MissouriSB712025 Regular SessionSenateWALLET

Creates and modifies provisions relating to public safety

Sponsored By: David Gregory (Republican)

Signed by Governor

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

25 provisions identified: 6 benefits, 12 costs, 7 mixed.

Tuition help for public safety workers

Qualifying Missouri public safety workers with at least six years of service can receive up to 100% of resident tuition and mandatory fees, subject to state funding and available seats. Workers must be full-time, hold the required credential, verify Missouri residence and employment annually, and have no bachelor's degree. They must meet admission rules, seek other federal and state aid first, and pursue an eligible license, certificate, or degree. Awards last up to five consecutive years or 120 credit hours, whichever comes first. Applications are due December 15, with eligibility notices by March 1. Participating private schools cannot charge more than the highest-cost Missouri public institution's tuition and fees. When funding falls short, workers take priority over dependents, with preferences based on location and service years.

Dependent tuition help carries residency requirements

Legal dependents of qualifying Missouri public safety workers with at least ten years of service can receive tuition awards, subject to state funding. Awards cover up to 100% of resident tuition and mandatory fees for an associate or bachelor's degree. Workers must meet credential, employment-verification, and Missouri-residence requirements; dependents must meet admission rules, have no bachelor's degree, sign an agreement, and seek other federal and state aid first. Awards last up to five consecutive years or 120 credit hours, whichever comes first. Dependents who fail to keep required Missouri residency for five years after using awards must repay them as loans. Interest starts when residency ends, at one percentage point above the U.S. prime rate on January 1 of the applicable year; MOHELA services the loans. Loans are canceled upon death or total and permanent disability.

Disability pensions lose a payment limit

Qualifying disability retirees in the local government retirement system are no longer subject to the specified maximum-allowance rules. Removing that limit allows higher payments for members previously affected by it. The law does not specify an increase for any individual member.

More local workers can join pensions

The law removes a membership barrier in the Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement System. Employees of participating local governments are no longer excluded solely because they cannot reach minimum service years before retirement. This does not change the service requirements for receiving a particular retirement allowance.

More time to claim pension contributions

Former local government retirement-system members or their legal representatives have ten years to claim unclaimed contributions, up from three. This applies when no retirement allowance is or will become payable on the account. The period starts when membership ends. After ten years, unclaimed contributions transfer to the system's income-expense fund.

Survivor death benefit faces 2031 sunset

The public safety line-of-duty compensation program sunsets December 31, 2031, unless lawmakers reauthorize it. The program provides a $25,000 death benefit, subject to state funding, for qualifying deaths on or after June 19, 2009. Survivors must file within one year. If the program sunsets, the section authorizing it terminates September 1, 2032.

Yearly local pension cap adjustments end

The law ends the required October 1 adjustment to the local government retirement system's maximum allowance. Affected retirees and beneficiaries no longer receive that yearly adjustment to the payment ceiling. Separately, the inflation measure for annual allowance changes is now defined more broadly as a U.S. Department of Labor index. It is no longer limited to the Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers index or required to be adopted by the board. The law does not state the resulting change in individual payments.

Household Checks for Emergency Child Placements

When a parent's, guardian's, or custodian's unexpected absence requires emergency placement, officials can check household residents over 18. Checks can cover criminal history, full protection orders, and warrants; child-abuse registry checks are required. Requested fingerprints cover residents over 18 and younger residents whom the Division finds were certified as adults for crimes. If a resident fails to provide requested fingerprints, the child must leave unless that resident leaves. The law removes the prior rule against repeat fingerprint submissions unless fingerprints were lost or destroyed.

Police pension calculations count pay differently

Covered police pensions generally use the last two years of service for members with credited service on or after October 1, 2001. Members without service on or after that date generally use their last three years; a shorter total service period replaces either period. Special calculations apply to some Deferred Retirement Option Plan participants and members returning from that plan. Special rules also cover surviving spouses and dependent children when service ends because of death or disability. Counted pay includes academic pay and authorized shift differentials, but excludes specified extra pay and judgments or settlements for claimed rank-related salary differences.

Security Grants for Eligible Missouri Nonprofits

A new state fund supports nonprofit security planning, equipment, training, technology, building upgrades, and threat assessments. Each organization can receive up to 5% of the available grant pool. Its federal nonprofit security grant application must receive approval from Missouri's homeland security office and also serves as its state application. State awards wait until federal recipients and award amounts are announced. Funding depends on state appropriations, and administrative costs cannot exceed 5% of yearly available funds.

Retirement boards can pool plan investments

The law lets retirement boards pool investments from authorized plans while tracking each plan's money separately for accounting and reporting. The firefighters' retirement board can also manage another firefighter pension plan for a city not within a county and covered dependents. Joint investments must separately track each plan's money, gains, and losses. The other firefighter plan's benefits cannot be paid from retirement-system funds.

Fingerprint Checks for Medical License Applicants

Missouri boards can require fingerprints for nursing, pharmacy, dental, podiatry, and listed physician and healing-arts credentials. Covered roles include physician assistants, assistant physicians, anesthesiologist assistants, physical therapists and assistants, and athletic trainers. The authority also covers listed temporary, volunteer, teaching, faculty, pharmacy management, ownership, and drug-distribution applications. Required fingerprints receive state and FBI criminal-record checks, and boards can access related records. Applicants must submit any required fees; no fee amount is specified.

