VETERAN PREFERENCE FOR CONTRACTS

(Sections 34.069 and 34.074)

This act requires all agencies, departments, institutions, and other entities of this state and of each political subdivision to give a three-point bonus preference to enterprises owned by honorably discharged veterans that conduct business in Missouri, or that maintain offices or places of business in Missouri, for contracts for the performance of any job or service. The Commissioner of Administration shall have the goal of ensuring that 3% of all such job or service contracts are let to honorably discharged veteran-owned enterprises. However, if an insufficient number of honorably discharged veteran-owned enterprises submit a bid or proposal for any job or service contract, the 3% goal shall not be required.

Any enterprise that receives the three-point bonus preference for being an honorably discharged veteran-owned enterprise shall not receive the three-point bonus preference for being a service-disabled veteran business authorized under current law.

These provisions are identical to HB 714 (2025).

CRIMINAL BACKGROUND CHECKS

(Sections 43.546, 168.014, 190.106, 208.222, 209.324, 210.482, 210.487, 301.551, 324.055, 324.129, 324.246, 324.488, 324.1105, 326.257, 330.025, 331.025, 332.015, 334.015, 334.403, 334.501, 334.701, 334.739, 334.805, 335.022, 335.042, 336.025, 337.018, 337.308, 337.501, 337.605, 337.702, 338.052, 339.015, 339.510, 345.016, 374.711, 436.225, 443.702, 476.802, 484.125, 590.060, and 640.011)

This act provides that certain agencies, boards, or commissions may require fingerprint submissions for application for certain licenses. If fingerprints are required for licensure, the agency, board, or commission shall require applicants to submit fingerprints to the Missouri State Highway Patrol for the purpose of conducting a state and federal fingerprint-based criminal history background check. The fingerprints and any required fees shall be sent to the Highway Patrol and shall be forwarded to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to conduct a federal background check. The Highway Patrol shall notify the agency, board, or commission of any criminal history record discovered on the applicant for licensure.

These provisions are identical to SB 636 (2025) and provisions in HCS/HB 268 (2025) and HB 992 (2025) and similar to SCS/SB 875 (2024), SCS/HCS/HB 1659 (2024), and HCS/HB 1800 (2024).

ST LOUIS CITY SHERIFF COMPENSATION

(Section 57.530)

The act sets the minimum compensation for the deputy sheriffs of the City of St. Louis to fifty thousand dollars. The sheriff shall set the compensation for deputy assistants.

This provision is identical to provisions in SB 192 (2025), HB 529 (2025), HB 1456 (2025), SB 1363 (2024), SB 1438 (2024), and HB 1784 (2024).

MISSOURI LOCAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM

(Section 70.630)

This act repeals the provision prohibiting membership in Missouri Local Government Employees' Retirement System for employees where continuous employment to the time of retirement eligibility will leave the employee with less than the minimum required number of years of credited service.

This provision is identical to provisions in SCS/SB 514 (2025), SCS/HB 352 (2025), HB 147 (2025), HCS/HB 532 (2025), HB 559 (2025), HCS/HB 976 (2025), HCS/SS/SB 898 (2024) and SCS/HCS/HB 2431 (2024).

FIREMEN'S RETIREMENT SYSTEM OF ST. LOUIS

(Sections 87.140, 87.145, and 87.260)

This act provides that the Board of Trustees of the Firemen's Retirement System of St. Louis ("Board") shall not be prevented from simultaneously acting as the trustees of any other pension plan that provides retirement, disability, and death benefits for firefighters employed by St. Louis City. The administration of the other plan shall be in accordance with the terms of such plan.

Additionally, the administration of the other plan includes the ability of the Board to establish rules and regulations for the administration of the plan's funds and for the transaction of the plan's business. The Board shall maintain separate records of all proceedings of the pension plan.

Furthermore, this act provides that the Board of Trustees shall have the authority and discretion to invest funds of the other pension plan in property of any kind. The Board may choose to invest the funds of the Firemen's Retirement System of St. Louis and the funds of the plan in the same investments if the amounts invested and the gains, profits, or losses are accounted for separately. No benefits due from the pension plan shall be paid from the funds of the System. Additionally, no expenses incurred by the Board in the administration of the other pension plan or in the investment of the other pension plan's funds shall be paid by the funds of the System. Finally, nothing in this act shall prevent the Board of Aldermen of St. Louis City from adopting ordinances relating to the pensioning of firefighters and their dependents in regards to other pension plans administered by the Board.

