Official Summary Text
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Senate Substitute
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SS/SCS/SB 1085 - This act prohibits public school and charter school staff members from encouraging minor students in their "social transition", defined as the process of a minor student changing his or her gender presentation or expression, with the goal of being perceived and treated as a gender different from the student's biological sex. The act defines a "staff member" as a teacher, school employee, volunteer, contractor, or other individual authorized to provide services at a public school or charter school, including, but not limited to, any individual in a position of authority or responsibility, such as a counselor or health care worker.
School staff members shall neither encourage a minor student to withhold information from his or her parent nor withhold certain health information from a student's parent. A staff member shall notify a minor student's parent by phone or email within 24 hours of receiving a request by the student to participate in the student's social transition. The act outlines certain actions that trigger this parental notification requirement, including a minor student's request to be referred to by a pronoun that does not correspond to the student's biological sex; a request to use a name that does not correspond to the student's legal name; a request to use a restroom designated for the opposite biological sex; or a request to participate on an athletic team designated for the opposite biological sex.
No staff member shall engage in any conduct that facilitates the social transition of any minor student; deliver any presentation or lesson to any minor student regarding gender transition or social transition; or refer to a minor student by a title or pronoun that does not correspond to the student's biological sex, or by a name other than the student's legal name or a nickname or derivative thereof.
A staff member or student shall not be subject to any disciplinary action for declining to address a person using a name that does not correspond to the person's legal name or a pronoun that is inconsistent with the person's biological sex.
A staff member who discloses a violation of this act by another staff member shall be protected from any manner of retaliation as set forth in current law. If a school district discovers that a licensed educator has knowingly violated any provision of this act, the school district shall initiate disciplinary proceedings against that staff member, up to and including suspension or revocation of the individual's teaching license and suspension or termination of employment, as appropriate. A licensed educator at a charter school shall also be subject to disciplinary proceedings for violations of the act, up to and including suspension or revocation of the individual's teaching license and suspension or termination of employment, as provided in the act.
The Attorney General may bring a civil action, including an action for injunctive relief, against a school district, public school, charter school, or staff member for any violation of this act. Any parent of a minor student may bring a civil action, including an action for injunctive relief or for damages, against the staff member or against the school district, public school, or charter school in which such minor student is enrolled for any violation of this act. If the parent prevails, the court shall award to such parent court costs and reasonable attorney's fees and any other damages or remedy which in the judgment of the court shall be appropriate.
Any staff member may bring a civil action, including an action for injunctive relief or for damages, against the school district, public school, or charter school that employs such staff member for any violation of the act's prohibitions on certain disciplinary or retaliatory actions against school staff members.
This act is similar to HB 2580 (2026).
OLIVIA SHANNON
Senate Committee Substitute
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SCS/SB 1085 - This act prohibits public school and charter school staff members from encouraging minor students in their "social transition", defined as the process of a minor student changing his or her gender presentation or expression, with the goal of being perceived and treated as a gender different from the student's biological sex. The act defines a "staff member" as a teacher, school employee, volunteer, contractor, or other individual authorized to provide services at a public school or charter school, including, but not limited to, any individual in a position of authority or responsibility, such as a counselor or health care worker.
School staff members shall neither encourage a minor student to withhold information from his or her parent nor withhold certain health information from a student's parent. A staff member shall notify a minor student's parent within 24 hours of receiving a request by the student to participate in the student's social transition. The act outlines certain actions that trigger this parental notification requirement, including a minor student's request to be referred to by a pronoun that does not correspond to the student's biological sex; a request to use a name that does not correspond to the student's legal name; a request to use a restroom designated for the opposite biological sex; or a request to participate on an athletic team designated for the opposite biological sex.
No staff member shall engage in any conduct that facilitates the social transition of any minor student; deliver any presentation or lesson to any minor student regarding gender transition or social transition; or refer to a minor student by a title or pronoun that does not correspond to the student's biological sex, or by a name other than the student's legal name or a nickname or derivative thereof.
