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SECOND REGULAR SESSION
[TRUL Y AGREED T O AND FINALL Y P ASSED]
SENA TE SUBSTITUTE NO. 2 FOR
SENA TE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
HOUSE BILL NO. 1840
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBL Y
4186S.07T 2026
AN ACT
T o repeal section 161.412, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof four new sections relating to
communications involving persons with disabilities, with a contingent ef fective date.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Section 161.412, RSMo, is repealed and four new sections enacted in lieu
2 thereof, to be known as sections 161.412, 209.247, 301.287, and 650.535, to read as follows:
161.412. 1. Subject to appropriations, the Missouri commission for the deaf and hard
2 of hearing shall provide grants to:
3 (1) Or ganizations that provide services for deaf-blind children and their families.
4 Such services may include providing family support advocates to assist deaf-blind children in
5 participating in their communities and family education specialists to teach parents and
6 siblings skills to support the deaf-blind children in their family;
7 (2) Or ganizations that provide services for deaf-blind adults. Such grants shall be
8 used to provide assistance to deaf-blind adults who are working towards establishing and
9 maintaining independence; and
10 (3) Or ganizations that train support service providers. Such grants shall be used to
11 provide training that will lead to certification of support service providers in Missouri.
12 2. The commission shall use a request-for -proposal process to award the grants in this
13 section. Or ganizations that receive grants under this section may expend the grant for any
EXPLANA TION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is
intended to be omitted from the law . Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language.
14 purpose authorized in this section. [ The total amount of grants provided under this section
15 shall not exceed three hundred thousand dollars annually . ]
209.247 . 1. As used in this section, the following terms mean:
2 (1) "Commission", the Missouri commission for the deaf and hard of hearing;
3 (2) "Communication access services", shall include, but not be limited to, the
4 following:
5 (a) Qualified interpr eters, as described in section 209.285;
6 (b) Communication access real time translation services;
7 (c) Notetakers, visual or Braille boards, and visual video services;
8 (d) Open and closed captioning services;
9 (e) Envir onmental access support for the deaf-blind and those with low vision;
10 and
11 (f) Any other effective method of making aurally deliver ed and printed
12 information available to individuals who are deaf, deaf-blind, or hard of hearing;
13 (3) "Communication access service pr ovider", an individual who is trained to
14 offer a communication access service to communicate aurally deliver ed and printed
15 information to individuals who are deaf, deaf-blind, or hard of hearing.
16 2. The commission shall establish a statewide communication access services
17 pr ogram to impr ove compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act for
18 agencies and businesses by coordinating res ourc es, filling service gaps, and assisting
19 with costs relat ed to accommodations. The commission shall:
20 (1) Develop and maintain a statewide regi stry of communication access service
21 pr oviders, organized by regi on, including rural and urban areas;
22 (2) Cr eate a pr ocess for communication access service pro viders to apply for
23 placement on the r egistry;
24 (3) Establish minimum standards for training, equipment, and technology;
25 (4) Maintain an informational website accessible by businesses, agencies, and
26 individuals who are deaf, deaf-blind, or hard of hearing r egarding res our ces and
27 available progra mming;
28 (5) Pr ovide consultation, training, and technical assistance to aid state and local
29 agencies to be in compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act;
30 (6) Pr ovide information regardi ng available res our ces to assist with compliance
31 costs and to support potential communication access service provi ders in underserved
32 ar eas;
33 (7) Conduct outreach activities for urban or rural res idents and communication
34 access service pr oviders to expand awaren ess and capacity in underserved ar eas;
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35 (8) Subject to appropriat ion, administer scholarships for pr ofessional
3 6 development, internships, and certification testing;
37 (9) Subject to appr opriation and pursuant to rules pr omulgated under this
38 section, administer and finance req uests for communication access services between
39 agencies and businesses and individuals who ar e deaf, deaf-blind, or hard of hearing;
40 (10) Hire a pr ogram manager to serve at the pleasur e of the dir ector of the
41 commission. The pr ogram manager shall have a backgroun d and experience in
42 communication access services. The salary for the progra m manager shall be paid out
43 of the fund established in subsection 3 of this section; and
44 (1 1) Submit an annual report to the governor and the general assembly that
45 includes information on communication access service utilization, regi stry effectiveness,
46 funding outcomes, and re commendations for impr ovement.