Fingerprint Checks for Mental Health Applicants

Missouri licensing bodies can require fingerprints from psychologists, behavior analysts, professional counselors, social workers, and marital and family therapists. The authority includes listed provisional and temporary credentials, including temporary clinical social work permits. When required, fingerprints go through Missouri and FBI criminal-record checks, and licensing bodies can access related records. Applicants must submit any required fees. The law does not set a fee amount or require these licensing bodies to use fingerprint screening.

Fingerprint Checks for More Health Professions

Missouri boards can require fingerprints for respiratory care, optometry, audiology, speech-language, occupational therapy, and clinical perfusionist applications. This also covers chiropractic, acupuncture, and massage credentials, including massage business licenses. Covered applications include listed aide, assistant, student, provisional, temporary, educational, and limited-permit credentials. Required fingerprints receive state and FBI criminal-record checks, and the requesting board can access related records. Applicants generally pay any required fingerprint fees; no fee amount is specified.

Fingerprint checks for trainees and professionals

Applicants to basic law enforcement training must submit fingerprints for state and federal background checks and pay required fees. The education board can require these checks for teacher and substitute-teacher certificate applicants. The interpreter committee can require them for regular and temporary interpreter licenses. The finance division can require them for residential mortgage broker and loan originator licenses, with applicants paying required fingerprint fees. The Missouri State Highway Patrol handles the checks and makes results and related records available to the requesting authority.

More Screening for Public Service Applicants

The nursing board can require fingerprints from job applicants, as can Natural Resources for job and volunteer applicants. Courts can require fingerprints for qualified interpreter certification and Missouri Bar admission or reinstatement. Required fingerprints receive state and FBI criminal-record checks, and the requesting body can access related records. Applicants face any required fees or fingerprinting costs; no amount is specified. Agencies requesting covered applicant or employee checks can access discovered criminal-history records despite state confidentiality rules.

Fingerprint Screening for Medicaid Provider Applicants

Missouri's Medicaid audit and compliance unit can require fingerprints from applicants seeking to become MO HealthNet providers. Required fingerprints go to the Missouri State Highway Patrol for state and federal criminal-history searches. The unit can access related criminal-history records. This authority adds a screening step only when the unit requires fingerprints.

Fingerprint Checks for Business License Applicants

Missouri regulators can require fingerprints for real estate, appraisal, accountancy, athlete agent, and private investigator applications. Covered applications also include private fire investigators, accounting firm permits, appraisal management licenses, and specified vehicle-related business licenses. Vehicle licenses include listed dealer, powersport, recreational vehicle, trailer, boat, auction, and manufacturer licenses. Bail bond and surety recovery agents can face fingerprint checks for applications and renewals. Required fingerprints receive state and FBI checks; regulators can access related records, and applicants generally pay any required fees.

New Penalties for Vehicle and Business Entry

Unlawfully entering a vehicle to commit a felony or theft is second-degree burglary, a class D felony. It becomes class C if the person possesses a firearm or steals one from the vehicle. Entering restricted business areas to commit a crime is class B misdemeanor burglary, or class A for repeat violations. Covered areas are staff-only spaces holding money or property, or areas clearly marked as closed to the public. Trying successive vehicles' handles, doors, or locks to steal is a class A misdemeanor, excluding ownership or permission to enter.

Hazardous-material reporting fees continue six years

The law renews hazardous-material reporting fee collection for six years beginning August 28, 2025. Covered employers remain responsible for these fees during the renewed period, ending August 28, 2031. This replaces the collection period that began August 28, 2018.

One-Time Fee for Hazardous Materials Employers

Employers covered by the hazardous-materials reporting fee schedule owe a one-time fee. It is based on the filing due March 1, 2025, and payment is due November 1, 2025. The amount follows the referenced fee schedule; this provision does not state a separate dollar amount.

Foster Households Face Updated Background Checks

Foster licensing investigations require fingerprints from household residents over 18. They also cover younger residents whom the Children's Division finds were certified as adults for crimes. Fingerprints receive state and federal checks, results go to officials, and applicable residents receive child-abuse registry checks. The law removes prior rules on repeat fingerprints, ongoing electronic updates, and fingerprint waivers at later recertification. These provisions do not establish a replacement schedule for repeat checks.

Emergency health records get access protections

Authorized people can request patient records created by emergency care providers or telecommunicator first responders during formal calls for help. Requests must be in writing; records can also be provided under a subpoena or court order. Providers can require payment of the fee allowed for other health records before releasing them. Personal health details in these records are not public records. Redacted event information and disclosures for patient care or an established care-quality review program remain allowed.

Retirement Investment Meetings Can Be Private

The retirement-system board can discuss and decide investment or financial matters in closed meetings when disclosure threatens implementation or investment goals. Related records can stay private only to the extent, and for as long as, that risk remains. This protects the board's ability to carry out investment decisions but limits public access.

Pension investments gain flexibility, lose safeguards

The law removes the affected retirement system's former 10% limit on investments in improved real estate, including real estate funds and trusts. It also removes this section's requirement that an appointed investment counselor with delegated authority hold federal investment-adviser registration. Investment fiduciaries can close records containing information submitted by people or businesses for investment transactions with businesses. These changes expand investment choices but reduce specified oversight requirements and public access to investment information.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

David Gregory
Republican • Senate

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 24 • No: 2

House vote • 5/1/2025

Reported Do Pass

Yes: 7 • No: 0

House vote • 4/24/2025