distributions of the…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MO-HB10-2025)
- [SB79: Modifies provisions relating to health care](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MO-SB79-2025)
- [SB271: Modifies provisions relating to emergency services](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MO-SB271-2025)
- [Missouri bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/missouri/bills)
- [Missouri state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/missouri)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MO-HB496-2025 (as of 2026-10-16).