JEFFERSON CITY, Mo — Today, the Missouri House of Representatives third read and passed House Bill 2688, a landmark piece of legislation aimed at cracking down on the abhorrent crime of human trafficking. This bill has been a top priority for the state for several years, and its passage marks a significant milestone in the fight against human trafficking.

Among its numerous provisions, HB 2688 includes a particularly stringent measure: if the victim is under 18 years of age, the perpetrator could face life imprisonment without the possibility of parole or a minimum sentence of 25 years behind bars. The bill also mandates that convicted individuals must pay restitution to their victims, providing some form of compensation for the unimaginable trauma they have endured.

Upon the bill’s passage, Representative Perkins, a vocal advocate for this legislation, stated, “The perpetrators of these horrendous crimes must be held to account. I am a proud supporter of this bill, and I urge the Senate to act quickly on this bipartisan legislation.” The bill now moves to the Senate.

Protecting Life

Representative Cody Smith ushered HB 2634 through both the House and Senate in a great victory for life. This pro-life legislation will ensure that no state Medicaid money is used for abortions in the Missouri. “Missouri is a pro-life state and Representative Smith made that loud and clear with this legislation.” HB 2634 has been passed by both chambers and now heads to the Governor’s desk for his signature.

Missouri House Approves HB 2763 in Hopes to Aid Farming Industry

The Missouri House of Representatives passed HB 2763 in hopes of continuing to aid Missouri’s farming industry and provide more clarity and continuity in the regulation of pesticides used in the field of agriculture.
HB 2763 would change current statute language pertaining to the registration and labeling of pesticides sold through commerce or transported in the state of Missouri. Currently, each state is allowed to require differing information on the labels of pesticides used, which may cause confusion for some users. HB 2763 would make it so that a label showing registration approved by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), or consistent with the agency’s carcinogenicity classification under the Federal Insecticide Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA), would be enough to satisfy any warning label requirement regarding cancer under any other current law.

In this industry, any chemical used in pesticides has gone through the full regulatory process and has thus been deemed safe to use for products. This piece of legislation covers multiple products available now and that will be made available in the future that will help provide the tools needed currently and far into the future to provide sustainability.

These industries are heavily regulated at the federal level, and to the extent labeling requirements are already imposed at the federal level, imposing different product labeling requirements is, at best, redundant and, at worst, confusing.  This bill promotes consumer information and public health by encouraging manufacturers to register their pesticides with the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

The bill now heads to the Missouri Senate for further consideration.

Working on your behalf,