Missouri Senate

Perfected

COURT COSTS COLLECTED BY SHERIFFS (Section 57.280)

Under current law, sheriffs who serve any summons, writ, or other order of the court may collect fees in civil cases. These court fees are collected by the court clerk and held in certain state and local funds.

This act provides that a charge of up to $50 may be received by a sheriff for service of any summons, writ, or order for an eviction proceeding. All charges shall be collected by the sheriff prior to the service being rendered and paid to the county treasurer. The funds shall be held in a fund established by the county treasurer and may be expended at the discretion of the sheriff for the furtherance of the sheriff's set duties.

These provisions are substantially similar to SB 404 (2021).

POLICE COMMISSIONERS (Section 84.400)

This act provides that a member of the Kansas City Board of Police Commissioners or any member of such police force may be appointed to serve on any state or federal board, commission, or task force where no compensation for such service is paid, accept that such board member may accept a per diem or reimbursement for necessary expenses for attending meetings.

KANSAS CITY POLICE DEPARTMENT RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS (Section 84.575)

This act provides that the Board of Police Commissioners in Kansas City shall not require, as a condition of employment, that any currently employed or prospective law enforcement officer or other employee reside within any jurisdictional limit. Any current residency requirement in effect on or before August 28, 2021, shall not apply and shall not be enforced.

Additionally, the Board of Police Commissioners may impose a residency rule, but the rule or requirement shall be no more restrictive than requiring such personnel to reside within thirty miles from the nearest city limit and within the boundaries of the state of Missouri.

CONFIDENTIALITY OF CRIME STOPPERS ORGANIZATIONS (Section 546.265)

This act provides that no person shall be required to disclose, by way of testimony or otherwise, a privileged communication between a person who submits a report of alleged criminal activity to a crime stoppers organization and the person who accepts the report on behalf of a crime stoppers organization. Additionally, no such person shall be required to produce, under subpoena, any records, documentary evidence, opinions, or decisions relating to such privileged communication in connection with any criminal proceeding or discovery procedure.

This act also provides that any person arrested or charged with a criminal offense may petition the court for an in-camera inspection of the records of a privileged communication concerning the report such person made to the crime stoppers organization. If the court determines the person is entitled to all or part of such records, the court may order production and disclosure as the court deems appropriate.

These provisions are identical to SB 312 (2021) and substantially similar to HB 1552 (2020).

RESPIRATORY CHOKE-HOLDS (Section 563.015)

This act provides that a law enforcement officer is prohibited from using a respiratory choke-hold unless deadly force is authorized under the law. A "respiratory choke-hold" includes the use of any body part or object to attempt to control or disable a person by applying pressure to the person's neck with the purpose, intent, or effect of controlling or restricting the person's breathing.

OFFENSE OF UNLAWFUL POSTING OF CERTAIN INFORMATION ONLINE (Section 565.240)

Under current law, a person commits the offense of unlawful posting of certain information over the internet if he or she knowingly posts the name, home address, Social Security number, or telephone number of any person on the internet intending to cause great bodily harm or death, or threatening to cause great bodily harm or death to such person. Such offense is a Class C misdemeanor.

This act modifies the current offense by adding "any other personally identifiable information" and further provides that if a person knowingly posts the name, home address, Social Security number, telephone number, or any other personally identifiable information of any law enforcement officer, corrections officer, parole officer, or prosecuting attorney, or the information of an immediate family member of such officers, he or she shall be guilty of a Class E felony.

These provisions are identical to SCS/SB 129 (2021).

SEXUAL MISCONDUCT OF POLICE OFFICERS (Section 566.145)

This act provides that a law enforcement officer who engages in sexual conduct with a detainee or prisoner who is in the custody of such officer shall be guilty of a class E felony.

This provision is identical to HB 2708 (2020).

PEACE OFFICER LICENSURE (Sections 590.030)

Under current law, all licensed peace officers, as a condition of licensure, must obtain continuing law enforcement education and maintain a current address of record on file with the POST Commission.

This act provides that in addition to those requirements for licensure, peace officers must submit to being fingerprinted on or before January 1, 2022, and every six years thereafter and also submit to fingerprinting for the purposes of a criminal history background check and enrollment in the state and federal Rap Back Program.

