JEFFERSON CITY — The House is considering a bill that would shield some private contractors for the Missouri Department of Transportation from lawsuits the same way the government itself is protected.

House Bill 2926, proposed by Rep. Cameron Parker, R-Campbell, was heard by the House Transportation Committee on Tuesday.

Members of the committee and the public expressed some confusion about what the bill covered and what it implied.

“From my understanding, it encompasses all kinds of industries that would have this immunity, and I’m curious as to why those were taken out, and we’re only dealing with MoDOT,” said Rep. Michael Burton, D-Lakeshire.

“On this particular case, I wanted to limit the scope,” Parker said in response. “Many, many subcontractors or private contractors deal with the MoDOT entities.”

The bill aims to keep Missouri’s existing sovereign immunity framework, meaning the government can’t be sued for negligence, except for certain situations already written into law. For example, car accidents involving government employees. These existing exceptions don’t change in the proposed bill.

This piece of legislation restates two main situations where the state waives immunity:

Injuries caused by the negligent operation of motor vehicles by public employees.

Injuries caused by dangerous conditions on public property.

Some public citizens have voiced support for the bill. Dale Williams, an employee with the Missouri Asphalt Pavement Association, testified.

“If a contractor does something negligent, then you know we will let the law work that out, but we’re asking for protection when they follow and do everything they’re supposed to do,” Williams said.

The major change to state law within this bill is that private contractors, subcontractors and their employees will have the same immunity as a public entity only when the following are true:

The individuals are working under a government contract with MoDOT.

They are performing work according to MoDOT-approved plans and specifications.

Some members of the public showed up in protest of the bill.

“If someone comes into my office and tells me they’ve been involved in a wreck and are seriously injured because of these construction projects, what I have to tell them is that there’s a limit to which we can go after the state, both in terms of liability and the amount of damages they can actually recover, no matter how seriously harmed or if a loved one is killed,” said Mike Campbell, an attorney in Columbia advocating on behalf of the Missouri Association of Trial Attorneys.