Signed by Governor Mike Parson

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

Vote to amend and pass a bill that limits the authority of local health officials to close businesses, schools, and churches during a public health or safety emergency to a period of 30 days and bans implementation of vaccine passports.

Highlights:

• Requires any county, city, town, or village in the State of Missouri that receives state funding to not mandate documentation of a COVID-19 vaccination for an individual to access public transportation (Sec. 1). 

• Requires that any order issued during an emergency that closes or restricts access to any of the following must not remain in effect for longer than 30 days in 180 days, including (Sec. 67.265):

• Business organizations

• Churches

• Schools; and

• Other places of public or private gatherings or assemblies.

• Specifies the 30-day closure limit includes the total duration of similar orders issued at the same time or continuously and will (Sec. 67.265):

• Automatically expire at the end of the 30 days; or

• Cease at the end of the order, whichever is shorter.

• Exempts orders extended or approval of similar orders made by a simple majority vote of a political subdivision’s governing body, provided (Sec. 67.265):

• The extension or approval of similar orders does not exceed 30 days; and

• Any order can be extended more than once.

• Requires any order of general applicability issued at a time other than an emergency that closes or restricts access to any of the following must not remain in effect for longer than 21 days in 180 days, including (Sec. 67.265):

• Business organizations

• Churches

• Schools; and 

• Other places of public or private gatherings or assemblies.

• Specifies the 21-day closure limit includes the total duration of similar orders issued at the same time or continuously and will (Sec. 67.265):

• Automatically expire at the end of the 21 days; or

• Cease at the end of the order, whichever is shorter.

• Exempts orders extended or approval of similar orders made by a ⅔ majority vote of a political subdivision’s governing body, as long as such an order can be extended more than once (Sec. 67.265).

• Requires all governing bodies of the political subdivisions issuing orders to be granted the authority to terminate an order by a simple majority vote of the governing body (Sec. 67.265).

• Requires the governing bodies of any counties that create local public health agencies through an agreement approve or cease orders according to the provisions of this section (Sec. 67.265).

• Requires that no political subdivision will make or modify any orders that prohibit or contradict any part of this section (Sec. 67.265).

• Requires that the Department of Health and Senior Services cannot authorize a local health official or local health agency to create any rules that contradict this section (Sec. 67.265).

Full Bill Text