There are several bills of special concern Missouri Press continues to monitor during the General Assembly’s regular session in Jefferson City. If you have any questions about the various bills on the list or if you need help talking with lawmakers, please don’t hesitate to contact MPA Executive Director Mark Massen at (573) 449-4167, ext. 308 or at mmaassen@mopress.com.
Thank you to everyone who has already reached out to legislators in support of MPA’s lobbying efforts in the Capitol. It is vital that lawmakers hear from their local newspapers about concerns for legislation that will affect Missouri newspapers.
As of March 13, the following bills are of special concern to Missouri Press Association in 2023 in the General Assembly, especially these ***. Current status of the bill is listed also.
House Bill, Sponsor, Description, Status
HB 178 – Van Schoiack (R-Savannah) – unlawful use of an unmanned aircraft (drone). Hearing held Jan. 30 in House Special Committee on Homeland Security. Voted “do pass” in executive session on Feb. 27. Referred to House Rules Committee on March 6.
HB 179 – Van Schoiack (R-Savannah) – unlawful use of a drone over an open-air facility. Hearing held Jan. 30 in House Special Committee on Homeland Security. Voted “do pass” in executive session on Feb. 27.
***HB 344 – McGirl (R-Potosi) – allows county collectors in counties without a newspaper to post delinquent tax notices for three consecutive weeks either in the courthouse or on the county’s website as an alternative to publishing such notices in a newspaper. HB 344 was referred to House Local Government Committee and is scheduled for a hearing on March 21.
HB 352 – Christofanelli (R- St. Peters) – establishes provisions relating to expungement of criminal records. HB 352 referred to House Judiciary Committee Feb. 23.
HB 371 – Falkner (R-St. Joseph) – removal of certain court records from automated case management systems. Records of misdemeanor offense by a person may be removed if the person has been deceased for six months. HB 371 was referred to House Judiciary Committee March 9.
***HB 394 – Falkner (R-St. Joseph) – modifies provisions of the sunshine law. Extensive changes to the Missouri Sunshine Law. HB 394 has not been referred to a committee.
***HB 400 – McGirl (R-Potosi) – Requires publication only one week (currently three weeks) of delinquent property tax sale notice in newspapers by county collectors. HB 400 was referred to House Local Government Committee and is scheduled for a hearing on March 21.
HB 401 – Haffner (R-Pleasant Hill) – relating to aerial surveillance by drones. Hearing held Jan. 30 in House Special Committee on Homeland Security. Voted “do pass” in executive session on Feb. 27.
HB 405 – McGaugh (R-Carrollton) – the offense of tampering with an elected county official is defined as a person posting an official’s personal information on the internet. Referred to House Judiciary Committee on Feb. 15. Hearing held on March 6.
HB 443 – Marquart (R-Washington) – establishes minimum $6 fee for certain Highway Patrol records requests. Hearing held Feb. 1 in House Transportation Infrastructure Committee. Voted “do pass” by committee on March 7. Referred to House Rules Committee on March 8.
HB 444 – Schnelting (R-St. Charles) – provides for redaction of personal identifying information of minors and next friends from public court automation systems. Hearing held Feb. 13 in House Judiciary Committee.
HB 450 – Butz (D-St. Louis) – modifies provisions for the Missouri Ethics Commission. HB 450 has not been referred to a committee.
HB 492 – Murphy (R-St. Louis) – establishes the Media Literacy and Critical Thinking Act. HB 492 was referred to House Elementary and Secondary Education Committee on March 9.
***HB 562 – Sauls (D-Independence) – closes email addresses and phone numbers of persons who request newsletters and periodic reports from public bodies in Chapter 610. HB 562 has not been referred to a committee.
HB 601 – Knight (R-Lebanon) – establishes a minimum fee of $6 for state highway patrol records. Hearing held Feb. 1 in House Transportation Infrastructure Committee.
***HB 667 – Pouche (R-Kansas City)– modifies provisions of the Personal Privacy Protection Act. Referred to House Special Committee on Government Accountability on Feb. 15. Committee hearing held on Feb. 27.
***HB 750 – Perkins (R-Bowling Green) – establishes the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act. Hearing conducted on Feb. 22 by House Judiciary Committee.
***HB 752 – Knight (R-Lebanon) – repeals provisions requiring the publication of bids for state contracts in newspapers. HB 752 referred to House Economic Development Committee on March 9.
HB 753 – Hicks (R-Lake St. Louis) – establishes provisions relating to automatic expungement for certain cases. HB 753 referred to House Judiciary Committee. Scheduled for Feb. 27 committee hearing, but HB 753 was removed from the agenda.