These provisions are identical to SB 255 (2025) and provisions in SS/SCS/SB 271 (2025), HCS/SS/SB 898 (2024), and SCS/SB 1404 (2024); substantially similar to HB 205 (2025), provisions in HB 147 (2025) and in HCS/HB 532 (2025); and similar to HB 1980 (2024), SB 349 (2021), and HB 1001 (2021).

PUBLIC SAFETY RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION SCHOLARSHIPS

(Sections 173.2655 and 173.2660)

This act establishes the "Public Safety Recruitment and Retention Act" to provide college tuition awards for certain public safety personnel and their legal dependents. The act defines "public safety personnel" as including any police officer, firefighter, paramedic, telecommunicator first responder, emergency medical technician, or advanced emergency medical technician who is trained and authorized by law or rule to render emergency medical assistance or treatment. Subject to appropriation, public safety personnel with at least six years of service shall be entitled to an award worth up to 100% of the resident tuition charges, including fees, of a public institution of higher education located in Missouri if they present to the Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (DHEWD) verification of their current, valid license in a profession specified in the act, along with a certificate of verification signed by their employer verifying that they are employed full-time as public safety personnel. Such individuals shall also meet all admission requirements of the public institution of higher education and pursue an associate or baccalaureate degree in an academic subject specified in the act. Individuals who have already earned a baccalaureate degree are ineligible to use the tuition award to earn another degree. Each year an individual applies for and receives a tuition award, he or she shall file with DHEWD documentation showing proof of employment and proof of residence in Missouri. Additionally, an applicant for a tuition award shall first apply for all other forms of federal and state student financial aid, including filing a Free Application for Federal Student Aid and, if applicable, applying for financial assistance under the G.I. Bill. (Section 173.2655)

The legal dependent of public safety personnel with at least ten years of service is also eligible for a tuition award if he or she executes an agreement with the public institution of higher education outlining the terms and conditions of the tuition award, including the legal dependent's commitment to reside in Missouri for the next five years, as well as a commitment to provide a copy of his or her state income tax return annually to DHEWD in order to prove residency in Missouri. The agreement shall also include a provision that if the tuition award recipient fails to provide proof of residency in Missouri for the five-year period following the use of the tuition award, the tuition award shall be treated as a loan to such recipient, with the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority as the loan servicer, as provided in the act. Finally, the agreement shall provide that any residency, filing, or payment obligation incurred by the tuition award recipient under the act is canceled in the event of the tuition award recipient's total and permanent disability or death.

The five-year residency requirement for a legal dependent who receives a tuition award begins once the legal dependent applies for and receives the tuition award and continues until the tuition award recipient (a) completes the five-year tuition award eligibility period, (b) completes a baccalaureate degree, (c) completes an associate degree and notifies DHEWD that he or she does not intend to pursue a baccalauareate degree or additional associate degree using tuition awards, or (d) notifies DHEWD that he or she does not plan to use additional tuition awards.

The legal dependent shall satisfy certain other criteria to be eligible for a tuition award. The legal dependent shall not have previously earned a baccalaureate degree, and he or she shall meet all admission requirements of the public institution of higher education he or she wishes to attend. The legal dependent shall also file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid and, if applicable, apply for financial assistance under the G.I. Bill, as well as providing verification of the public safety personnel's eligibility for the tuition award to DHEWD, as provided in the act. (Sections 173.2655 and 173.2660)

Public safety personnel and their legal dependents may receive a tuition award for up to five consecutive years if they otherwise continue to be eligible. The five years of eligibility starts once the individual applies for and receives the tuition award for the first time. DHEWD shall grant an award worth up to 100% of the individual's tuition remaining due after subtracting awarded federal financial aid grants and state scholarships and grants. An application for a tuition award shall include a verification of the public safety personnel's satisfaction of the requirements of the act, including proof of full-time employment and residency status. Public safety personnel shall include such verification when they or their legal dependents are applying to DHEWD for a tuition award.

