Final Stretch of the 2026 Legislative Session
We’re now just a couple of weeks away from the end of Missouri’s 2026 legislative session, which is scheduled to wrap up on May 15. It’s been a very busy session, and a lot of important work is getting done.
Last week, the Senate passed the bills that make up the proposed state operating budget for fiscal year 2027. Because the House did not accept the Senate’s proposed changes, those bills now go to conference committee where lawmakers will work out the differences between the House and Senate versions.
In these final weeks, the Senate will also consider additional budget bills that fund key maintenance, repairs, facility upgrades and improvement projects across Missouri. All appropriations bills must be approved by the General Assembly by May 8.
Governor Signs Bills Into Law
On April 23 at the Capitol, the governor signed four pieces of legislation into law: House Bills 2061, 2423, 2641 and 2934. Here’s a look at what each one does:
- House Bill 2061 helps protect students in Missouri’s public K–12 schools and public colleges and universities from antisemitism. It uses the working definition from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, makes sure antisemitic harassment is treated like other forms of racial discrimination, and sets up a clear process for reporting and investigating complaints (I voted yes).
- House Bill 2423 creates a new state fund to properly collect and manage fees paid by businesses that are licensed to offer consumer credit (I voted yes).
- House Bill 2641 updates Missouri’s cannabis laws. It brings hemp-derived products under existing marijuana regulations, requires unlicensed sellers to stop selling those products, and protects customer privacy by limiting how dispensaries can collect or share personal information (I voted no).
- House Bill 2934 changes how major sports and convention facilities are managed and funded in St. Louis City and St. Louis County. It combines the St. Louis Regional Sports Authority and the St. Louis Regional Convention and Visitors Commission into one new board and allows voters and businesses to approve local taxes or assessments to help pay for facility improvements and operations (I voted no).
Several other bills were truly agreed to and finally passed by the General Assembly and delivered to the governor’s desk:
- Senate Bill 907 1154 & 1272 aim to stop abusive lawsuits over website accessibility by giving businesses a chance to fix issues before being sued. It also allows courts to step in when lawsuits are filed mainly to force quick settlements rather than improve access (I voted yes).
- Senate Bill 914 changes how sewage systems are regulated in Missouri, including updates to soil testing and permitting rules for on-site wastewater systems like septic systems (I voted yes).
- Senate Bill 938 changes how fees for recording land documents work by raising the basic fee from $4 to $6 and directing more of that money into the state’s land surveying fund and to cover actual survey-related costs (I voted no).
- Senate Bill 982 ensures victims have certainty and clarifies procedural requirements for how the sex offender registry works after recent Supreme Court rulings (I voted yes).
- Senate Bill 1142 makes changes to Missouri business law for LLCs, especially “series LLCs,” by improving how they are registered, tracked and verified through the Secretary of State’s office (I voted yes).
- House Bill 1786 makes changes to how the Missouri State Highway Patrol buys vehicles, boats, boat motors and trailers (I voted yes).
- House Bill 1866 gives the Missouri Department of Public Safety authority to refuse a peace officer license or training to someone whose license was previously revoked or surrendered, and initially included citizenship as a factor (though that provision was later changed). The bill also updates rules related to the School Protection Officer Program (I voted yes).
- House Bill 1870 updates state law on how wage garnishments work, including rules for how money can be collected from a person’s paycheck when they owe a debt (I voted yes).
- House Bill 2180 changes rules about how state agencies send mail. It updates the laws governing mail sent out by those agencies and will save the state about 2 million dollars a year (I voted yes).
- House Joint Resolution 173 and 174 would gradually eliminate Missouri’s state income tax. The question now goes to Missouri voters, who will decide whether to move forward with phasing out the income tax (I voted yes).
Bills Headed to the House
Several bills were third read and passed and sent to the House, including:
- Senate Bill 916 says that companies working on Missouri highway projects would be treated more like the state when it comes to lawsuits, meaning they would have some legal protections while doing that work (passed 31-2; I voted yes).
- Senate Bill 1033 exempts older farm vehicles from state emissions inspections (passed 22-8; I voted yes).
- Senate Bill 1135 (Bentley and Mason’s Law), requires anyone convicted of killing a parent while driving under the influence to pay child support to the children left behind (passed 29-0).
- Senate Bill 1410 & 853 make changes to Missouri’s property tax process by giving people more time for notices and appeals and letting some counties offer more flexible payment options for property taxes (passed 30-3; I voted yes).
- Senate Bill 1586 makes changes to how trash and landfill waste is managed and regulated in Missouri (passed 21-8; I voted no).
- House Bill 2593 makes several changes to Missouri’s laws about military affairs, especially relating to the Missouri National Guard and veterans (passed 28-1; I voted yes).
- House Bill 2974, makes it easier for licensed professionals from other states to work in Missouri and lets Missouri join agreements with other states so certain professionals can practice across state lines without getting a whole new license in Missouri (passed 28-3; I voted yes).
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It is a privilege and honor to represent you in Jefferson City. You can contact my office at 573-751-1492. To learn more about my sponsored legislation, visit my official Missouri Senate webpage at senate.mo.gov/Coleman.