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SECOND REGULAR SESSION
[TRULY AGREED TO AND FINALLY PASSED]
HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
SENATE BILL NO. 1544
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
2026
6571H.02T
AN ACT
To amend chapters 9, 10, 227, and 620, RSMo, by adding thereto thirty-eight new sections relating
to state designations.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapters 9, 10, 227, and 620, RSMo, are amended 1
by adding thereto thirty -eight new sections, to be known as 2
sections 9.025, 9.358, 9.406, 9.413, 9.418, 9.501, 9.502, 3
9.504, 9.509, 9.510, 9.516, 10.281, 10.282, 10.283, 10.284, 4
10.287, 10.288, 10.289, 10.292, 227.868, 227.895, 227.898, 5
227.900, 227.901, 227.902, 227.903, 227.904, 227.905, 227.906, 6
227.907, 227.908, 227.909, 227.910, 227.911, 227.912, 227.913, 7
227.914, and 620.430, to read as follows:8
9.025. The month of January is hereby designated as 1
"Blood Donor Awareness Month". It is recommended to the 2
people of this state that the month be appropriately 3
observed through activities that increase awareness of the 4
importance of blood donation. The state deems blood and 5
blood products to be a critical resource and a vital public 6
health asset that must be readily available at all times. 7
9.358. April twenty-second each year is hereby 1
designated as "Missouri Black Bear Awareness Day". Citizens 2
of this state are encouraged to participate in appropriate 3
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events and activities to provide education about efforts to 4
conserve Missouri's black bear population. 5
9.406. April twenty-seventh each year is hereby 1
designated as "Ulysses S. Grant Day" in Missouri. The 2
citizens of this state are encouraged to participate in 3
appropriate events and activities to celebrate the life of 4
the Civil War general and eighteenth president of the United 5
States, who made his home in St. Louis, Missouri, in the 6
years following his graduation from West Point and before 7
the Civil War. 8
9.413. November twenty-fourth each year is hereby 1
designated as "Frankie Muse Freeman Day" in Missouri. The 2
citizens of this state are encouraged to participate in 3
appropriate events and activities to celebrate Frankie Muse 4
Freeman, a St. Louis attorney who was a champion for civil 5
rights, won a landmark case that ended legal racial 6
discrimination in St. Louis public housing, and was the 7
first black woman appointed to the United States Commission 8
on Civil Rights by president Lyndon B. Johnson. 9
9.418. The last full week of April each year shall be 1
known as "Infertility Awareness Week" in Missouri. It is 2
estimated that approximately one in eight couples in the 3
United States experience infertility, impacting people 4
across all racial, ethnic, socioeconomic, and cultural 5
backgrounds. The citizens of this state are encouraged to 6
participate in appropriate events and activities to raise 7
awareness about infertility. 8
9.501. The first full week in September each year is 1
hereby designated as "June's Week" and "Rare Pediatric 2
Disease Week" in Missouri in honor of June, a young 3
Missourian undergoing treatment for an atypical teratoid 4
rhabdoid tumor, subtype B (ATRT-B). The citizens of this 5
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state are encouraged to participate in appropriate events 6
and activities to raise public awareness of rare pediatric 7
diseases, encourage early recognition of symptoms, and honor 8
Missouri children and families affected by rare pediatric 9
diseases. 10
9.502. March twenty-sixth of each year is hereby 1
designated as "Pediatric Acute-Onset Neuropsychiatric 2
Syndrome (PANS)/Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric 3
Disorder Associated with Streptococcus (PANDAS) Awareness 4
Day". The citizens of this state are encouraged to 5
participate in appropriate events and activities to raise 6
PANS/PANDAS awareness. 7
9.504. April fifth each year is hereby designated as 1
"Racquetball Day" in Missouri, in honor of Kirkwood 2
Racquetball, USA Racquetball's five-time consecutive high 3
school national champions. The citizens of this state are 4
encouraged to participate in appropriate events and 5
activities to learn more about the sport of racquetball and 6
celebrate Missouri's racquetball accomplishments. 7
9.509. April thirtieth each year is hereby designated 1
as "William Lacy Clay Sr. Day" in Missouri. The citizens of 2
this state are encouraged to participate in appropriate 3
events and activities to celebrate the life and legacy of 4
William Lacy Clay Sr., who represented Missouri's first 5
district in Congress from 1969 to 2001 and was one of the 6
founding members of the Congressional Black Caucus. 7