Additionally, any time a peace officer is commissioned with a different law enforcement agency he or she must submit to being fingerprinted. The criminal history background check shall include the records of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The resulting report shall be forwarded to the peace officer's law enforcement agency. The Rap Back enrollment shall be for the purposes of peace officer disciplinary reports as required by law. Law enforcement officers and law enforcement agencies shall take all necessary steps to maintain officer enrollment in Rap Back for as long as an officer is commissioned with that agency. All law enforcement agencies shall enroll in the state and federal Rap Back programs on or before January 1, 2022.

These provisions are identical to provisions in SCS/SB 289 (2021) and similar to HB 839 (2021).

COMMISSIONING REQUIREMENTS OF PEACE OFFICERS (Sections 590.070 and 590.075)

Under current law, the chief executive officer of each law enforcement agency must notify the Director of the POST Commission the circumstances surrounding a law enforcement officer's departure from the law enforcement agency within 30 days of the departure.

This act provides that the chief executive officer of each law enforcement agency shall, prior to commissioning any peace officer, request a certified copy from the Director of all notifications received regarding such peace officer. All notifications provided to the chief executive officer from the Director shall be received within 3 days of the request.

Finally, this act provides that the chief executive officer of each law enforcement agency has absolute immunity from suit for complying with such notification requirements to the Director, unless the chief executive officer presented false information to the Director with the intention of causing reputational harm to the peace officer. If the Director receives any additional notifications regarding the candidate for commissioning within 60 days of a chief executive officer's request, a copy of such notifications shall be forwarded by the director to the requesting chief executive officer within 3 business days following receipt.

CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (Section 590.192)

This act establishes the "Critical Incident Stress Management Program" within the Department of Public Safety. The program shall provide services for peace officers to assist in coping with stress and potential psychological trauma resulting from a response to a critical incident or emotionally difficult event. A "critical incident" is any event outside the usual realm of human experience that is markedly distressing or evokes reactions of intense fear, helplessness, or horror and involves the perceived threat to a person's physical integrity or the physical integrity of someone else.

This act provides that all peace officers shall be required to meet with a program service provider once every three to five years for a mental health check-in. The program service provider shall send a notification to the peace officer's commanding officer that he or she completed such check-in. Any information disclosed by a peace officer shall be privileged and shall not be used as evidence in criminal, administrative, or civil proceedings against the peace officer, except as in certain instances as provided in the act.

Additionally, this act creates the "988 Public Safety Fund" within the state treasury and shall be used by the Department of Public Safety for the purposes of providing services for peace officers to assist in coping with stress and potential psychological trauma resulting from a response to a critical incident or emotionally difficult event. Such services may include consultation, risk assessment, education, intervention, and other crisis intervention services.

These provisions are substantially similar to SCS/SB 551 (2021) and to provisions in SS#2/SB 26 (2021) and similar to SB 18 (First Extraordinary Session 2020).

POLICE USE OF FORCE DATABASE (Section 590.1265)

This act establishes the "Police Use of Force Transparency Act of 2021."

Starting March 1, 2022, each law enforcement agency shall, at least annually, collect and report local data on use-of-force incidents involving peace officers to the National Use of Force Data Collection through the Law Enforcement Enterprise Portal administered by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Use-of-force incidents shall include fatalities and serious physical injuries that are connected to the use of force by an officer.

Additionally, each law enforcement agency shall submit such information to the Department of Public Safety. The personally identifying information of individual peace officers shall not be included in the reports. The Department of Public Safety shall, no later than October 31, 2021, develop standards and procedures governing the collection and reporting of use-of-force data. The standards shall be consistent with the requirements, definitions, and methods of the National Use of Force Data Collection administered by the FBI.

The Department of Public Safety shall publish the data reported by law enforcement agencies in a publicly available report at least annually starting March, 2023. Finally, the Department of Public Safety shall undertake an analysis of any trends and disparities in rates of use of force by all law enforcement agencies, with a report to be released to the public no later than June 30, 2025. The report shall be updated at least every five years.

These provisions are substantially similar to provisions in SCS/SB 74 (2020) and similar to HB 998 (2021) and HB 59 (2021).

MARY GRACE BRUNTRAGER