JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — Gov. Mike Parson signed four bills into law Tuesday, enacting licensure and insurance reforms and regulations on emerging technologies while lawmakers wait to see if they’ll be called back to the capital city for a special session to reauthorize the FRA tax.
Rep. Derek Grier’s HB 476 began with language expanding Missouri’s licensing reciprocity laws to cover licenses issued by the military but grew to include broader licensure reforms as it progressed through the General Assembly. The final version of the bill included a myriad of provisions, covering everything from pesticide dealers’ licenses to occupational therapists, dieticians, and architects.
HB 273 from Rep. Tom Hannegan contained similar licensing reforms; it began with language restricting the Division of Professional Registration from requiring a license for workers working in shampooing under the supervision of a licensed barber or cosmetologist. It grew over session to include licensing reciprocity for those with valid licenses from the military and licensing changes for dieticians and architects.
Language added to both bills allows pharmacists to dispense HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) medications, provided the pharmacist has completed the necessary training program. PEP treatments are used within the critical three-day period following exposure to the virus.
SB 6 from Sen. Paul Wieland contained various provisions on insurance, clarifying the state’s petroleum tank insurance fund, licensing of insurance producers, and establishing continuing education credits for insurers.
Sen. Lincoln Hough’s SB 176 would enact regulations on personal delivery devices (PDDs), prohibiting the devices from blocking public right-of-ways or unreasonably obstructing traffic. They would also be relegated to speeds under 10 miles per hour and required to maintain a $100,000 general liability insurance policy.
Dubbed the “tiny robots” bill in the Senate, other measures were added as it rolled through the process: Another section included in the bill would require food delivery platforms to register with the Secretary of State’s Office and restrict them from using a brand’s likeness or trade name in a way that could be construed as a sponsorship of the restaurant without an agreement.
Other measures cover the classification and regulation of electric bicycles and the sale and leasing fees charged by vehicle dealers, the latter of which saw pushback in the upper chamber. Under the language, car dealers would be able to charge higher administrative fees, raising the bar from under $200 to under $499.
These are the latest 2021 bills signed by the state’s chief executive: Other bills established a statewide prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP), restricted transportation organizations from requiring vaccine passports, and declared federal gun laws restricting gun ownership among law-abiding Missourians “invalid.”
This post has been updated.
Cameron Gerber studied journalism at Lincoln University. Prior to Lincoln, he earned an associate’s degree from State Fair Community College. Cameron is a native of Eldon, Missouri.
Contact Cameron at cameron@themissouritimes.com.