***HB 782 – McGaugh (R-Carrollton) – changes the law regarding newspaper requirements to publish public notices. (MPA supports this bill.) Referred to House Government Efficiency and Downsizing Committee on Feb. 15. Hearing completed on March 1.
***HB 919 & 1081 – Schnelting (R-St. Charles) – contains compromise language for the Personal Privacy Protection Act, prohibits unlawful tracking of vehicles. HB 919 & 1081 was perfected and printed by House voice vote on March 8.
***HB 994, 52 & 984 – Parker (R-Campbell) – modifies judicial proceedings including closing personal information on CaseNet, personal information of judges. Voted “do pass” by the House Judiciary Committee on Feb. 14. Passed the House on Feb. 27 and reported to the Senate.
***HB 1059 – Diehl (R-Butler) – modifies provisions of the sunshine law. Extensive changes to the Missouri Sunshine Law. HB 1059 has not been referred to a committee.
***HB 1064 – Baker (R-Neosho) – modifies provisions of the Personal Privacy Protection Act. Referred to House Special Committee on Government Accountability on Feb. 15. Committee hearing completed Feb. 27 on HB 1064.
***HB 1081 – Schnelting (R-St. Charles) – modifies privacy protections, requiring both parties of a phone conversation to know it is being recorded, disallowing tracking a vehicle without permission. Hearing held Feb. 13 in House Special Committee on Homeland Security. Reported “do pass” as substituted onto HB 919 on Feb. 23.
***HB 1118 – Casteel (R-High Ridge) — beginning Aug. 28, 2023, any notice required by statute to be published in a newspaper shall be published on the website of the office of the Secretary of State and shall no longer be required to be published in a newspaper. Referred to House Government Efficiency and Downsizing Committee on Feb. 15. Hearing conducted on March 8.
***HB 1120 – Hardwick (R-Waynesville) – relating to self-storage property notices, resulting in no notices in newspapers. HB 1120 was referred to House Committee on Emerging Issues on Feb. 23. Hearing conducted March 1. HB 1120 voted “do pass” on March 8.
HB 1156 – Ealy (D-Grandview) – establishes within the department of public safety a 23-member “Task Force on Body-Worn Cameras,” including one member from the Missouri Sunshine Coalition and one member from the news media. HB1156 has not been referred to a committee.
HB 1175 – Christofanelli (R-St. Peters) – modifies powers of the state auditor. HB 1175 has not been referred to a committee.
HB 1203 – Lonsdale, R-Liberty – modifies provisions relating to local elections. HB 1203 has not been referred to a committee.
***HB 1221 – Plank, D-Columbia – modifies provisions relating to public advertisements; places notices on websites instead of publishing them in newspapers. HB 1221 has not been referred to a committee.
HB 1224 – Lovasco, R-O’Fallon – creates provisions relating to strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPP). HB 1224 has not been referred to a committee.
HB 1249 – Brown, D-Hazelwood – establishes the Media Literacy and Critical Thinking Act. HB 1249 has not been referred to a committee.
HB 1250 – Mackey, D-St. Louis – establishes reporting requirements for school districts and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education when a pupil commits suicide. HB 1250 has not been referred to a committee.
HB 1273 – Woods, D-Kansas City – establishes provisions relating to protecting the privacy of online customer information. HB 1273 has not been referred to a committee.
House Joint Resolutions of interest: Watching all that pertain to initiative petitions, constitutional amendments, elections. (Through HJR 66, none of the HJR’s affecting elections makes any changes to public notice requirements in newspapers.)
Senate Bill, Sponsor, Description, Status
SB 7 – Rowden (R-Columbia) – Relating to the protection of information controlled by state agencies; creates the position of Chief Data Officer within the Office of Administration who is authorized to oversee each state agency’s management of electronic data for purposes of evaluating appropriate management and security of the data. SB 7 was referred to the Senate Emerging Issues Committee on Jan. 12. Hearing conducted on Feb. 28.
SB 28 – Brown (R-Rolla) – Access to public records of the Missouri State Highway Patrol; provides that a minimum fee of $6 may be charged by the Missouri State Highway Patrol for any request where there are allowable fees of less than $6. Such $6 fee shall be in place of any allowable fee of less than $6. The Superintendent of the Missouri State Highway Patrol may increase the minimum fee by not more than $1 every other year following August 28, 2024. The minimum fee shall not exceed $10. Hearing conducted by Senate Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee on Feb. 1. Voted “do pass” on Feb. 8. Perfected by the Senate on Feb. 14. SB 28 was third read and passed by the Senate on Feb. 23. Sent to the House.