The death of public safety personnel in the line of duty shall not disqualify an individual's otherwise eligible legal dependent from receiving the tuition award. In such a case, in lieu of submitting verification of the public safety personnel's employment, the legal dependent shall submit a statement attesting that, at the time of death, the public safety personnel satisfied the requirements of the act, and such individual died in the line of duty, as described in the act.

DHEWD shall provide a tuition award to an eligible applicant for the award who applies for an "open seat", defined in the act as a vacant position in a class, course, or program that is available for enrollment. DHEWD shall not provide a tuition award if doing so would require a public institution of higher education to create additional seats exceeding program capacity.

Applications for tuition awards shall be submitted to DHEWD no later than December 15th annually. No later than March 1st annually, DHEWD shall send written notice of the applicant's eligibility or ineligibility for the tuition award and state whether the application has been approved or denied. If the applicant is determined not to be eligible for the tuition award, the notice shall include the reason or reasons for such determination. If the application is denied, the notice shall include the reason or reasons for the denial.

The Public Safety Recruitment and Retention Fund is created for purposes of granting tuition awards as provided in the act. In the event that funds are insufficient to provide tuition awards for all eligible applicants, public safety personnel shall be in the first class of applicants to receive the awards, and dependents shall be in the second class, in a priority order specified in the act.

The tuition awards provided for in this act are subject to appropriation. If there are no moneys in the Fund, no tuition awards shall be granted. (Section 173.2655)

These provisions are similar to HB 496 (2025).

LINE OF DUTY COMPENSATION ACT

(Sections 287.243 and B)

Currently, a claim for compensation for a public safety officer killed in the line of duty is $25,0000. This act changes the amount to $100,000 and provides that beginning in 2026, the amount of compensation shall be adjusted annually by the percent increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers.

This program shall be reauthorized on August 28, 2025, and shall automatically sunset on December 31, 2031.

This provision contains an emergency clause. (Section B)

This provision is similar to provisions in SB 143 (2025), SS/SCS/HCS/HB 1659 (2024), HB 1732 (2024), and SCS/HCS/HB 2700 (2024).

OFFENSE OF BURGLARY IN THE SECOND DEGREE

(Sections 569.170 & 569.175)

Current law provides that the offense of burglary in the second degree occurs when a person knowingly enters or remains unlawfully in a building or inhabitable structure for the purpose of committing a crime. This act provides that a person also commits the offense for knowingly entering unlawfully in a motor vehicle with the intent to commit a felony or theft. Such offense is a class D felony, unless the offender was in possession of a firearm or stole a firearm from the vehicle in which case it is a class C felony.

Additionally, this act creates the offense of unlawfully gaining entry into motor vehicles if a person lifts the door handles or otherwise tries the doors and locks of successive motor vehicles to gain entry without permission. This offense shall be a class E felony.

These provisions are identical to provisions in SCS/HCS#2/HB 495 (2025), HCS/HB 117 (2025), HB 1510 (2024), SB 97 (2023), HCS/SB 186 (2023), HCS/HBs 187 & 570 (2023), HS/HCS/HBs 1108 & 1181 (2023), HB 1582 (2022), and HB 1637 (2022).

OFFENSE OF INTERFERENCE WITH A FIRST RESPONDER

(Section 574.207)

This act creates the offense of interference with a first responder, which shall be a class A misdemeanor. A person commits the offense when a person has received a verbal warning not to approach from a first responder who is engaged in the lawful performance of a legal duty and the person knowingly and willfully violates the verbal warning and approaches within 25 feet with the intent to:

(1) Impede or interfere with the first responder's ability to perform his or her legal duty;

(2) Threaten the first responder with physical harm; or

(3) Engage in conduct directed at a first responder that intentionally causes emotional distress and serves no legitimate purpose.

This provision is identical to provisions in SCS/HB 225 (2025) and SCS/SB 669 (2025).

PEACE OFFICER LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

(Section 590.100)

This act provides that the Director of Public Safety shall have cause to deny an application for a peace officer license or deny entrance into a basic training course when the applicant had a peace officer license that was permanently revoked or surrendered or when the applicant is not a United States citizen.

This provision is identical to HB 981 (2025).

OLIVIA SHANNON