A staff member or student shall not be subject to any disciplinary action for declining to address a person using a name that does not correspond to the person's legal name or a pronoun that is inconsistent with the person's biological sex.
A staff member who discloses a violation of this act by another staff member shall be protected from any manner of retaliation as set forth in current law. If a school district discovers that a licensed educator has knowingly violated any provision of this act, the school district shall initiate disciplinary proceedings against that staff member, up to and including suspension or revocation of the individual's teaching license and suspension or termination of employment, as appropriate. A licensed educator at a charter school shall also be subject to disciplinary proceedings for violations of the act, up to and including suspension or revocation of the individual's teaching license and suspension or termination of employment, as provided in the act.
The Attorney General may bring a civil action, including an action for injunctive relief, against a school district, public school, charter school, or staff member for any violation of this act. Any parent of a minor student may bring a civil action, including an action for injunctive relief or for damages, against the staff member or against the school district, public school, or charter school in which such minor student is enrolled for any violation of this act. If the parent prevails, the court shall award to such parent court costs and reasonable attorney's fees and any other damages or remedy which in the judgment of the court shall be appropriate.
Any staff member may bring a civil action, including an action for injunctive relief or for damages, against the school district, public school, or charter school that employs such staff member for any violation of the act's prohibitions on certain disciplinary or retaliatory actions against school staff members.
This act is similar to HB 2580 (2026).
OLIVIA SHANNON
Introduced
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SB 1085 - This act prohibits public school staff members from encouraging minor students in their "social transition", defined as engaging in certain activities with the goal of helping a student become perceived as a member of the opposite biological sex.
A school staff member shall notify the principal or the principal's designee within 24 hours of a minor student's request that the staff member assist with the student's social transition. The principal shall notify the parents of such student within 72 hours of the initial request for assistance.
No staff member of any public school shall engage in any conduct that facilitates the social transition of any minor student, including any counseling that affirms such student's self-identification as a biological sex other than such student's actual biological sex. No staff member of any public school shall initiate a conversation with, or deliver any presentation or lesson to, any minor student regarding gender transition, as such term is defined in current law.
A school employee who discloses a violation of this act by a school official shall be protected from any manner of retaliation as set forth in current law. If a school district discovers that a licensed educator has knowingly violated any provision of this act, the school district shall initiate proceedings seeking to terminate the employment of such staff member and to suspend or revoke the individual's teaching license, as provided in the act.
The Attorney General may bring a civil action, including an action for injunctive relief, against a school district or school for any violation of this act. Any parent of a minor student may bring a civil action, including an action for injunctive relief or for damages, against the school district or public school in which such minor student is enrolled for any violation of this act. If the parent prevails, the court shall award to such parent court costs and reasonable attorney's fees and any other damages or remedy which in the judgment of the court shall be appropriate.
OLIVIA SHANNON
Current Bill Text
Read the full stored bill text
SECOND REGULAR SESSION
SENATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
SENATE BILL NO. 1085
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
4425S.03C KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
AN ACT
To amend chapter 167, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to the social transition
of minors in public schools.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 167, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto 1
one new section, to be known as section 167.172, to read as 2
follows:3
167.172. 1. As used in this section, the following 1
terms mean: 2
(1) "Biological sex", as defined in section 191.1720; 3
(2) "Gender transition", as defined in section 4
191.1720; 5
(3) "Parent", a parent, legal guardian, or other 6
person having charge, control, or custody of a student; 7
(4) "Public school", as defined in section 160.011. 8
The term shall be construed to include a charter school; 9
(5) "Social transition", the process of a minor 10
student changing his or her gender presentation or 11
expression, with the goal of such minor student being 12
perceived and treated as a gender different from the 13
student's biological sex, and which may involve social or 14
behavioral changes or changes to physical appearance, 15
