House committee hears bill to modernize Missouri fireworks law; no vote taken

The Missouri House Committee on Conservation and Natural Resources heard testimony on House Bill 806, sponsored by Representative Tim Taylor, a multi-year effort to update the state's fireworks statutes. The committee held a hearing and did not take a vote on the measure.

Representative Tim Taylor, sponsor of HB 806 and a member of the committee, described the bill as a multi-year effort to modernize older law. "What House Bill 806 is the culmination of 3 years of work, to bring to to modern times, you might say, the statutes pertaining to fireworks, which were created in 1987," Taylor said, adding that product types, industry practice and safety standards have changed since the original law.

Supporters framed the bill as a public-safety and enforceability update. John Walker of Spirit of 76 Fireworks, a wholesaler and distributor based in Columbia and Booneville, said industry participants and the state fire marshal's office spent three years drafting the proposal and that the top priorities are safety, clarity and enforceability. "First and foremost is first and…