HCS HB 2085 -- TOBACCO PRODUCTS (Keathley)

COMMITTEE OF ORIGIN: Standing Committee on Commerce

The following is a summary of the House Committee Substitute for HB 2085.

This bill specifies that the State of Missouri must preempt the sale of tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, and vapor products.

This preemption will include local ordinances that deal with:

(1) Ingredients;

(2) Setting the age to sell or purchase at 21 years of age and above; and

(3) Licensing and products bans.

In addition, existing state regulations on the sale of tobacco products to minors found in Sections 407.924 through 407.934, RSMo, will supersede any local laws, ordinances, orders, rules, or regulations enacted by a county, municipality, or other political subdivision regulating the sale of tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, or vapor products.

The bill does not prohibit counties, municipalities, or other political subdivisions from enforcing ordinances or regulations that set the age to sell or purchase tobacco products, alternative nicotine products, and vapor products to individuals under 21 years of age.

This bill will not apply to any local laws, ordinances, orders, rules, or regulations enacted by a county, municipality, or other political subdivision prior to January 1, 2026.

This bill is similar to HB 344 (2025); HB 2060 (2024); HB 1039 (2023); and SB 522 (2023).

HCS HB 2774 -- REGULATIONS BASED ON FUEL SOURCES (Knight)

COMMITTEE OF ORIGIN: Standing Committee on General Laws

This bill prohibits the state and political subdivisions from making any law, rule, regulation, or ordinance that restricts the sale or use of motor vehicles, tools, or farm equipment based on fuel sources.

The bill does not prohibit any city with more than 16,000 but fewer than 18,000 inhabits that is also the county seat of a county with more than one million inhabitants from restricting the use of gas-powered leaf blowers by law, rule, regulation, or ordinance. Upon enactment, this would apply to the City of Clayton.

This bill is similar to HB 1455 (2025).

The act repeals a provision stating that a state standard for the location, size of sewage tanks and length of lateral lines is based on the percolation or permeability rate of the soil. Under the act, the state standard is based on soil properties.

The act repeals a provision stating that soil tests are to be performed by persons who are qualified to perform the percolation tests and creates a new provision authorizing on-site soil evaluators registered by the Department of Health and Senior Services to conduct soils morphology evaluations.

This act repeals a provision stating that contractors may be taught and allowed to perform percolation tests.

The act repeals a provision relating to the Department of Health and Senior Services periodically reviewing any county and city regulation and enforcement record to ensure that the state standard for sewage regulation is being enforced.

The act creates a mandatory registration program requiring continuing education before January 1, 2027, for on-site wastewater treatment system professionals qualified to perform percolation tests in accordance with the state standard as described in the act. Before January 1, 2027, the administrative authority may accept a percolation test at its own discretion if a soil morphology evaluation cannot be reasonably obtained. This provision shall be void and of no effect after December 31, 2026.

Under the act, any person who intends to construct or make major modifications or repairs to an on-site sewage disposal system must submit an application fee and obtain a construction permit.

The act repeals certain provisions relating to fees for repair of on-site sewage disposal systems.

Under the act, the Department shall promulgate regulations establishing the conditions and requirements for the construction permit application, including the collection of reasonable fees set at a level to produce revenue not exceeding the cost and expense of administering the provisions under the act.

The act is substantially similar to SB 601 (2025), a provision in the perfected HB 200 (2025), a provision in HCS/SS/SB 61 (2025), HB 2083 (2024), HB 814 (2023), and substantially similar to SB 1283 (2024), and SB 523 (2023).

JULIA SHEVELEVA

Current law requires county commissions to divide newly formed ambulance districts into six election districts for the election of members of the board of directors. This act makes the election for all such directors at-large, and allows ambulance districts the option of dividing into six election districts. (Section 190.050)

Current law authorizes six-member ambulance districts to adopt a resolution increasing the board to seven members. This act requires that any such resolution shall state the names of the existing directors as well as any vacancies to be filled in a subsequent election. If a six-member ambulance district votes to decrease the number of directors to five or three, all existing board members shall complete their terms. (Section 190.051)

Current law requires the county commission to fill vacancies on an ambulance board if the board is unable to fill such vacancies on its own within sixty days or if there are more than two vacancies at a time, with such appointment made by the county commission within ten days. This act modifies such provision by requiring a written request from the ambulance board or the ambulance service administrator prior to the county commission filling a vacancy, and by increasing the deadline to fill such vacancy from ten days to thirty calendar days. (Section 190.052)

DISTRICT ANNEXATION OF LAND

Current law requires a petition for the annexation of land into an ambulance district to be filed with the county clerk, with the county commission ordering an election if such petition complies with state law. This act moves such responsibilities to the ambulance district board of directors. (Section 190.070)

AMBULANCE DISTRICT CONSOLIDATION

This act requires every petition or resolution for the consolidation of two or more ambulance districts to be accompanied by a consolidation plan, which shall include information described in the act. Petitions and resolutions for consolidation shall be received from all consolidating ambulance districts within the same calendar year or shall be considered null and void.

