[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6324909,"mediaKeyId","2335300-9230c2c04fae7cf3ace20007f249e583","parentId",2335300,"title","House committee hears bill to repeal Missouri 'pay‑to‑stay' law (HB 723)","audioSeconds",1690,"startMs",2466000,"endMs",4156000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2335300-9230c2c04fae7cf3ace20007f249e583&start=2466&end=4156","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2335300-9230c2c04fae7cf3ace20007f249e583/thumbnail_2466000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6324909/Missouri/House-committee-hears-bill-to-repeal-Missouri-paytostay-law-HB-723","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6324909-938d1dee5fc4e43b7a0e35dee6c162a6/orig.mp4?Expires=1773620935&Signature=ij7VncqDdjjhR2hXP5A0vwyxmY8ArM1ZzASskU1szFjtzSVqIN3E5crwZ1WRsS0ojOp6bjvj4198bEoAVLOK2nEXR8FcSut~1-migx-MoHG5mEO3JN3O19gKkeQcDPXcJfc2GXm6YKXVYehrxd~6bSlsivp6eqvGTmyfWbGphNX2-xipICKlNNA86UvMH~77qoLNczwhYgSjSwgD3jJMQeRqnUZ9f4d1QzdejHNhpaQeBfddsBexPsdxOsi6Mba5eBH69whwZAlEWJod~Aso26BUYFPqCDV1ikzaKMsizG9DvmJ7yfwJBSukg4ZXozyTbZbnim0ClY5zvYCsQondtQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Missouri State Legislature","date","2025-02-17T00:00:00Z","article","Vice Chair Tara Peters presented House Bill 723, which would repeal the Missouri Incarceration Reimbursement Act (MIRA), a statute commonly described as a \"pay‑to‑stay\" law that allows the state to seek recovery of incarceration costs and, in some cases, seize assets that accrue to an incarcerated person while they are in custody.

\"How many times do we have the opportunity to actually shrink our government?\" Peters said when she introduced the bill, describing MIRA as a statutory process originating in the 1980s that allows the state to seek up to 10% of the cost of housing an offender for up to two years and to seize as much as 90% of an offender's assets to secure that reimbursement. Peters said the measure would remove the state's ability to seize those assets.

Proponents at the hearing said repeal would support reentry and reduce recidivism by allowing people leaving incarceration to retain money they need for housing, transportation and family support. Bevis Schock, a St. Louis civil attorney, described cases of people who received settlements or inheritances while incarcerated and then lost those funds to state claims; he urged the legislature to repeal MIRA rather than rely on courts to find it unconstitutional. \"We're taking people's property here, a tiny number of people's property, and it's their property,\" Schock said.

Jeremy Lafavor, who testified for Empower Missouri, and Jeff Smith of Missouri Appleseed, a nonprofit that focuses on justice and family outcomes, said retaining modest assets helps people successfully reenter their communities and reduced recidivism. Smith said research shows two interventions that reduce reoffending are educational credentials earned in custody and maintaining close contact with loved ones; small amounts of money can help people pay for phone calls, transportation, and a place to sleep on release.

Committee members asked practical and legal questions. Representative Obis asked whether repeal would affect court‑ordered restitution owed to victims; witnesses and the sponsor said restitution orders and fines imposed at sentencing would still be handled through the judicial process and are separate from MIRA collections. Representative Hovis asked whether the law captures ill‑gotten gains from high‑level offenders; witnesses said many criminal‑proceeds remedies exist but that MIRA mainly affected modest settlements, inheritances or property that accrued while people were incarcerated.

The bill's fiscal note was discussed in the hearing. Committee testimony cited figures from the Department of Corrections and the Attorney General's office showing approximately $750,000 collected by the Department of Corrections last year and about $170,305 retained by the Attorney General's office, for a total of roughly $920,000 in collections reported on the fiscal note. Witnesses argued the modest revenue should be weighed against the broader social and fiscal costs of recidivism.

Several witnesses said the attorney general's office had indicated it did not plan to oppose repeal, and supporters urged the legislature to act so that courts are not forced to resolve constitutional challenges in piecemeal litigation. No committee vote was recorded during the hearing.

