HCS HBs 595 & 343 -- LOCAL GOVERNMENT ORDINANCES FOR RENTAL PROPERTY (Brown (16))

COMMITTEE OF ORIGIN: Standing Committee on Commerce

This bill specifies that no county or city can enact, maintain, or enforce any ordinance or resolution that:

(1) Prohibits landlords from refusing to lease or rent certain residential or commercial rental property to a person because the person's source of income includes aid from a federal or other housing assistance program.

(2) Restricts a landlord's ability to use or consider income- qualifying methods, credit reports, eviction or property damage history or criminal history, or to request such information in order to determine whether to rent or lease a property to a prospective tenant;

(3) Limits the amount of security deposit required from a tenant; or

(4) Requires tenants to automatically receive the right of first refusal.

This bill allows the county or city to enter into voluntary agreements with private persons to regulate the amount of rent charged for subsidized rental properties.

HB 325 -- THE PRACTICE OF CERTAIN LICENSED PROFESSIONS (Murphy)

COMMITTEE OF ORIGIN: Standing Committee on Economic Development

Currently, certain persons must be required to immediately report or cause a report to be made to the Department of Health and Senior Services. This bill adds animal control officers and animal humane investigators to the list of person who must be required to immediately report or cause a report to be made to the Department.

This bill provides that all persons providing protective services to eligible adults must be required to complete at least one hour of training within the first 60 days of employment. The training requirements are specified in the bill.

Currently, certain persons must immediately report to the children's division when they have reasonable cause to suspect a child has been or may be subject to abuse or neglect or observe a child being subject to conditions that could result in abuse or neglect. This bill adds animal control officers and animal humane investigators to the list of such persons.

This bill requires all children's division employees, contractors for children's services, all persons employed or serving as animal control officers or animal humane investigators to complete training regarding animal abuse and neglect, and child abuse and neglect, respectively.

This bill specifies that the General Assembly preempts any political subdivision from enacting, maintaining, or enforcing any order, ordinance, rule, regulation, policy, or other similar measure that prohibits, restricts, limits, regulates, controls, directs, or interferes with the practice of professionals regulated under Chapters 330, 331, 332, 334, 335, 336, 337, 338, and 340, RSMo, which includes podiatrists, chiropractors, dentists, physicians, physician assistants, surgeons, nurses, anesthesiologist assistants, licensed therapists, respiratory care therapists, athletic trainers, optometrists, psychologists, professional counselors, social workers, pharmacists, and veterinarians.

This bill is similar to HCS HB 1509 (2024)and HCS HB 801 (2023).