47 3. (1) Ther e is her eby cr eated in the state trea sury the "Communication Access
48 Services Fund", which shall consist of moneys appr opriated to the fund and any gifts,
49 donations, grants, and bequests fr om individuals, private organizations, foundations, or
50 other sources for the purpose of administering the pro gram established in this section.
51 The state tr easurer shall be the custodian of the fund. In accordance with sections
52 30.170 and 30.180, the state trea sur er may appr ove disbursements. The fund shall be a
53 dedicated fund and, upon appr opriation, moneys in the fund shall be used by the
54 commission for the salary of the prog ram manager , distribution of financial assistance
55 for communication access services, and distribution of scholarships under this section.
56 (2) Notwithstanding the pro visions of section 33.080 to the contrary , any moneys
57 r emaining in the fund at the end of the biennium shall not r evert to the credit of the
58 general reven ue fund.
59 (3) The state tre asurer shall invest moneys in the fund in the same manner as
60 other funds ar e invested. Any interes t and moneys earned on such investments shall be
61 cr edited to the fund.
62 4. The commission shall pro mulgate rules to implement the pr ovisions of this
63 section, including the proc ess for distributing scholarships under subdivision (8) of
64 subsection 2 of this section and determining eligibility for financial assistance under
65 subdivision (9) of subsection 2 of this section. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term
66 is defined in section 536.010, that is cr eated under the authority delegated in this section
67 shall become effective only if it complies with and is subject to all of the provi sions of
68 chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 536.028. This section and chapter 536 are
69 nonseverable and if any of the powers vested with the general assembly pursuant to
70 chapter 536 to review , to delay the effective date, or to disappr ove and annul a rule ar e
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71 subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking authority and any rule
72 pr oposed or adopted after August 28, 2026, shall be invalid and void.
301.287 . 1. This section shall be known and ref erred to as "Mason's Law".
2 2. Beginning January 1, 2027, a resi dent of this state with a health condition or
3 disability that limits or impairs the ability to effectively communicate with law
4 enfor cement may , at any time, apply to the department of re venue for a designation that
5 shall be associated with the person's motor vehicle license plate number and available to
6 law enforcem ent under the Missouri uniform law enforcem ent system (MULES)
7 established under chapter 43.
8 3. The initial application, which shall be on a form prescrib ed by the department
9 and made available on the department's website, shall by signed by a physician licensed
10 under chapter 334, or a psychologist licensed under chapter 337, certifying that:
11 (1) The applicant or the applicant's child, par ent, or spouse has a physical or
12 mental health condition that is likely to impair the ability to effectively communicate
13 with law enforcem ent; and
14 (2) The physician or psychologist has determined that the applicant or the
15 applicant's child, par ent, or spouse will have the communication impairment for at least
16 five years.
17 4. Upon submission of an application and appr oval by the department, the
18 department shall notify the Missouri state highway patro l of the r esident's appr oved
19 application and the highway patrol shall pr epar e an entry in the Missouri uniform law
20 enfor cement system (MULES) that indicates that the applicant or the applicant's child,
21 par ent, or spouse has a physical or mental health condition that may impair the ability
22 to effectively communicate with law enforcem ent. Such entry shall rem ain active for a
23 period of five years, unless the applicant req uests that such designation be r emoved
24 fr om the system. Upon expiration of the five-year period, the designation in MULES
25 may be react ivated upon the filing of a ren ewal form with the department signed by a
26 physician licensed under chapter 334, or a psychologist licensed under chapter 337,
27 certifying that:
28 (1) The applicant or the applicant's child, par ent, or spouse has a physical or
29 mental health condition that is likely to impair the ability to effectively communicate
30 with law enforcem ent; and
31 (2) The physician or psychologist has determined that the applicant or the
32 applicant's child, par ent, or spouse will have the communication impairment for at least
33 five years.
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34 5. The department of public safety shall issue guidance and education materials
35 to all law enforcem ent agencies in this state to promot e awaren ess of the designation
36 established under this section.