including, but not limited to, the following: 16
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(a) The use of pronouns or titles for the minor 17
student that do not correspond to the student's biological 18
sex, either in school records or otherwise; or 19
(b) The use of names other than the student's legal 20
name, or a nickname or derivative thereof, either in school 21
records or otherwise; 22
(6) "Staff member", a teacher, school employee, 23
volunteer, contractor, or other individual authorized to 24
provide services at a public school, including, but not 25
limited to, any individual in a position of authority or 26
responsibility, such as a counselor or health care worker. 27
2. Each staff member of a public school: 28
(1) Shall not encourage or coerce a minor student to 29
withhold information from the minor student's parent; 30
(2) Shall not withhold from a minor student's parent 31
information that relates to the physical, emotional, or 32
mental health of the minor student; 33
(3) Shall notify a minor student's parent within 34
twenty-four hours of receiving any request by the minor 35
student to participate in or facilitate the social 36
transition of the minor student, including any request by 37
the minor student to: 38
(a) Be referred to by pronouns or titles that do not 39
correspond to the minor student's biological sex, either in 40
school records or otherwise; 41
(b) Be referred to using names other than the minor 42
student's legal name, or a nickname or derivative thereof, 43
either in school records or otherwise; 44
(c) Use restrooms, locker rooms, changing rooms, or 45
overnight lodging designated for the opposite biological 46
sex; or 47
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(d) Participate on an athletic team or any other sex- 48
separated school activity designated for the opposite 49
biological sex. 50
3. No staff member of any public school shall: 51
(1) Participate in or engage in any conduct that 52
facilitates the social transition of any minor student; 53
(2) Deliver any presentation or lesson to any minor 54
student regarding gender transition or social transition; or 55
(3) Refer to a minor student by a title or pronoun 56
that does not correspond to the student's biological sex, or 57
by a name other than the student's legal name or a nickname 58
or derivative thereof. 59
4. A staff member or student shall not be subject to 60
any disciplinary action or other adverse action for: 61
(1) Declining to address a person using a name other 62
than the person's legal name, or a derivative thereof, or by 63
a pronoun or title that is inconsistent with the person's 64
biological sex; or 65
(2) Declining to identify his or her pronouns. 66
5. Any public school staff member who discloses a 67
violation of this section by another staff member shall be 68
protected from any manner of retaliation as set forth in 69
section 105.055. 70
6. (1) If a school district discovers that a staff 71
member who holds a certificate of license to teach has 72
knowingly violated any provision of this section, the school 73
district shall initiate disciplinary proceedings against 74
that staff member, up to and including suspension or 75
revocation of the license and suspension or termination of 76
employment, as appropriate, based upon evidence of 77
incompetence, immorality, or neglect of duty, pursuant to 78
the provisions of section 168.071. 79
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(2) If a charter school discovers that a staff member 80
who holds a certificate of license to teach has knowingly 81
violated any provision of this section, the charter school 82
shall initiate disciplinary proceedings against that staff 83
member, up to and including suspension or termination of 84
employment, and may refer the matter to the department of 85
elementary and secondary education for the filing of charges 86
seeking to suspend or revoke the staff member's license 87
pursuant to subsection 3 of section 168.071, as appropriate. 88
7. The attorney general may bring a civil action, 89
including an action for injunctive relief, against a school 90
district, public school, or staff member for any violation 91
of this section. Such action shall be brought in the county 92
where the violation occurred. 93
8. Any parent of a minor student may bring a civil 94
action, including an action for injunctive relief or for 95
damages, against the staff member or against the school 96
district or public school in which such minor student is 97
enrolled for any violation of this section. Such action 98
shall be brought in the county where the violation 99
occurred. If the parent prevails, the court shall award to 100
such parent court costs and reasonable attorney's fees and 101
any other damages or remedy which in the judgment of the 102
court shall be appropriate. 103
9. Any staff member may bring a civil action, 104
including an action for injunctive relief or for damages, 105
against the school district or public school that employs 106
the staff member for any violation of subsection 4 or 5 of 107
this section. Such action shall be brought in the county 108
where the violation occurred. If the staff member prevails, 109
the court shall award to such staff member court costs and 110
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reasonable attorney's fees and any other damages or remedy 111
which in the judgement of the court shall be appropriate. 112
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