February Capitol Report

The bills create criminal penalties for failure to report violations, establish that intentionally killing a child born alive constitutes first-degree murder, and authorize civil liability for conduct that causes injury or death in connection with unlawful or self-induced abortions. The proposals also specify who may bring civil actions and limit certain defenses in wrongful death and personal injury claims, while clarifying that natural and spontaneous pregnancy loss before fetal viability is not considered an abortion.

Supporters say that any child born alive following an attempted abortion should receive the same standard of care as any other newborn, and that the enforcement provisions promote accountability and transparency in medical settings. Opponents argued that the legal definitions in the bill do not align with medical practice and could create unintended legal risks in complex clinical situations. With a vote of 103-40, the bill now heads to the Missouri Senate for further consideration.

Legislation passed this week aims to prevent predatory lawsuits against scores of small businesses for alleged website noncompliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). HBs 1694, 1674, 1780, 2056, 2312 & 1755 creates the “Act Against Abusive Website Access Litigation,” which would target “sue and settle” practices where litigation is used to pressure businesses into quick payouts, rather than to achieve real accessibility improvements. It allows the Attorney General or affected Missouri residents to seek a court determination that such claims are abusive and authorizes courts to award attorney’s fees, costs, and punitive damages up to three times the fee award when abuse is found.

The court is directed to consider factors such as repeat filings of similar claims, lack of notice and opportunity to cure, prior bad faith findings, residency or licensure of the filer, settlement conduct, and compliance with court rules. The bill creates a 90-day cure period that gives businesses a rebuttable presumption against abusive litigation if they make good-faith efforts to fix alleged accessibility issues after receiving written notice. The Attorney General may intervene on behalf of affected residents or businesses and issue guidance clarifying when website access litigation is considered abusive. With a unanimous vote of 149-0, the bill now heads to the Senate.

HB 1746, HB 1769 – Artificial Intelligence Non-Sentience and Liability Framework

These bills establish that artificial intelligence systems are non-sentient and may not be recognized as legal persons under state law. AI systems would be prohibited from holding legal status such as personhood, marriage-like relationships, corporate leadership roles, or ownership of property, with responsibility for AI actions assigned to human owners, users, developers, or controlling entities. The proposals create liability standards for harm caused by AI, including potential liability for developers in cases of defective design or negligence, and require owners to maintain oversight and safety mechanisms proportionate to risk. Courts would be authorized to hold parent companies or controlling entities accountable in cases where corporate structures are used to evade responsibility, and serious AI-related harms would trigger mandatory reporting to authorities.

HB 2350 – Artificially Generated Depictions of Minors

This bill expands criminal statutes related to child pornography to include artificially generated visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. It adds artificially generated images to existing definitions of child pornography, explicit sexual material, and prohibited material, ensuring that computer-generated or AI-created depictions are treated the same as traditional visual media under Missouri law. The bill closes statutory gaps that could allow exploitation through synthetic or digitally created imagery.

HB 1698, HB 2120 – School Bullying and Violence Response Policies

These bills update school anti-bullying statutes by requiring districts and charter schools to revise bullying policies, limit zero-tolerance discipline for victims, and consider self-defense when determining discipline. The proposals require immediate written reporting of bullying incidents, standardized documentation of investigations, parental notification, and referrals to law enforcement or the Children’s Division in cases meeting harassment thresholds. They mandate annual training for school employees and volunteers, monthly reporting of disciplinary incidents to school boards in closed session and provide civil liability protections for staff who intervene in good faith. The measures also treat bullying and school violence as reportable abuse for mandated reporters and prohibit charter schools from expelling or transferring students solely due to bullying reports.

HB 2230 – Limits on Technology Use in Elementary Schools

This bill limits daily digital instruction for students in kindergarten through fifth grade beginning in the 2027–28 school year and restricts the use of instructional technology in core subjects such as reading, math, handwriting, science demonstrations, and social studies. It requires that most assignments be completed using paper and pencil and mandates cursive instruction for grades two through five, with proficiency required by the end of fifth grade. The bill prohibits assigning technology-based homework, transporting school devices home, and using technology for classroom management or entertainment, with limited exceptions for special education and assistive technology. Districts would be required to adopt board policies and provide annual public reporting on technology use and instructional materials.

Many of these bills are in committee and will need to be perfected before they get to the floor for debate. As you can see, with this being just a few of the bills we are working on, it has been very busy.

Thank you for allowing me to represent you in Jefferson City.