9.510. May tenth each year is hereby designated as 1
"Missouri River Runner Day" in Missouri. The citizens of 2
this state are encouraged to participate in appropriate 3
events and activities to recognize the role of passenger 4
rail in connecting Missouri communities, supporting economic 5
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development, and promoting safe and reliable transportation 6
across the state. 7
9.516. June twenty-eighth each year is hereby 1
designated as "Eliot and Muriel Battle Day" in Missouri. 2
The citizens of this state are encouraged to participate in 3
appropriate events and activities to celebrate the lives of 4
Eliot Battle, the first Black faculty member at Hickman High 5
School in Columbia, and Muriel Battle, the first Black 6
principal in the Columbia Public School District. The 7
couple worked as a team to ease racial tensions during the 8
1960s and have been recognized with schools in Columbia 9
named in their honor: Eliot Battle Elementary School and 10
Muriel Williams Battle High School. 11
10.281. The smooth chanterelle, scientifically known 1
as Cantharellus lateritius, is selected for and shall be 2
known as the official mushroom for the state of Missouri. 3
10.282. The city of Dexter is selected for and shall 1
be known as the official "Rib City" for the state of 2
Missouri. 3
10.283. Missouri Military Academy in the city of 1
Mexico is selected for and shall be known as the official 2
military academy of the state of Missouri. 3
10.284. The Missouri Cherry Blossom Festival in the 1
city of Marshfield is selected for and shall be known as the 2
official state cherry blossom festival for the state of 3
Missouri. 4
10.287. The city of Kansas City is selected for and 1
shall be known as the official "Barbecue Capital" of the 2
state of Missouri. 3
10.288. The city of Belle is selected for and shall be 1
known as the official "Cowbell Capital" of the state of 2
Missouri. 3
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10.289. The city of Bland is selected for and shall be 1
officially known as "The Silver City of the Rock Island 2
Trail" for the state of Missouri. 3
10.292. If the Kansas City Chiefs relocate outside of 1
this state, the St. Louis Battlehawks shall be the official 2
professional football team of the state of Missouri. 3
227.868. The portion of State Highway E from State 1
Highway 79 continuing east to Riverview Drive in Ralls 2
County shall be designated the "James Thompson Highway". 3
The department of transportation shall erect and maintain 4
appropriate signs designating such highway, with the costs 5
to be paid by private donations. 6
227.895. The portion of State Highway D from State 1
Highway C continuing north to State Highway Y in St. 2
Francois County shall be designated as the "Carl G Koester 3
Memorial Highway". The department of transportation shall 4
erect and maintain signs designating such highway, with the 5
costs to be paid by private donations. 6
227.898. The portion of State Highway WW from State 1
Highway 13 continuing to State Highway H in Greene County 2
shall be designated the "Gary D McCormack Nemo Macto Unus 3
Memorial Highway". The department of transportation shall 4
erect and maintain appropriate signs designating such 5
highway, with the costs to be paid by the department of 6
transportation. 7
227.900. The bridge on CST Dougherty Ferry Road 1
crossing over Interstate 270 in St. Louis County shall be 2
designated the "Army SSG Salvatore Palazzolo Memorial 3
Bridge". The department of transportation shall erect and 4
maintain appropriate signs designating such bridge, with the 5
costs to be paid by the department of transportation. 6
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227.901. The portion of U.S. Highway 24 from Davis 1
Road continuing east to Ferguson Spring Road in Jackson 2
County shall be designated the "WWII Robert Earl Sauls 3
Memorial Highway". The department of transportation shall 4
erect and maintain appropriate signs designating such 5
highway, with the costs to be paid by private donations. 6
227.902. The portion of State Highway E from CRD 101 1
continuing east to CRD 361 in Johnson County shall be 2
designated the "Captain Vernon Collett Memorial Highway". 3
The department of transportation shall erect and maintain 4
appropriate signs designating such highway, with the costs 5
to be paid by the department of transportation. 6
227.903. The bridge on State Highway CC crossing over 1
Interstate 44 in Webster County shall be designated the "Dr 2
Tommy Macdonnell Memorial Bridge". The department of 3
transportation shall erect and maintain appropriate signs 4
designating such bridge. Notwithstanding provisions of 5
section 227.296, the costs shall be paid by the department 6
