SB 566 - This act modifies provisions relating to the possession of firearms. UNLAWFUL USE OF CONCEALED WEAPONS (SECTION 571.030) Under this act, unless a person is issued a valid concealed carry permit, a person commits the offense of unlawful use of a weapon if a person knowingly carries a concealed weapon into: • Any public higher education institution without the consent of the governing body of the institution; • Any public elementary or secondary school facility without the consent of a school officials or the district school board, unless the person is a designated school protection officer; • Any school bus or on any premises of any school sponsored function, unless the weapon is possessed by an adult and is required in order to facilitate the school sanctioned firearm event; • Any police, sheriff, or highway patrol station without the consent of the chief law enforcement officer of that station; • Any jail, prison, or correctional institution; • Any building that is solely occupied by a court, except certain certified law enforcement officers and any person who has a valid concealed carry permit and consent of the presiding judge; • Any meeting, including committee meeting, of the General Assembly, unless the person carrying the firearm has a valid concealed carry permit; • Any area of an airport that is controlled by a search of a person and their property; • Anywhere carrying a firearm is prohibited by federal law; • Any private property where the owner has posted certain signs stating the property is off-limits to concealed firearms; and • Any arena or stadium with a seating capacity of five thousand or more that is managed or leased by a private entity. This act repeals provisions prohibiting the possession of a concealed firearm in places of worship, any election precinct on any election day, and certain buildings owned or occupied by the state and federal government, or any political subdivision. This act also decriminalizes the offense of carrying a concealed weapon onto any private property without consent of the owner. Finally, this act provides that the offense of unlawful use of a concealed weapon does not include the storage of a firearm in a vehicle, except where prohibited by federal law, so long as the firearm remains stored in the vehicle and is not at anytime brandished. CONCEALED CARRY PERMITS (SECTION 571.107) This act repeals provisions that prohibit someone with a valid concealed carry permit from carrying a concealed weapon in the following locations: • Any polling place on any election day; • Any meeting of the governing body of a unit of local government or the General Assembly; • Any establishment that serves intoxicating liquors; • Any higher education institution; • Any portion of a building that has a child care facility; • Any riverboat gambling facility; • Any gated amusement park; • Any church or other place of religious worship; and • Any hospital accessible to the public. PUBLIC EMPLOYEES WITH CONCEALED CARRY PERMITS(SECTION 571.108 and 571.109) This act prohibits the state or any county, municipality or other political subdivision from imposing any ordinance, rule, policy, contractual agreement, or employment agreement restricting an employee with a valid concealed carry permit from carrying a concealed weapon. Additionally, no public higher education institution shall impose any contractual requirement upon any employee or student that generally prohibits or has the effect of generally prohibiting the lawful possession of firearms by such persons or impose any tax or fee on the lawful possession of firearms. WEAPONS IN BUS TERMINALS (SECTIONS 577.703 & 577.712) Finally, this act repeals the offense of possession and concealment of a dangerous or deadly weapon upon a bus and repeals provisions that made it unlawful for someone to possess a deadly or dangerous weapon in a bus terminal. This act is identical substantially similar to SB 752 (2022), SB 117 (2021), SB 663 (2020), SB 121 (2019), HB 258 (2019), HB 1936 (2018), and HB 630 (2017). MARY GRACE PRINGLE