The committee heard multiple proponents — including legal advocates, a reentry nonprofit representative and former incarcerated individuals working in advocacy — and closed the hearing without a recorded committee decision. Supporters asked legislators to consider the reentry consequences of continuing MIRA and to weigh the fiscal tradeoffs against recidivism reduction and family stability.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Emerging Issues (HR7) February 17, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Vice Chair Tara Peters introduced HB 723 to repeal the Missouri Incarceration Reimbursement Act (MIRA), which allows the state to recover up to 10% of the cost to house an offender and to seize assets that accrue to an incarcerated person; proponents said repeal would aid reentry and reduce recidivism.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MO, Missouri","taxId",77693,"location","Missouri","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6324912,"Missouri committee hears broad support for comprehensive school safety bill (HB 416)",2301,167000,2468000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2335300-9230c2c04fae7cf3ace20007f249e583&start=167&end=2468","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2335300-9230c2c04fae7cf3ace20007f249e583/thumbnail_167000.jpg","/articles/6324912/Missouri/Missouri-committee-hears-broad-support-for-comprehensive-school-safety-bill-HB-416","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6324912-783f8caa47bd74469378c4d8fc32ebd6/orig.mp4?Expires=1773620935&Signature=KAei4LT8oEtf4Y3gVqv7z2MLpfY4F3zFP5X4nEv6JX970Qd~FkbOj4mzO0k6dNrbgsMzL7wFAGPD~GsbyV10uNuk8ARZfsaTDKIMT-sm13x7b5tQeT23BJ1ng4hA4Is9aZVZwFtbsfjNDX4eH~jgxaEIbnOOS2B5emq-yI7eTZ0DTUnBUTmFzc6f8uafIBiDsGX9-aHXXzREdCbpwVaju2cbNfb~UWjY-JUfRRLObP7tpv0ng3ugZe0I1-0CIrhr5hxUb61KQ2~I0afxPZLY5IOBhNPIs3EynXfzAGHRoFljLNAjRzkhXkHZHyn3SMcNX0p47WvnnAuirp3PPeIqeQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Brenda Shields presented House Bill 416 to the Missouri House committee as a comprehensive approach to school safety, saying the measure would require districts to adopt emergency operations plans, complete annual physical site assessments, equip schools with “stop the bleed” kits, install anti‑intruder classroom locks and bullet‑resistant film on entry windows for newly constructed schools, and require behavioral risk assessments and several training priorities.

\"School safety is much more,\" Representative Brenda Shields said, listing planning, community involvement, behavioral and mental‑health supports and communication among the bill's priorities. Shields said the bill requires districts to adopt plans for all emergencies, mandating training, planning, response and follow‑up and supporting mental‑health needs.

The bill would: require emergency operations plans and annual physical security assessments; require a primary and a secondary school safety coordinator; place stop‑the‑bleed kits in high‑traffic areas and require staff training in their use; require interior classroom doors to have anti‑intruder locks that lock from inside without a key; require exterior doors and sidelights in new construction to have bullet‑resistant film; require behavioral risk assessments to follow a student who transfers schools; require prosecutors to notify schools within 24 hours if a student is charged with a violent crime outside school; require CPR and intruder‑drill training for staff; and expand use and training for the Missouri Highway Patrol’s Courage to Report and Handle With Care notifications.

The bill frames several requirements as contingent on funding. \"None of these though are required unless the General Assembly specifically appropriates money to cover the costs related to equipping existing buildings,\" Shields told the committee, and added that all listed protections would be required for buildings constructed on or after July 1, 2029.

John McDonald, chief operating officer for the Missouri School Board Association Center for Education Safety, told the committee the bill establishes a consistent, statewide \"reasonable standard of care\" for school safety and argued more consistent planning and training would reduce lost learning time caused by threats and incidents. \"When students feel safe, they're better learners,\" McDonald said, citing a recent period with multiple credible threats and research linking safety to improved educational outcomes.

Travis Coleman, a middle‑school teacher, said the bill's stop‑the‑bleed requirement and anti‑intruder locks address gaps he has seen in practice and could reduce fatalities and injuries. \"If teachers aren't trained on basic first aid or even CPR, that kid's gonna pass in front of them,\" Coleman said, urging practical, low‑cost approaches to training.

Committee members pressed on cost and implementation. Representative Hovis and others asked whether equipment such as AEDs or bullet‑resistant upgrades would be funded; Shields said AEDs are not included in HB 416 but could be added and often are donated locally. Multiple members asked about the bill's fiscal note and whether smaller districts could afford the requirements; Shields and witnesses said the bill is intentionally structured so many mandates for existing buildings would only take effect with state appropriations, while new construction after 07/01/2029 would be required to include specified features as part of bond or construction packages.

