Rep. Perkins Presents HB 1769 to Protect the Rights of Firefighters while on Duty

Rep. Perkins presented HB 1769 in the Committee on Public Safety today. On the importance of the bill, Rep. Perkins said, “Firefighters, along with our other first responders, put their lives on the line daily for communities throughout the state. It is time that we in the legislature provide them with commonsense protections while they are performing their official duties.” Rep. Perkins continued, “I have heard from firefighters throughout the state on the need for this legislation and agree with them that this is an urgent issue. I am proud to stand with them and provide our firefighters and other first responders with consistent and uniform protections no matter where they operate in this state.” Rep. Perkins is hopeful that this bipartisan legislation will move quickly through the General Assembly this year.

Will Sheppard Joins the Office as an Intern this Session

Rep. Perkins is happy to announce that Will will be helping out in the office this session. Will, and his family, are natives of Pike County and have an agricultural background. Will is studying agribusiness at Mizzou. Rep. Perkins believes having someone who is familiar with the district will be a great benefit to the office, and to his constituents.

Missouri House Continues Pushing Forward to Advance Legislation Quickly

Despite the ice and snow that landed across the state, members of the House returned to Jefferson City following the celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day to get to work on Tuesday with a flurry of activities. Two dozen House committees met in the third week of January, as more than two hundred bills have now been referred to committee. Here’s a breakdown on some of the bills passed out of committee this week:

• Open Enrollment

One of the first bills set to potentially see action on the House floor will be legislation dealing with the issue of school choice and open enrollment. The Missouri House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education this week passed HB 1989, which would allow K-12 public schools to choose whether to let students from neighboring school districts enroll in their district. The Public School Open Enrollment Act, as it is called, aims to enhance educational quality, increase parental involvement, provide access to programs and classes, and align curriculum options with personal beliefs. The bill also establishes the Parent Public School Choice Fund with an $80 million appropriation to support transportation and special needs education for qualifying students. The bill passed with a vote of 11-6 and now awaits referral, but could be sent to the House floor for perfection within the next week.

• Veterans’ Suicide

The Missouri House Veterans Committee this week passed HB 1495, which aims to address the issue of veteran suicide. The bill seeks to involve the Missouri Veterans Commission in collaboration with the Missouri Department of Mental Health to develop recommendations and implement measures, programs, treatment options, and aid to prevent veteran suicide, subject to available funding. The discussion was prompted by a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs report, revealing an increase in veteran suicides nationwide. In 2021, 185 military veterans died by suicide in Missouri, with the state’s veteran suicide rate surpassing the national average, as highlighted by a 2023 federal report. The bill sponsor emphasized the urgency of addressing the alarming trend of veteran suicides, and in response, the committee voted the bill out with a received “Do Pass by Consent” vote of 8-0.

Updating Election Practices in an Effort to Aid Election Authorities

HB 2140 is a piece of legislation that makes several modifications to streamline and update election-related provisions in an effort to aid local election authorities. Testifying in committee, the bill sponsor said that not every election authority has the same amount of money available, but they all are held to the same procedures statewide.
“Times change, people change, and more efficient ways to do business come about,” the sponsor said. “We need to update the law to keep pace with the way our entities are doing business. We need to come into the century and allow this for our election authorities.”
Some key changes include updating laws and allowing the notification of elections via email, adjusting the timeline for filing a declaration of candidacy for certain offices, and permitting covered voters to vote at the election authority office on election day. The bill also emphasizes the confidentiality of lists of absentee voters with permanent disabilities, extends the availability of provisional ballots to all public elections, and expands restrictions on electioneering activities to locations with in-person absentee voting. The legislation also introduces the offense of tampering with an election official, with varying degrees of severity based on the consequences of the prohibited activity.

Children and Families Committee Looks to Enhance Protections and Rights

In a recent session of the House Committee on Children and Families, members heard testimony on three bills seeking to address crucial aspects of child protection, legal rights, and welfare.
HB 1537 broadens the definition of “special victim” to encompass any staff member of the Division of Youth Services within the Department of Social Services who is assaulted while performing official duties or as a result of such duties.
Similar to HB 1034 from the 2023 legislative session, HB 1835 focuses on amending procedures related to child placement. It requires the Children’s Division and foster care agencies to consider the religious faith alignment when placing a child, extending the current practice of placing a child with an individual or agency sharing the same religious faith as the child’s parents.
HB 1950 seeks to transform the “Foster Care Bill of Rights” into the “Foster Youth Bill of Rights.” Under this bill the Children’s Division would be required to inform school-age foster children and their foster parents about grievance procedures and pursuing equitable relief. It outlines various rights, including a safe place, family communication, minimal disruptions in placements, belongings, educational stability, attendance in court hearings, privacy, contact with case managers, reporting violations without fear of retaliation, and timely permanency and case plans.

Working on your behalf,