of transportation in recognition of the honoree's Silver 7
Star Award. 8
227.904. The portion of State Highway 13 from 1
Interstate 35 continuing north to U.S. Highway 136/69 in 2
Harrison County shall be designated the "Dr Scott Hall 3
Memorial Highway". The department of transportation shall 4
erect and maintain appropriate signs designating such 5
highway, with the costs to be paid by private donations. 6
227.905. The bridge on Business 63 crossing over U.S. 1
Highway 60 in Howell County shall be designated the "Jerrad 2
Bennett Memorial Bridge". The department of transportation 3
shall erect and maintain appropriate signs designating such 4
bridge, with the costs to be paid by private donations. 5
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227.906. The portion of State Highway 9 from Horizons 1
Parkway continuing north to Park College Entrance Drive in 2
Platte County shall be designated as "Firefighter Paramedic 3
Graham J Hoffman Memorial Highway". The department of 4
transportation shall erect and maintain appropriate signs 5
designating such highway, with the costs to be paid by the 6
department of transportation. 7
227.907. The bridge on State Highway 139 crossing over 1
Barber Creek in Putnam County shall be designated the "PVT 2
William W Smith Memorial Bridge". The department of 3
transportation shall erect and maintain appropriate signs 4
designating such bridge, with the costs to be paid by the 5
department of transportation. 6
227.908. The bridge on State Highway 139 crossing over 1
Hooton/Newtown Creek in Sullivan County shall be designated 2
the "CPL Vernon D Jobe Memorial Bridge". The department of 3
transportation shall erect and maintain appropriate signs 4
designating such bridge, with the costs to be paid by the 5
department of transportation. 6
227.909. The bridge on State Highway EE crossing over 1
Medicine Creek in Sullivan County shall be designated the 2
"PVT Charles A Paxton Memorial Bridge". The department of 3
transportation shall erect and maintain appropriate signs 4
designating such bridge, with the costs to be paid by the 5
department of transportation. 6
227.910. The portion of State Highway D from CST 1
Quendo Avenue continuing east to CST Sutter Avenue in St. 2
Louis County shall be designated the "Mayor Mary Louise 3
Carter Highway". The department of transportation shall 4
erect and maintain appropriate signs designating such 5
highway, with the costs to be paid by private donations. 6
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227.911. The portion of U.S. Highway 61 from CRD R7 1
School Road continuing north to CRD Plattin Road in 2
Jefferson County shall be designated the "Army PFC Gary 3
Prather Memorial Highway". The department of transportation 4
shall erect and maintain appropriate signs designating such 5
highway, with the costs to be paid by the department of 6
transportation. 7
227.912. The portion of U.S. Highway 63 from the 1
southern access at CST East Street/State Highway 17 2
continuing north to CST Main Street in Texas County shall be 3
designated the "Emmett Kelly Sr Memorial Highway". The 4
department of transportation shall erect and maintain 5
appropriate signs designating such highway, with the costs 6
to be paid by private donations. 7
227.913. The portion of State Highway 79 from State 1
Highway D continuing north to CRD 118 in Pike County shall 2
be designated as the "Police Chief Richard A Hughes Memorial 3
Highway". The department of transportation shall erect and 4
maintain appropriate signs designating such highway, with 5
the costs to be paid by the department of transportation. 6
227.914. The portion of State Highway A from CST Old 1
Highway 21 continuing east to U.S. Highway 61/U.S. Highway 2
67 in Jefferson County shall be designated as "Fallen 3
Veterans POW/MIA Highway". The department of transportation 4
shall erect and maintain appropriate signs designating such 5
highway, with the costs to be paid by the department of 6
transportation. 7
620.430. 1. There is hereby established the 1
designation of "Missouri Rock Island Trail Community" for 2
municipalities located along the Rock Island Trail corridor 3
that promote outdoor recreation, heritage tourism, and 4
economic development within this state. 5
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2. The following municipalities are hereby designated 6
as Missouri Rock Island Trail Communities: 7
(1) The City of Bland; and 8
(2) The City of Belle. 9
3. Additional municipalities located along the Rock 10
Island Trail corridor may be designated as Missouri Rock 11
Island Trail communities by act of the general assembly. 12
4. Nothing in this section shall be construed to 13
require the expenditure of state funds. 14
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