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SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 2518
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBL Y
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENT A TIVE REED.
4815H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
T o amend chapter 324, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to the issuance of
professional licenses to recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals
program.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 324, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be
2 known as section 324.1 175, to read as follows:
324.1 175. 1. As used in this section, the following terms mean:
2 (1) "DACA re cipient", any individual who is pr otected fr om deportation under
3 the Deferr ed Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) pro gram and who holds a valid
4 work authorization under the prog ram;
5 (2) "License", a license, certificate, r egistration, permit, or accr editation that
6 enables a person to legally practice an occupation or pro fession in this state;
7 (3) "Oversight body", any board, department, agency , or office of this state that
8 issues licenses.
9 2. Notwithstanding any other pr ovision of law , any DACA r ecipient who has met
10 all educational and pr ofessional requi rem ents for a particular occupation or pro fession
11 for which a license is requi red in this state shall be eligible for licensur e in that
12 occupation or pr ofession on the same basis as a United States citizen or legal permanent
13 r esident.
14 3. All oversight bodies shall consider license applications fro m DACA r ecipients
15 without reg ard to citizenship or immigration status.
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.
16 4. License applications fr om DACA recip ients shall be evaluated based solely on
17 qualifications, education, and profes sional competency . DACA r ecipients shall not be
18 subject to additional or separate requi rem ents beyond those imposed on United States
19 citizens or legal permanent res idents.
20 5. DACA r ecipients granted licenses in accordance with the pr ovisions of this
21 section shall have all the same rights, res ponsibilities, and pr otections in their res pective
22 fields as any other licensees.
23 6. Any license granted in accordance with the pro visions of this section shall be
24 r enewable and valid for the same period as a license issued to a United States citizen or
25 legal permanent res ident, pro vided that the licensee maintains valid work authorization.
26 7. The prov isions of this section shall apply to all license applications submitted
27 on or after August 28, 2026.
28 8. The department of commer ce and insurance, in conjunction with oversight
29 bodies, shall pr omulgate rules to implement the pr ovisions of this section. Any rule or
30 portion of a rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010, that is creat ed under the
31 authority delegated in this section shall become effective only if it complies with and is
32 subject to all of the pr ovisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 536.028. This
33 section and chapter 536 are nonseverable and if any of the powers vested with the
34 general assembly pursuant to chapter 536 to revie w , to delay the effective date, or to
35 disappr ove and annul a rule ar e subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of
36 rulemaking authority and any rule pr oposed or adopted after August 28, 2026, shall be
37 invalid and void.
✔
HB 2518 2