Despite an unproductive and tense session in Jefferson City this year, several bills still made it to Governor Mike Parson’s desk and received his signature.
New laws come into effect in Missouri on Wednesday. The following will change:
The right to breed chickens
In a larger bill focused on real estate, Parson has greenlighted a restriction that prevents homeowners associations from prohibiting their residents from keeping backyard chickens. Under the law, property owners, even those in an HOA, are allowed to keep up to six chickens on lots two-tenths of an acre or larger. HOAs can still regulate the ownership of roosters.
Other property rights laws
- The same law gives counties and municipalities the authority to establish a land bank to bring undeveloped, abandoned or foreclosed land back into private ownership or to make it available for public use.
- It also provides property owners with a way to remove squatters from their property by court order and makes unlawful occupation of a residential property a Class A misdemeanor.
- Cities and counties cannot require churches and nonprofit organizations to install or provide the infrastructure for the future installation of electric vehicle charging stations;
- Cities cannot require property owners to conduct inspections before selling residential property, including new construction or building permit requirements.
No more eviction moratoriums
State law now prohibits municipalities, counties and other political subdivisions from imposing an eviction moratorium unless specifically authorized by the state.
Tax credits for seniors
After counties expressed confusion and lack of clarity regarding the original legislation that provided a property tax “freeze” for seniors, this new law clarifies some details. It makes it clear that seniors age 62 and older are eligible for the tax freeze. Previously, eligibility was dependent on eligibility for social security benefits.
More: Greene County Commission adjusts and expands senior citizen tax credit process
Funding Planned Parenthood
House Bill 2634 specifically prohibits Medicaid funds from being given to abortion providers or affiliated organizations, including Planned Parenthood, even though abortion has been illegal in Missouri since 2022.
The state’s Medicaid program supports low-income and disabled Missourians. Although funding for abortions was banned, Medicaid previously reimbursed Planned Parenthood for reproductive health services, such as STI and cancer screenings and contraceptives. Planned Parenthood has challenged the law with a complaint to the state’s administrative commission.
More: Governor Mike Parson signs bill denying Medicaid funds to abortion providers or partners
Education laws
Parson signed a comprehensive education bill this year despite strong opposition from Missouri school officials, as the News-Leader previously reported. Here’s what Senate Bill 727 and House Bill 2287 do:
- Raising the minimum wage for teachers to $40,000 per year and raising the minimum wage for teachers with master’s degrees and at least ten years of experience to $48,000 by 2027;
- Regular increases for all teachers’ salaries in accordance with the January Consumer Price Index report, capped at 3% per year;
- Expand access to Missouri’s Empowerment Scholarship Accounts, a voucher tax credit program;
- Permission to open charter schools in Boone County;
- Create incentives for districts in cities with 30,000 or more residents to implement a five-day school week;
- Increasing government funding for early childhood education;
- Protect benefits for educators who continue to teach after they retire.
- Increase the funding program for small schools.
More: Governor Parson signs comprehensive education bill despite pleas from hundreds of Missouri school principals
Prosecute children like adults
Part of a new public safety law raised the minimum age at which children who commit certain crimes can be tried as adults from 12 to 14. It also requires correctional programs for offenders under 18 to include educational programs leading to a high school diploma or equivalent.
Further changes in public safety
- A warrant will not be issued if a person “fails to respond, fails to pay the fine imposed, or fails to appear in court for a traffic violation.” Instead, the court will schedule a second court date, and if the person fails to appear again, a default judgment may be entered.
- Creates Blair’s Law, which prohibits the reckless discharge of a firearm within city limits;
- Creates Valentine’s Law, which criminalizes evading a vehicle stop or arrest by police, making it at least a Class D felony;
- Creates Max’s Law, which increases the penalties for injuring or killing a police animal.
Expanding the role of the State Auditor
House Bill 2111 expands the role of the state auditor to give him more authority to investigate government departments he previously did not have authority to investigate. The new law gives the auditor the authority to audit any political subdivision or government department.
It also provides that the auditor may initiate the audit if an investigation uncovers improper government activities and allows the costs of audits initiated by the auditor to be borne by the state. Previously, the auditor could only conduct an audit upon invitation from the government entity being audited or based on a citizen’s petition, and the audited entity was responsible for covering the costs.
More: Bill to expand the powers of the State Auditor will be submitted to the Governor for final approval
Regulations for meat packaging sludge
This new law requires facilities to obtain water pollution permits, maintain distance requirements for sludge storage ponds near homes, and conduct groundwater monitoring in certain areas. The law also establishes a technical standard for nutrient management.
More: Missouri Senate passes bill to protect rural residents from slaughterhouse mud
Promoting entrepreneurship
A new Office of Entrepreneurship is designed to encourage initiatives to start new businesses in the state. The same law creates a “regulatory sandbox program” that overrides some state requirements and regulations to allow individuals to gain supervised access to the market to demonstrate an innovative product or service.
Marta Mieze covers local politics for the News-Leader. Do you have feedback, tips or story ideas? Contact her at [email protected].
