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SECOND REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 1710
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR MCCREERY .
6463S.01I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
AN ACT
To amend chapters 160 and 161, RSMo, by adding thereto two new sections relating to support for
high school students' sleep requirements.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapters 160 and 161, RSMo, are amended by 1
adding thereto two new sections, to be known as sections 160.044 2
and 161.044, to read as follows:3
160.044. 1. No high school shall begin mandated 1
instruction for students earlier than 8:30 a.m. This 2
requirement shall be in effect at all school districts 3
statewide beginning with the earliest of: 4
(1) The commencement of the 2027-28 school year; or 5
(2) The expiration of the school district's existing 6
collective bargaining agreement establishing school day 7
start times. 8
2. A school district facing unique challenges as a 9
result of the requirements of subsection 1 of this section 10
may apply to the department of elementary and secondary 11
education for a waiver from such requirements. The 12
department shall establish a form that districts may use for 13
this purpose. To be eligible for a waiver, a school 14
district shall supply substantial evidence of significant 15
hardship due to factors including, but not limited to, 16
operations, funding, or pupil transportation. 17
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3. School districts may coordinate with the department 18
of elementary and secondary education if they require 19
assistance with redesigning bus routes or adjusting school 20
schedules to implement the requirements of subsection 1 of 21
this section. 22
4. The department of elementary and secondary 23
education may promulgate rules to implement the provisions 24
of this section. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that 25
term is defined in section 536.010, that is created under 26
the authority delegated in this section shall become 27
effective only if it complies with and is subject to all of 28
the provisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 29
536.028. This section and chapter 536 are nonseverable and 30
if any of the powers vested with the general assembly 31
pursuant to chapter 536 to review, to delay the effective 32
date, or to disapprove and annul a rule are subsequently 33
held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking 34
authority and any rule proposed or adopted after August 28, 35
2026, shall be invalid and void. 36
161.044. 1. The "Missouri Sleep and Education 1
Advisory Task Force" is hereby established within the 2
department of elementary and secondary education. 3
2. The task force shall consist of the following 4
twenty members: 5
(1) The commissioner of education or the 6
commissioner's designee; 7
(2) The director of the department of health and 8
senior services or such director's designee; 9
(3) A sleep scientist or neurologist, to be appointed 10
by the director of the department of health and senior 11
services; 12
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(4) An individual responsible for planning and 13
organizing pupil transportation services for a school 14
district or school districts, to be appointed by the 15
commissioner of education; 16
(5) The following twelve individuals, to be appointed 17
by the governor from among school districts representing a 18
variety of organizational types and operational challenges: 19
(a) The superintendent of an urban school district; 20
(b) The superintendent of a seven-director school 21
district; 22
(c) The superintendent of a metropolitan school 23
district; 24
(d) A high school teacher currently employed by an 25
urban school district; 26
(e) A high school teacher currently employed by a 27
seven-director school district; 28
(f) A high school teacher currently employed by a 29
metropolitan school district; 30
(g) A parent of a high school student currently 31
enrolled in an urban school district; 32
(h) A parent of a high school student currently 33
enrolled in a seven-director school district; 34
(i) A parent of a high school student currently 35
enrolled in a metropolitan school district; 36
(j) A high school student currently enrolled in an 37
urban school district; 38
(k) A high school student currently enrolled in a 39
seven-director school district; and 40
(l) A high school student currently enrolled in a 41
metropolitan school district; 42
(6) A member of the senate, appointed by the president 43
pro tempore of the senate; 44
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(7) A member of the senate, appointed by the senate 45
minority floor leader; 46
(8) A member of the house of representatives, 47
appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives; and 48
(9) A member of the house of representatives, 49
appointed by the house minority floor leader. 50
3. Members of the task force shall serve a four-year 51
term and may be reappointed. Any vacancy on the task force 52
shall be filled in the same manner as in the original 53
appointment. 54
4. Members of the task force shall elect a chair from 55
among the membership of the task force. The task force 56
shall meet as needed to complete its recommendations and 57
submit its report as described in subsection 5 of this 58
section. Members of the task force shall serve without 59
compensation. No school district policy or administrative 60
action shall require any employee to use personal leave or 61
incur a reduction in pay for participating on the task 62
force. No school district policy or administrative action 63
shall penalize any student for participating on the task 64
force. 65
5. The task force shall: 66
(1) Collect feedback from among the task force 67
membership and education stakeholders across the state 68
regarding best practices for school start times, taking into 69
account impacts of a later start time on student health, 70
school operations and finances, and the local community; 71
(2) Collect data from school districts across the 72
state on changes in student attendance, tardiness, grades, 73
and disciplinary outcomes before and after the 74
implementation of the provisions of section 160.044. Based 75
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on this data, the task force may recommend changes to state 76
law and regulations as needed; and 77
(3) On or before December thirty-first of each year, 78
submit a report on its findings and recommendations to the 79
governor, president pro tempore of the senate, speaker of 80
the house of representatives, the joint committee on 81
education, the state board of education, and the state board 82
of health and senior services. 83
6. The department of elementary and secondary 84
education may promulgate rules to implement the provisions 85
of this section. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that 86
term is defined in section 536.010, that is created under 87
the authority delegated in this section shall become 88
effective only if it complies with and is subject to all of 89
the provisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 90
536.028. This section and chapter 536 are nonseverable and 91
if any of the powers vested with the general assembly 92
pursuant to chapter 536 to review, to delay the effective 93
date, or to disapprove and annul a rule are subsequently 94
held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking 95
authority and any rule proposed or adopted after August 28, 96
2026, shall be invalid and void. 97
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