HCSHB916--PROTECTIONOFVULNERABLEPERSONS
SPONSOR: Perkins
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPasswithHCS"bytheStanding
CommitteeonCorrectionsandPublicInstitutionsbyavoteof14to
0.
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstituteforHB
916.
SUPPLEMENTALNUTRITIONASSISTANCEPROGRAM(Section208.247)
Currently,individualsconvictedunderfederalorstatelawofa
felonyoffenseinvolvingpossession,distribution,oruseofa
controlledsubstanceareprohibitedfromparticipationinthe
SupplementalNutritionAssistanceProgram(SNAP).Thisbill
repealsthatprohibition,allowingthoseindividualstoaccessSNAP
benefits.
PROTECTIONOFVULNERABLEPERSONS(Sections221.520,221.523, and
491.075)
Thebillprohibitsallcountyandcityjails,exceptin
extraordinarycircumstances, fromusingrestraintsonapregnant
offenderinherthirdtrimester,includingduringtransportation or
labor,delivery,and48hourspost-delivery.
Incasesofextraordinarycircumstancesthatrequirerestraintsto
beused,thesherifforjailermustdocument,inwritingandwithin
48hoursoftheincident,thereasonfortherestraintsused,as
specifiedinthebill.Ifrestraintsareused,theymustbethe
leastrestrictiveavailableandthemostreasonableunderthe
circumstances. Noleg,ankle,orwaistrestraints,ormechanical
restraintscanbeused;anywristrestraintsusedmustbeplacedin
frontoftheoffender'sbody.Ifadoctor,nurse,orotherhealth
careprovidertreatingthepregnantoffenderduringthistime
requeststhatrestraintsnotbeused,thesherifforjailer
accompanyingtheoffendermustimmediatelyremoveallrestraints.
Pregnantoffendersarerequiredtobetransportedinvehicles
equippedwithseatbelts. Jailsmustofferstafftrainingonthe
provisionsofthisbillandinformoffendersofthepoliciesand
practicesforrestraintsonpregnantoffenders.
ByJanuary1,2026,allcountyandcityjailsmustdevelopspecific
proceduresforintakeandcareofpregnantoffenders,includingthe
provisionofmaternalhealthevaluations;dietarysupplements;
meals;substanceabusetreatment;HIVtreatment;HepatitisC treatment;sleepingarrangements;mentalhealthcare;sanitary
materials;andpostpartumrecovery.
Currently,astatementmadebyachildunder14yearsofagemaybe
admissibleincriminalproceedings,undercertaincircumstances.
Thisbillamendstheagetoachildunder18yearsofage.
Additionally,thebillprovidesthatvisualoraudiorecordingsof
achildunder18yearsofageoravulnerableperson,asdefinedin
thebill,andrelatingtocertaincriminaloffensesareadmissible
incriminalproceedingsundercertaincircumstances, asspecified
inthebill.
GOODTIMEANDEARNEDTIMECREDIT(Section558.041)
Currently,anoffenderinaDepartmentofCorrectionsinstitution
mayearngoodtimecredit.Thisbillexpandsthecredit-earning
systemtoincludeboth"goodtimecredit"fordisplayingexemplary
compliancewithinstitutionaldisciplinaryregulationsand"earned
timecredit"forsuccessfullyparticipatinginrehabilitative
programmingorproductiveactivities. Majorconductviolationsor
atotalofsixminorconductviolationswillresultinthelossof
allgoodtimeandearnedtimecredit.Goodtimecreditwillbe
earnedatarateof54daysperyearoftheoffender'ssentence
imposedbythecourtsandearnedtimecreditwillbeearnedata
rateof10daysfor30daysofsuccessfulparticipationin
rehabilitative programmingorproductiveactivities.
IftheDepartmentofCorrectionsdeterminestheoffenderhasnot
satisfactorily compliedwithinstitutionalregulations,theywill
notreceivegoodtimecredit.
Earnedtimecreditwillnotbeawardedforprogramscompletedprior
toanoffender'ssentence. TheDepartmentwillspecifythetypes
ofprogramsoractivitiesforwhichearnedtimecreditwillbe
awarded,includingbutnotlimitedtothefollowing:receivinga
highschooldiplomaorequivalent,collegediplomaorprofessional
certificate,orvocationaltrainingcertificate,andparticipating
insuccessfulemployment,parenting,andfinancialliteracy
courses,alcoholanddrugabusetreatmentprograms,andrestorative
justiceandfaith-basedprograms.
FromJanuary1,2026,toDecember31,2026,eligibleoffendersmay
petitionforearnedtimecreditforprogramscompletedbetween
January1,2010andAugust28,2025.Theincarcerated population
willbenotifiedofthepetitionprocess.
Offenderssentencedtodeathorlifesentenceswithoutprobation
willnotbeeligibleforgoodtimecreditsorearnedtimecredits, buttheDepartmentwillrecordtheirparticipationinthesame
mannerastheeligiblepopulation.
TheDepartmentwillsubmitanannualreporttotheGeneralAssembly
ongoodtimecreditandearnedtimecreditincludingthenumberof
offendersreceivingcreditunderbothprograms.
ThisbillissimilartoHB1777(2024).
Thefollowingisasummaryofthepublictestimonyfromthe
committeehearing. Thetestimonywasbasedontheintroduced
versionofthebill.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatthereisadoublestandardwhenit
comestoSNAPbenefiteligibility. Murderersandsexcriminalsare
abletobenefitfromtheseprogramsaftertheyhavepaidtheirdebt
tosociety,butpeopleconvictedondrugchargesarenot.Beyond
beingunfair,itisbadpublicpolicytodenypeopleSNAPbenefits
whentheyleaveincarceration. Whenpeoplecan'tsupport
themselvesandprovideforbasicnecessities,weseeincreasesin
recidivism. Thesepeopleenduprelyingonlocalfoodbanks.Lack
ofSNAPbenefitsasathreatdoesnotdetercrime.Itonlyserves
todeepenthecycleofpoverty. Supportersinfavorofthe
provisionsrelatingtoshacklingofpregnantoffendersduringthe
thirdtrimester,saythatthisbillisgoodforunbornchildren.
Lawenforcementarestillabletorestrainoffendersinextreme
circumstances, sothisdoesn'tincreaserisk.Strappingpeople
downduringpregnancyrobsthemofdignityandcausesemotional
harmtoallinvolved. Supporterssaythatthisbillalsoprevents
additionaltraumaforchildrenwhoarevictimsofcrimesby
increasingsafeguardstoprotectthosechildrenduringthelegal
proceedingsthatfollow.Itisverypainfulforchildrentorelive
eventswhentestifyingandwhenspeakingtoinvestigators.
TestifyinginpersonforthebillwereRepresentative Perkins;
MissouriCatholicConference;CampaignLifeMissouri;Patrick
Plein,AmericanConservativeUnion;KimBuckman,FeedingMissouri;
JeffSmith,MissouriAppleSeed;MissouriProsecutorsAssociation;
KeithDenHollander,ChristianCoalitionofAmerica;ActionNow
Initiative,LLC;NationalAssociationofSocialWorkersMOChapter;
St.LouisCounty;MONetworkAgainstChildAbuse;andArnie
Dienoff.
OPPONENTS: Therewasnooppositionvoicedtothecommittee. Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonyandwitnessestestifyingonlinecanbefound
underTestimonyonthebillpageontheHousewebsite.