JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A series of bills approved in this year’s Missouri legislative session will officially take effect on Wednesday, Aug. 28 as laws.
Here’s a closer look at five new prominent state laws, addressing public safety, chicken ownership and other topics.
SB 754 – Celebratory Gunfire Ban & More
Missouri will ban celebratory gunfire, and anyone suspected of unlawfully discharging a firearm in such a manner will face a criminal negligence charge.
The legislation aims to crack down on reckless gunfire that may happen over holidays, such as New Year’s Day and the Fourth of July. It was more commonly known as “Blair’s Law” among Missouri lawmakers, recognizing a girl fatally struck by celebratory gunfire in the Kansas City area during the Fourth of July in 2011
Violations would result in a misdemeanor after one offense and felony charges after any additional offenses.
Parson vetoed a bill for celebratory gunfire last year, but approved measures for it in a larger crime package bill this year. The legislation will also criminalize anyone fleeing from police in connection with another crime and increase penalties for anyone who attacks or kills a police animal.
Additionally, the legislation will raise the minimum age that a child can be charged as an adult for certain felonies in Missouri from 12 to 14 years old.
HB 2062 – Property Rights: Backyard Chickens, Eviction Moratorium Ban & More
Homeowner associations are no longer allowed to restrict the ownership of chickens in Missouri neighborhoods.
The legislation gives homeowners the freedom to raise, own and house up to six chickens. HOAs cannot prohibit single chicken coop structures, but can ban roosters or more than six chickens. Supporters hope that chickens can help enrich soil, control the bug population by eating them and provide family eggs.
Under the same legislation, Missouri will ban counties, cities and other municipalities from enforcing eviction unless authorized by state law. The change creates more uniformity in eviction laws and state-level housing policies and aims to prevent evictions during public health emergencies, like the COVID-19 pandemic.
Furthermore, the legislation will authorize St. Louis County and all municipalities over 1,500 people to create land banks for revitalizing vacant properties, Missouri will also no longer require home inspections for the sale of older homes.
HB 2634 – Planned Parenthood Funding
Missouri will ban abortion providers and their affiliates from receiving public funds, including Medicaid reimbursements.
While public funds are already prohibited from funding abortions in Missouri, the legislation will now prevent any taxpayer money from supporting Planned Parenthood or affiliates in the state.
The legislation also amends current statutes that requires Missouri HealthNet participants to receive services exclusively from qualified providers. It also authorizes that Missouri Department of Social Services to revoke contracts with providers found guilty of intentional discrimination or supporting eugenics.
SB 894 – Helping Entrepreneurs
Missouri will create an Office of Entrepreneurship with an emphasis on strengthening locally-owned businesses.
The legislation enables the Department of Economic Development to support Missouri-based businesses with less than 10 people, fewer than three years of operation and businesses owned by a woman, veteran or person of a minority race. A department leader will make recommendations on improving access and resources for such owners.
Additionally, the legislation establishes the “Regulatory Sandbox Act,” which could waive some state regulations that may hinder a company from developing a product or service, such as testing technologies or services. Such arrangements would be pending review from state agencies and allowed for only two years.
HB 2057 – Video Service Provisions
Missouri will prevent streaming providers, like Netflix, from being subjected to additional local taxes and franchise fees.
The legislation is essentially a legal provision to existing Missouri statutes to include “streaming content” in the state’s definition of video services, to prevent fees from piling up on consumers.
Franchise fees are charges that local governments impose on traditional cable and video service providers for the use of public right-of-ways, like streets and sidewalks, to provide connections. Streaming services don’t require this kind of infrastructure if they offer content over the Internet. Therefore, the legislation ensures that streaming providers are not subject to franchise fees, reducing costs for municipalities and taxpayers alike.
Other notable laws taking effect on Wednesday include…
SB 756 – Expands property tax credits
SB 872 – Expands broadband capacities
HB 2134 – Modifies construction around sewage
HB 1495 – New support for Missouri veterans
HB 1912 – Modifies taxation of pass-through entities
SB 727 – Recalculates state aid for school districts
SB 751 – Restrictions dropped for 340B drugs