Members also discussed training standards. The bill references FEMA incident training and allows districts to use training from the Missouri School Boards Association as an alternative if a district prefers not to use federal training. Shields described behavioral risk assessments as tools for identifying students who have demonstrated homicidal or suicidal ideation, proactive or reactive planning, or other conduct that makes the school environment unsafe; the bill would require that such assessments follow a student who transfers schools so receiving schools have information to support them.

Several committee members raised confidentiality and public‑records concerns about emergency plans. Shields said prior committee discussion considered language to keep emergency operations plans from being made widely public to avoid creating a threat vector.

No committee vote was recorded during the hearing; the committee held the bill for further consideration following testimony. Supporters urged the committee to weigh the bill’s safety benefits against fiscal constraints, emphasizing local partnerships, donated equipment and phased implementation as ways to reduce direct costs to districts.

The hearing concluded after in‑committee discussion and witness testimony; committee members said they would follow up on fiscal details and technical questions about training standards and information sharing.","Representative Brenda Shields presented House Bill 416 to the committee as a comprehensive approach to school safety, proposing new requirements for emergency plans, site assessments, stop‑the‑bleed kits, anti‑intruder locks, behavioral risk assessments that follow a pupil, prosecutor notification for violent charges, and training for staff.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6324904,"Committee adopts House committee substitute for HB 534 unanimously in executive session",143,23000,166000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2335300-9230c2c04fae7cf3ace20007f249e583&start=23&end=166","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2335300-9230c2c04fae7cf3ace20007f249e583/thumbnail_23000.jpg","/articles/6324904/Missouri/Committee-adopts-House-committee-substitute-for-HB-534-unanimously-in-executive-session","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6324904-d28f3053a813e59c3ad63bdb356cf360/orig.mp4?Expires=1773620935&Signature=gsZzM-JUIu91spC6DNqQYeelPKMhOU6ekW0gJFX4kQDqj0oL5rbV5fhy~IfiEnJaFz1jlgoic2q4X7zRSqbM6yiMAFgWhhDKPSu3Q33tDhqI6Pl0INiX7uw2hAPySK-o7Os8K-hsawB881SmjelYxu22lEuJSr10UaamTvRJcqayAfeJwqN8tV-sMShlR1M56Y3qLiOQZ59uQ9W9O7ZzS7tpWC1BDATZlGESJ1ZUsRzYkzAcKDCV3MP0cIpvzxnoRfwZadoHbGJWqOO7ykFWSyTXmFdbniK0ioJsGjOQf-vETXbsmYGveDeTExm6Dp9qKiwvMzSdRdlzS--ScznLgw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Chairman Christ opened an executive session on House Bill 534, which Representative Deal sponsors, and moved that the bill be voted \"do pass.\" The chairman said the committee had a substitute that \"is just a cleanup language that went through the Senate on this bill\" and noted the bill had passed the Senate the prior week by a 27‑5 margin.

Committee members discussed briefly and then adopted the substitute (identified in committee as ending in \"0.02 C\"). The committee then voted the House committee substitute for HB 534 \"do pass.\" The secretary recorded the committee vote as 13 ayes, 0 no, 0 present; the chairman announced that the substitute had been adopted and that, by the recorded vote, committee members had approved the House committee substitute for House Bill 534.

No further action on HB 534 was recorded in the transcript; the chairman closed the executive session portion of the hearing and moved into the public hearing portion of the committee meeting.

\"It has been distributed and I move for its adoption,\" Chairman Christ said of the substitute, adding that the changes were cleanup language and that the bill had passed the Senate 27 to 5.

The committee's adoption of the substitute and the recorded 13‑0 vote conclude the executive session action taken on HB 534 in this meeting.","In executive session the committee adopted a House committee substitute for House Bill 534 and voted the substitute \"do pass.\" Committee members said the substitute makes cleanup changes and mirrors Senate language; the committee adopted the substitute ending in 0.02 C and voted the house committee substitute do pass 13‑0.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

House committee hears bill to repeal Missouri 'pay‑to‑stay' law (HB 723)

Missouri committee hears broad support for comprehensive school safety bill (HB 416)

Committee adopts House committee substitute for HB 534 unanimously in executive session