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SB 1 - This act modifies provisions relating to public safety. ST. LOUIS POLICE RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS (Section 84.344) Under current law, commissioned and civilian personnel of the St. Louis City municipal police force must retain a primary residence in the city for a total of seven years and then may maintain a primary residence that is located within a one-hour response time. This act provides that such personnel shall not be subject to a residency requirement so long as the primary residence is located within a one-hour response time. These provisions are substantially similar to SB 558 (2020). CERTIFICATION OF A JUVENILE (Section 211.071) Under this act, a child between the ages of 12 and 18 years may be tried in a court of general jurisdiction and prosecuted under general law for the offenses of unlawful use of weapons and armed criminal action. The provisions of this act shall be effective January 1, 2021. Additionally, this act terminates the duplicate law effective December 31, 2020. These provisions are substantially similar to SB 824 (2020). ST. LOUIS PUBLIC SAFETY EMPLOYEE RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS (Section 285.240) This act provides that St. Louis public safety employees shall not be subject to a residency requirement so long as the primary residence is located within a one-hour response time. These provisions are similar to SB 523 (2020) and HB 1604 (2020). HEARSAY EVIDENCE (SECTION 491.016) This act provides that a statement made by a witness, which would otherwise not be admissible, is admissible as substantive evidence when the court finds that a defendant engaged in wrongdoing with the purpose of preventing the witness from testifying in any proceeding and the witness fails to appear. These provisions are identical to HCS/HB 1964 (2020). PRETRIAL WITNESS PROTECTION SERVICES FUND (Section 491.641) This act creates the "Pretrial Witness Protection Services Fund." Under this act, the Department of Public Safety may disburse money from the Pretrial Witness Protection Services Fund to law enforcement agencies for the purposes of providing for the security of witnesses, potential witnesses, and their immediate families in criminal proceedings or investigations. Funds shall be subject to appropriations from the General Assembly. A law enforcement agency must submit an application to the Department of Public Safety which shall include, but is not limited to, the following information: • A statement of conditions which qualify persons for protection; • Precise methods the agency will use to provide protection; • A statement of projected costs over a specified period of time; and • If the requesting agency expects the person to provide evidence in any court of competent jurisdiction. The application submitted to the Department of Public Safety shall be a closed record and not subject to disclosure. Any information contained in the application shall not be disclosed by any entity. These provisions are substantially similar to HB 2224 (2020). OFFENSE OF ENDANGERING THE WELFARE OF A CHILD (Section 568.045) This act modifies the offense of endangering the welfare of a child in the first degree to include when a person knowingly encourages, aids, or causes a child less than 17 years of age to engage in any conduct in violation of weapons offenses under the law. These provisions are identical to SS/SCS/SB 538, 562, & 601 (2020) and substantially similar to HB 2306 (2020). OFFENSE OF UNLAWFUL TRANSFER OF WEAPONS (Section 571.060) Under current law, the offense of knowingly selling, leasing, loaning, giving away, or delivering a firearm or blackjack to any child under 18 years old is a Class A misdemeanor. This act changes the penalty for a person who knowingly sells or delivers any firearm to a child less than 18 years without the consent of the child's parent or guardian from a Class A misdemeanor to a Class E felony. MARY GRACE BRUNTRAGER
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