An important step was taken this week to provide assistance to areas of the state plagued by violent crime. The House approved HB 301 by a vote of 109-35.

HB 301 is a wide-ranging public safety bill that includes a key provision that would allow the governor to appoint a special prosecutor in areas of the state with an excessive homicide rate. The bill specifies the governor would be empowered to appoint a prosecutor in any circuit or prosecuting attorney’s jurisdiction that has a homicide rate in excess of 35 cases per 100,000 people and where the governor determines there is a threat to public safety and health. The special prosecutor would be appointed for a period of up to five years.

HB 301 specifies that the prosecutor appointed by the governor would have exclusive jurisdiction to initiate and prosecute offenses specified in the bill. The state will provide funding to the special prosecutor, who would be authorized to hire up to 15 assistant special prosecuting attorneys and up to 15 staff members.

HB 301 also contains several other provisions designed to improve public safety in Missouri. The bill would establish the Peace Officer Basic Training Tuition Reimbursement Program to help address the shortage of police officers in some parts of the state.

The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.

House Approves Bill to Allow Direct Access to Physical Therapy (HBs 115 & 99)

This piece of legislation would allow patients to have direct access to physical therapy. The Missouri House approved HBs 115 & 99 by a vote of 147-1. Currently there are 47 states currently allow some form of direct access to physical therapy.

Under HBs 115 & 99 a physical therapist would no longer need a prescription or referral from a doctor in order to evaluate and initiate treatment on a patient. To qualify, the physical therapist would need a Doctorate of Physical Therapy Degree or five years of clinical practice as a physical therapist.

The bill also states the physical therapist must refer to an approved health care provider any patient whose condition is beyond the physical therapist’s scope of practice, or any patient who does not demonstrate measurable or functional improvement after 10 visits or 30 days, whichever occurs first.

Additionally, the bill requires the physical therapist to consult with an approved health care provider before continuing therapy if after 10 visits or 30 business days, whichever occurs first, the patient has demonstrated measurable or functional improvement from the physical therapy and the physical therapist believes that continuation of physical therapy is necessary. Continued physical therapy must be in accordance with any direction of the health care provider and the therapist must notify the health care provider of continuing physical therapy every 30 days.

The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.

FFA State Officers Legislative Day

It was great to have FFA State Officers in the Capitol this week. Officers Hannah Shanks (Vienna), and Cody Garver (St. James), joined us as guests in the House Chamber to be recognized for their hard work and dedication to the organization and to the agriculture industry as a whole.

Supplemental Budget Bill (HB 14) Approved by the House

This week the members of the Missouri House approved a supplemental spending bill that will allocate additional funds for the current state operating budget. The House gave initial approval to the bill by a vote of 148-2.

In total, the bill allocates more than $627 million in funding. Some of the highlights of the supplementing spending plan include:

8.7% pay increase for state workers

Does not include general assembly and statewide elected officials

Additional $2 an hour shift differential for night shift direct care workforce (prisons, hospitals, other care facilities)

$286.5 million in spending authority for the State Emergency Management Agency.

  $628,750 appropriation to the Department of Agriculture to help address the growing black vulture problem impacting livestock owners statewide.

  $20 million to establish school safety programs, including physical security upgrades and associated technology, bleeding control kits, and automatic external defibrillators

The bill now requires a final vote in the House before moving to the Senate.

Thank you to all of the medical professionals that came to testify on behalf of House Bill 329.