37 6. The department of reven ue may pr omulgate all necessary rules and
38 r egulations for the administration of this section. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that
39 term is defined in section 536.010, that is creat ed under the authority delegated in this
40 section shall become effective only if it complies with and is subject to all of the
41 pr ovisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 536.028. This section and chapter
42 536 are nonseverable and if any of the powers vested with the general assembly
43 pursuant to chapter 536 to revi ew , to delay the effective date, or to disappr ove and annul
44 a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking authority
45 and any rule prop osed or adopted after August 28, 2026, shall be invalid and void.
650.535 . 1. This section shall be known and may be cited as "RJ's Law".
2 2. Ther e is her eby cr eated within the department of public safety a statewide
3 pr ogram called the "Purple Alert System" to aid in the identification and location,
4 thr ough immediate and effective community and emergency res ponse, of missing
5 persons with developmental disabilities whose disappearance poses a credi ble thr eat of
6 immediate danger or serious bodily harm to the missing persons and who ar e believed to
7 be unable to ret urn to safety without assistance.
8 3. For purposes of this section, "developmental disability" includes the
9 following:
10 (1) A mental or cognitive disability , which shall not include, for persons sixty
11 years of age or older , Alzheimer's disease or a dementia-r elated disorder;
12 (2) An intellectual disability;
13 (3) A brain injury;
14 (4) Other physical, mental, or emotional disabilities that are not r elated to
15 substance abuse; or
16 (5) Any combination of such conditions.
17 4. Befor e July 1, 2027, the department of public safety , in cooperation with the
18 Missouri state highway patro l, department of transportation, department of mental
19 health, local developmental disability res our ce boards, the state lottery , and local law
20 enfor cement agencies shall:
21 (1) Develop a training pr ogram and alert system for missing persons who have
22 developmental disabilities that is compatible with existing alert systems in the state. The
23 training pr ogram shall implement crisis intervention team training to equip law
24 enfor cement officers with the skills necessary to understand developmental disabilities,
25 to de-escalate interactions with persons in crisis, to facilitate appr opriate interventions,
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26 and to r espond effectively to a r eported missing person emergency when the person has
27 a developmental disability;
28 (2) Establish policies and pro cedures for res ponding to a re ported missing
29 person emergency when the person has a developmental disability . The policies shall, at
30 a minimum, prov ide for the following:
31 (a) Immediate and widespr ead dissemination of critical information when a
32 person who has a developmental disability is repor ted missing;
33 (b) Enhancement of emergency res ponse teams' competence by informing them
34 of the unique behaviors and needs of persons with developmental disabilities; and
35 (c) Measure s to incr ease public awar eness and understanding of the risks
36 associated with developmental disability-r elated elopement to foster community support
37 for persons with developmental disabilities; and
38 (3) Require a law enfor cement agency to do the following, at a minimum, upon
39 r eceiving a rep ort:
40 (a) Contact media outlets in the affected ar ea or surro unding jurisdictions;
41 (b) Inform all on-duty law enforcem ent officers of the re ported missing person
42 with a developmental disability; and
43 (c) Communicate the rep ort to all other law enforcem ent agencies in the counties
44 surr ounding the county in which the report is filed.
45 5. The department of public safety shall administer and pr omulgate rules for the
46 implementation of the alert system established under this section. Any rule or portion
47 of a rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010, that is cr eated under the authority
48 delegated in this section shall become effective only if it complies with and is subject to
49 all of the pr ovisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 536.028. This section and
50 chapter 536 are nonseverable and if any of the powers vested with the general assembly
51 pursuant to chapter 536 to revi ew , to delay the effective date, or to disappr ove and annul
52 a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking authority
53 and any rule prop osed or adopted after August 28, 2026, shall be invalid and void.
Section B. The enactment of section 301.287 of this act shall take effect as soon as
2 technologically possible following the development and maintenance of a modernized,
3 integrated system for the titling of vehicles, issuance and renewal of vehicle registrations,
4 issuance and renewal of driver's licenses and identification cards, and perfection and release
5 of liens and encumbrances on vehicles, to be funded by the motor vehicle administration
6 technology fund as created in section 301.558. Following the development of the system, the
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7 director of the department of revenue shall notify the governor , the secretary of state, and the
8 revisor of statutes, and shall implement the provisions of section 301.287 of this act.
✔
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