SB 36 – Williams (D-University City) – Relating to expungement of criminal records. Hearing conducted on SB 36 by the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on Feb. 13. Bill combined with SCSs Sb 189, 36 & 37 on Feb. 20.
SB 72 – Trent (R-Springfield) – Relating to judicial privacy, which provides restrictions on the use of a judicial officer’s personal information; it shall be a class D felony for any person to knowingly publicly post or display on the internet the personal information of a judicial officer or of the judicial officer’s immediate family for purposes of harassing, intimidating, or influencing a judicial officer in violation of the offense of tampering with a judicial officer or with the intent to pose an imminent and serious threat to the health and safety of the judicial officer or the judicial officer’s immediate family, and such violation is a proximate cause of bodily injury or death of the judicial officer or a member of his or her immediate family. SCS for SB 72 was voted “do pass” by the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on Feb. 6. On Formal Calendar Senate Bills for Perfection, Feb. 22. Third read and passed by Senate on March 2. Sent to House.
***SB 174 – Koenig (R-Manchester) – Relating to public records and meetings. Extensive changes to the Missouri Sunshine Law. Senate Committee Substitute was presented during hearing conducted by the Senate Governmental Accountability Committee on Feb. 9. SCS voted “do pass” by the committee on Feb. 23.
SB 298 – Trent (R-Springfield) – Exempts certain offense records from public access on statewide court automation systems. SB 298 was referred to the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on Feb. 23.
SB 302 – Eigel (R-Weldon Springs) – Provides redaction of personal identifying information of minors and next friends from public court automation systems. SB 302 was referred to the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on Feb. 23.
SB 347 – Trent (R-Springfield) – Relating to expungement. SB 347 was referred to the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on Feb. 23.
***SB 362 – Koenig (R-Manchester) – Modifies public notice requirements for certain public projects costing in excess of $100,000; notices in newspapers are not required. SB 362 was referred to the Senate Governmental Accountability Committee on Feb. 23.
SB 370 – May (D-St. Louis) – Modifies provisions relating to criminal records. SB 370 was referred to the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on Feb. 23.
SB 371 – May (D-St. Louis) – Creates provisions relating to expungement. SB 371 was referred to the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on Feb. 23.
SB 372 – May (D-St. Louis) – Repeals provisions relating to a surcharge for petition for expungement. SB 372 was referred to the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on Feb. 23.
SB 377 – Coleman (R-Arnold) – Creates new provisions relating to public contracts. SB 377 was referred to the Senate Governmental Accountability Committee on Feb. 23.
SB 378 – Rowden (R-Columbia) – Modifies campaign finance disclosure deadlines. SB 378 was heard by the Senate Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics Committee on Feb. 28.
***SB 432 – Gannon (R-DeSoto) – Establishes the Uniform Public Expression Protection Act. SB 432 was referred to the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on March 2.
***SB 440 – Washington (D-Kansas City) – Establishes the “Cronkite New Voices Act” to protect the freedom of press in school-sponsored media. SB 440 was referred to Senate Progress and Development Committee. Hearing scheduled for March 8, but canceled.
SB 447 – Washington (D-Kansas City) – Requires that closed criminal records shall be destroyed within six months of being closed, and arrest records shall be closed and shall be inaccessible to the general public. SB 447 was referred to the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee on March 2.
SB 457 – Schroer (R-O’Fallon) – Criminalizes the disclosure of medical marijuana patients’ information to unauthorized parties. SB 457 has not been referred to a committee.
***SB 460 – Brown (R-Rolla) – Relating to self-storage property notices, resulting in no notices in newspapers. SB 460 has not been referred to a committee.
SB 490 – Schroer (R-O’Fallon) – Modifies procedures for getting initiative and referendum petitions on the ballot. SB 490 has not been referred to a committee.
SB 531 – Washington (D-Kansas City) – Relating to expungement of offense records. SB 531 has not been referred to a committee.
***SB 630 – Bernskoetter (R-Jefferson City) – Authorizes closure of certain public safety records, amending the Sunshine Law. SB 630 has not been referred to a committee.
Senate Joint Resolutions of interest: Watching all that pertain to initiative petitions, constitutional amendments, elections. (Through SJR 47, none of the SJR’s affecting elections makes any changes to public notice requirements in newspapers.)
