SPONSOR: Perkins
COMMITTEE ACTION: Voted "Do Pass with HCS" by the Standing Committee on Corrections and Public Institutions by a vote of 14 to 1. Voted "Do Pass" by the Standing Committee on Rules- Legislative by a vote of 10 to 0.
The following is a summary of the House Committee Substitute for HBs 2751, 2831 & 2695.
SUFFRAGE OF PERSONS ON PROBATION AND PAROLE (Section 115.133)
Currently, a person on probation or parole for a felony conviction is not entitled to vote until finally discharged from probation or parole. A person convicted of a felony or misdemeanor connected with the right of suffrage cannot vote.
This bill allows a person on probation or parole to vote as long as the person was not convicted of a felony or misdemeanor connected with the right of suffrage.
PUBLIC ASSISTANCE BENEFITS (Section 208.247)
The bill repeals current provisions of law allowing for individuals convicted of certain drug offenses to participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) only if certain conditions are met.
Under this bill, individuals who are convicted of a state or federal felony drug offense cannot be excluded from SNAP because of the conviction.
INMATE RELEASE FROM DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS (Section 217.443)
This bill requires the Department of Corrections to provide certain inmates, as specified in the bill, with relevant documentation to assist in obtaining post-release employment.
The Department must coordinate with the Department of Revenue (DOR) to provide a state-issued identification card (state ID) if the inmate does not have a current one.
Nine months prior to an inmate's release from custody, the Department will determine whether the inmate has a current state ID and, if not, begin gathering the required documentation to receive one. A certified birth certificate and a Department of Corrections-issued record card will be valid identification documentation for an inmate to obtain a state ID.
State ID cards issued with a record card from the Department must be valid for a period of six years and are nonrenewable and nontransferable.
The Department can utilize any funds to cover the purchase of state ID cards, including but not limited to, inmate trust funds, existing funds of the Department, and donations.
The Department must provide an inmate with the types of documentation specified in the bill to assist in post-release employment.
GOOD TIME CREDIT (Section 558.041)
This bill modifies provisions authorizing certain offenders committed to the Department to receive good time credit. Good time credit is time that, once earned, must be subtracted from the offender's minimum eligibility-for-release date.
The bill provides that certain offenders must receive good time credit for completion of eligible programs. However, the accumulation of good time credit does not require that the offender be released; the parole board retains discretion to determine the date of release.
This bill provides that any major conduct violation or the accumulation of minor conduct violations exceeding six in one year will result in the loss of all prior credit earned.
No offender who has been sentenced to death or life without probation or parole is eligible for good time credit, nor is any offender committed to the Department after conviction of crimes specified in the bill.
The Department must award credit between five and 360 days for programs and activities to any qualifying offender who successfully:
(1) Receives a high school diploma or equivalent, college diploma, or a vocational training certificate; (2) Completes an alcohol or drug abuse treatment program, excluding those treatment programs ordered by either the court or parole board;
(3) Completes 1,000 hours of restorative justice; or
(4) Completes other programs provided under the Department's policy.
An offender can earn a maximum of 90 days of credit in any 12 month period.
Eligible offenders can submit a petition between January 1, 2027, and December 31, 2027, to receive credit for qualifying programs or activities completed between January 1, 2010, and August 28, 2026.
DATA ON CRIMINAL ACTIVITY (Section 589.710)
This bill provides that criminal justice agencies, as defined in the bill, must share with a bona fide researcher, also defined in the bill, all criminal justice data and records, including relevant personally identifying information and demographic information, held by that agency relating to:
(1) A law enforcement stop, search, or seizure;
(2) A warrant, arrest, or citation;
(3) Participation in a pre-arrest or post-arrest diversion, specialty court, or other alternative resolution program;
(4) A criminal charge, disposition, or sentence;
(5) Pretrial or posttrial release from custody, or any terms or conditions of release;
(6) A grant, order, change in the terms of, or termination of pretrial supervised release, probation, parole, or participation in correctional or rehabilitative programs; or
(7) Formal discipline, reclassification, or relocation any person under criminal sentence or correctional control.
Criminal justice agencies must share all data subject to either mandatory or discretionary disclosure under Chapter 610 and may share other information that is responsive to a researcher's request.
This bill does not limit the rights of the public under Chapter 610, and will not result in the release of any data, information, or records by the Department of Mental Health.
The Attorney General will issue guidance to assist criminal justice agencies in properly complying with the release of data and records by February 28, 2027. A criminal justice agency may assess reasonable fees, not to exceed actual costs, for the data and records.
This bill has provisions that are the similar to HB 1360 (2025).
The following is a summary of the public testimony from the committee hearing. The testimony was based on the introduced version of the bill.
PROPONENTS: Supporters say that the bill is about reentry, accountability, and data-driven strategies to reduce recidivism. Removing the ban on SNAP eligibility for drug offenders is an issue of consistency. Murderers can get SNAP back, but drug offenders can’t, which is a fairness issue. SNAP benefits are essential to supporting people’s basic needs, they reduce recidivism, and they overwhelmingly support families with children. Individuals taking rehabilitative, vocational, and educational programs should be eligible to earn good time credit. Individuals sentenced to life without parole and other dangerous offenders won’t be released early. However, a person with multiple prison commitments for nonviolent or misdemeanor cases won't automatically get excluded. Programs in prisons should reward positive choices and active participation in good, rehabilitative programs, which is what this bill accomplishes. Individuals are less likely to engage in the programs when they know they are stuck regardless of their behavior. The bill supports prison safety and preserves hope.
Testifying in person for the bill were Representative Perkins; Missouri Catholic Conference; Families Against Mandatory Minimums; American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri; Missouri Appleseed; ML Smith, Missouri Justice Coalition; Action Now Initiative, LLC; Khanika Harper, Justice For All; Mallory Rusch, Empower Missouri; Doug Wright III, Missouri NACCP; Gabriel Bo Cornelius; Richard Jackson; Feeding Missouri; and National Association of Social Workers- Mo Chapter. OPPONENTS: There was no opposition voiced to the committee.
Written testimony has been submitted for this bill. The full written testimony and witnesses testifying online can be found under Testimony on the bill page on the House website.
Statutes affected: