Senate Committee Substitute

CERTIFICATION OF JUVENILES FOR TRIAL AS ADULTS (Section 211.071, 211.600, & 217.345)

Under current law, a child between the ages of 12 and 18 may be certified for trial as an adult for a certain felony offenses. This act changes the ages to between 14 and 18 years old.

Additionally, under current law, a court shall order a hearing to determine whether a child should be certified for trial as an adult for certain offenses. This act adds that a child between 12 and 18 years old shall have a certification hearing for certain offenses. This act also adds dangerous felonies to such offenses.

This act provides that the Office of State Courts Administrator shall collect certain information as provided in the act relating to petitions to certify juveniles as adults.

Finally, this act modifies provisions relating to correctional treatment programs for offenders 18 years of age or younger. Such programs shall include physical separation from offenders younger than 18 years of age and shall include education programs that award high school diplomas or its equivalent.

These provisions are identical to provisions in the truly agreed to and finally passed SS/SCS/SBs 189, et al (2023), the perfected SS#3/SB 22 (2023) and substantially similar to provisions in SCS/SBs 406 & 423 (2023) and similar to SB 887 (2024) and HCS/HB 12 (2020).

ELIGIBILITY FOR PAROLE FOR JUVENILES (Section 217.690)

Under current law, when a person under the age of 18 is sentenced to a term or terms of imprisonment amounting to 15 years or more, that person is eligible for parole after serving 15 years, unless such person was found guilty of murder in the first degree.

This act adds that such a person will also be ineligible for parole if he or she was found guilty of murder in the second degree when such person knowingly causes the death of another person.

These provisions are identical to SB 746 (2024) and to provisions in the truly agreed to and finally passed SS/SCS/SBs 189, et al (2023), and the perfected SS#3/SB 22 (2023) and substantially similar to provisions in SB 644 (2022), SCS/HB 2088, et al (2022), SCS/HB 2697, et al (2022), and SS/SCS/SB 850 (2022).

CONVICTION REVIEW UNIT (Section 547.500)

Under this act, the Missouri Office of Prosecution Services may establish a conviction review unit to investigate claims of actual innocence of any defendant, including those who plead guilty.

The Missouri Office of Prosecution Services shall create an application process for defendants as provided in the act. The conviction review unit shall consist of two attorneys hired by the executive director of the Missouri Office of Prosecution Services, an investigator, paralegal, and other administrative staff. The Director shall be an ex officio member of the unit.

Once the review is complete, the conviction review unit shall present its findings either to the prosecuting attorney who prosecuted the case or, if the review was requested by the Attorney General, special prosecutor, or other prosecuting attorney's office, to the office who requested the review. Such prosecuting attorney's office is not required to accept or follow the findings and recommendations of the conviction review unit.

Any document produced by the conviction review unit shall be a closed record until after the finality of all proceedings.

This provision is identical to SB 765 (2024), to a provision in the truly agreed to and finally passed SS/SCS/SBs 189, et al (2023), SCS/HS/HCS/HBs 1108 & 1181, et al (2023), and HCS/SS#3/SB 22 (2023).

BLAIR'S LAW (Section 571.031)

This act establishes "Blair's Law" which specifies that a person commits the offense of unlawful discharge of a firearm if he or she recklessly discharges a firearm within or into the limits of a municipality. Any such person shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor for the first offense, a class E felony for the second offense, and a class D felony for any third or subsequent offenses. These provisions will not apply if the firearm is discharged under circumstances as provided in the act.

This provision is substantially similar to SB 788 (2024), SB 343 (2023) and to provisions in the truly agreed to and finally passed SS/SCS/SBs 189, et al (2023), SCS/HB 2088, et al (2022), SCS/HB 2697, et al (2022), HB 1637 (2022), HB 1462 (2022), HB 1865 (2022), and HB 1893 (2020).

MAX'S LAW (Sections 575.010, 575.353, 578.007, & 578.022)

This act creates "Max's Law."

Under current law, the offense of assault on a law enforcement animal is a class C misdemeanor.

This act provides that the offense of assault on a law enforcement animal is a class A misdemeanor, if the law enforcement animal is not injured to the point of requiring veterinary care or treatment; a class E felony if the law enforcement animal is seriously injured to the point of requiring veterinary care or treatment; and a class D felony if the assault results in the death of such animal.

Additionally, exemptions to the offenses of agroterrorism, animal neglect, and animal abuse shall not apply to the killing or injuring of a law enforcement animal while working.

Finally, this act adds that any dog that is owned by or in the service of a law enforcement agency and that bites or injures another animal or human is exempt from the penalties of the offense of animal abuse.

This act is identical to provisions in the truly agreed to and finally passed SS/SCS/SBs 189, et al (2023), SCS/HB 2697, et al (2022), SCS/HB 2088, et al (2022), SS/SCS/SB 850 (2022), and SB 765 (2022).

DRUG TRAFFICKING (Sections 579.065 & 579.068)

Additionally, under current law, a person commits the offense of drug trafficking in the first or second degree if he or she is distributing or purchasing more than 8 grams or more than 24 grams of a mixture containing a cocaine base.

This act repeals those provisions.

These provisions are identical to provisions in the truly agreed to and finally passed SS/SCS/SBs 189, et al (2023), HCS/HB 1133 (2023), and SB 705 (2023).

CRITICAL INCIDENT STRESS MANAGEMENT PROGRAM (Section 590.192)

This act adds firefighters as eligible first responder personnel to receive services from the Critical Incident Stress Management Program of the Department of Public Safety.

This provision is identical to SB 760 (2024), SB 121 (2023) and a provision in the truly agreed to and finally passed SS/SCS/SBs 189, et al (2023) and HCS/SS/SCS/SBs 119 & 120 (2023).

PUBLIC DEFENDER FUND (Section 600.042)

Under current law, any funds available from government grants, private gifts, donations, bequests, or other sources made to the Office of the Public Defender are deposited in the general revenue fund of the state.

This act creates the "Public Defender - Federal and Other Fund" in the state treasury and provides that funding from any government grants, private gifts, donations, bequests, or other sources shall be deposited into such fund.

These provisions are identical to SB 841 (2024) and to provisions in the truly agreed to and finally passed SS/SCS/SBs 189, et al (2024), SS/SB 245 (2023), SS/SB 265 (2023), SB 1039 (2022), provisions in SCS/HB 2088, et al (2022), and HB 2370 (2022).

EXPUNGEMENT OF CRIMINAL RECORDS (Section 610.140)

This act modifies provisions relating to the number of crimes a person may apply to have expunged from his or her record. A person may seek to expunge all crimes as part of the same course of criminal conduct, subject to limitations as provided in the act.

Under current law, certain offenses, violations, and infractions are not eligible for expungement. This act adds that the offenses, or successor offenses, of sexual conduct with a nursing facility resident in the second degree, use of a child in sexual performance, promoting a sexual performance of a child, or cross burning shall not be eligible for expungement.

This act changes provisions regarding any offense of unlawful use of weapons as not eligible for expungement to any "felony" offense of unlawful use of weapons is not eligible.

This act repeals the provision that a court can make a determination at the hearing based solely on a victim's testimony and adds that a court may find that the continuing impact of the offense upon the victim rebuts the presumption that expungement is warranted.

This act also changes the time a person can petition to expunge arrest record for an eligible crime from three years after the date of the arrest to 18 months from the date of the arrest.

This act provides that a person shall be fully restored to the status he or she occupied prior to the arrests, pleas, trials, or convictions expunged. Additionally, this act modifies provisions allowing a person to answer "no" to an employer's inquiry about any arrests, charges, or convictions of a crime.

These provisions are substantially similar to SB 861 (2024), to provisions in the truly agreed to and finally passed SS/SCS/SBs 189, et al (2023), SB 687 (2022), SCS/SB 61 (2021), SB 519 (2020), and SB 952 (2020).

MARY GRACE PRINGLE