Notice of intent is required to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in every county in which the proposed consolidated district will be located, and a joint public hearing shall be held no more than ten days after the date of the second publication of the notice of intent. If no objections are filed within thirty days after the public hearing, the county commission shall order the districts consolidated. If a qualified objection is made, the county commission shall order the submission of the question of consolidation to the voters.

A consolidated ambulance district may impose a tax levy not to exceed the highest tax levy imposed among the consolidating districts, provided that such rate is approved by the voters. No tax rate greater than the lowest rate imposed by the consolidating districts shall be imposed without a vote of the district voters.

Any ambulance district that has contracted for ambulance service with another ambulance district for more than five consecutive years may consolidate into such district without providing notice or a public hearing. (Section 190.090)

TRISTAN BENSON JR

The operation and support of a juvenile detention facility authorized pursuant to this act shall be regulated in accordance with the rules and standards of the Supreme Court of Missouri under the governance of the circuit judge. If two or more counties of adjoining judicial circuits have authorized a place of detention, the circuit judges shall jointly govern the affairs of the place of detention. Furthermore, the counties authorizing a place of detention pursuant to this section may impose, by order, a sales tax up to one percent on all retail sales.

This act is identical to SB 809 (2025).

TRISTAN BENSON, JR.

This act is identical to HCS/HB 1264 (2025).

TRISTAN BENSON, JR.

TRISTAN BENSON, JR.

SCS/SB 1586 - The act modifies certain provisions relating to solid waste management.

Under the act, no person may transfer title to any property containing a solid waste disposal site or demolition landfill without disclosing the sale, conveyance, or transfer to the Department of Natural Resources. The seller shall inform the buyer with a written notice signed and dated by the seller about the existence and location of the disposal or landfill site. If the seller fails to send the written notice to the buyer, the buyer may cancel the sale and the seller shall return to the buyer any earnest money paid by the buyer to the seller.

The act provides that any person or entity that applies for a grant shall not be disqualified from receiving such grant on the basis that there is a familial relationship between the applicant and any member of the Department, instead of the solid management district executive board as currently provided.

After October 1, 2027, an annual adjustment of fees collected for solid waste accepted shall be based on the percentage increase measured by the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers for the preceding year.

The Department shall have the authority to assess, investigate, test, remediate, and manage abandoned solid waste disposal areas.

The Department shall allocate a percentage of revenue dedicated to grants previously managed by solid waste management districts. This percentage shall serve as a minimum percentage of revenue to fund such grants and shall be calculated as follows: the total grant amount previously administered by solid waste management districts for the previous three fiscal years divided by the total amount of solid waste tonnage fees from the previous three fiscal years. Such percentage of revenue shall be divided as follows: 40% shall be allocated based on the population within the geographical area of each regional office of the Department in the latest decennial census, and 60% shall be allocated based on the amount of revenue generated within each geographical area of each regional office of the Department. Revenue generated within each geographical area of each regional office of the Department shall be determined from the previous year's data. Moneys shall be awarded based upon grant applications.

The act repeals certain provisions relating to the distribution of the revenues.

Grants for proposals that will promote and maximize the sharing of district resources shall no longer be part of the criteria to establish the order of grant authority.

Any allocated moneys remaining in any fiscal year due to insufficient or inadequate grant applications shall be reallocated for grant applications in subsequent years or for Department operations, instead of solid waste management projects as provided in current law.

All remaining revenues not included in the calculation relating to the maintenance of essential grants, instead of 39% of the revenues as currently provided, shall be dedicated, upon appropriation, to the elimination of illegal solid waste disposal.

The act repeals certain provisions relating to any allocated district moneys remaining after five years. The act repeals a provision relating to sample audits of grants. The act repeals a provision relating to the criteria for allocation of grant moneys.

The act provides that the Department shall promulgate criteria for evaluating grants by rule and regulation.

The act further repeals certain provisions relating to funds awarded to solid waste management districts and grants approved by the solid waste management districts.

The act provides that the state solid waste management districts shall be dissolved effective August 28, 2026. By December 31, 2026, each solid waste management district shall: submit a final financial audit, remit any leftover moneys to the Solid Waste Management Fund, provide a list of open grants, and provide a complete itemized list of all grants awarded for the previous three fiscal years.

Effective August 28, 2026, the Department shall take over the oversight of open district grants.

The act repeals certain provisions relating to solid waste management regions, a Solid Waste Management Council, executive boards of solid waste management districts, and the Solid Waste Advisory Board.

JULIA SHEVELEVA

HB 1825 -- COUNTY SALARY COMMISSIONS (Busick)

COMMITTEE OF ORIGIN: Standing Committee on Local Government

Every noncharter county has a salary commission, the members of which are specified in State statute.

This bill removes the county prosecuting attorney and county sheriff from the list of members of the salary commission, except for in Boone County, where the prosecuting attorney and sheriff will remain on the salary commission.

The bill makes assistant prosecuting attorneys members of the salary commission in any county that utilizes them.