Good morning MACRAO membership-
With the close of this year’s Missouri Legislature session, the Government Relations Committee is now able to provide a final summary of this legislative session. These bills have been passed pending the Governor signing them.
HB 419 (https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB419&year=2025&code=R)
Sponsor: Don Mayhew (R)
Synopsis:This omnibus bill contains the following items of impact to MACRAO membership (synopsis pulls language from the bill summary) among other sub-bills:
1) This bill clarifies that specified military service personnel, their spouses, and their unemancipated children under 24, individuals serving in the Missouri National Guard, and any individuals serving in a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States, be considered Missouri residents for the purposes of any undergraduate or graduate degree program in Missouri institutions of higher education.
2) Currently only the University of Missouri can offer research doctorates, doctor of philosophy degrees or specific first professional degrees. This bill allows Missouri State University to have the power to grant philosophy degrees in disciplines other than engineering and a bachelor of science degree in veterinary technology.
3) This bill provides that Veterans Day will be a public holiday for all employees of the University of Missouri System.
4) This bill requires public institutions of higher education to adopt a policy for undergraduate course credit for any student who receives a score of four or higher on an International Baccalaureate exam.
5) This bill establishes the "Public Safety Recruitment and Retention Act" to provide free college tuition for certain public safety personnel and their legal dependents. The bill defines "public safety personnel" as including any police officer, firefighter, paramedic, telecommunicator first responder, emergency medical technician, or advanced emergency medical technician who is trained and authorized by law or rule to render emergency medical assistance or treatment. See the bill for further eligibility information.
Status: Truly Agreed To and Finally Passed-Sent to Governor
SB 150 (https://www.senate.mo.gov/25info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=106)
Sponsor: Jill Carter (R)
Synopsis: This omnibus bill contains the following items of impact to MACRAO membership (synopsis pulls language from the bill summary) among other sub-bills:
1) This act authorizes Missouri State University to grant Doctor of Philosophy degrees in disciplines other than engineering and to grant Bachelor of Science degrees in veterinary technology.
2) Establishment of the “Career-Tech Certificate (CTC) Program. Beginning in 2026-2027, the department shall establish a procedure for the reimbursement of the cost of tuition, books, and fees from the CTC fund to the approved institution at which an eligible student is enrolled in an eligible program or study or a training program. Further definition of eligible programs and reimbursement restrictions outlined in the bill.
3) This act modifies provisions relating to the Access Missouri Financial Assistance Program. The act replaces the term "expected family contribution" with "student aid index", which defines the amount a student's family should contribute toward the cost of postsecondary education, as calculated by the United States Department of Education. Starting with the 2025-26 academic year, the act increases the financial assistance award for eligible recipients of the Access Missouri Financial Assistance Program. For students attending public two-year institutions, the maximum award increases by $400 (from $1300 to $1700), and the minimum award increases by $200 (from $300 to $500). For students attending public four-year institutions, the maximum award increases by $700 (from $2800 to $3500), and the minimum increases by $250 (from $1500 to $1750).
4) This act adds health and life sciences and immersive learning experiences to the mission of Missouri Southern State University.
5) This act modifies provisions of the Higher Education Core Curriculum Transfer Act. The act provides that the Coordinating Board for Higher Education shall, with the assistance of an advisory committee composed of representatives from each public community college and each public four-year institution of higher education, approve a separate 60 credit-hour, transferable, lower-division course equivalency block and a common course numbering equivalency matrix for degree programs in each of the following degree program areas: general business, elementary education and teaching, general psychology, registered nursing, and general biology or biological science, or both. Any community college or university offering degree programs in one or more of these areas shall adopt the 60 credit-hour, transferable, lower-division course equivalency block and a common course numbering equivalency matrix for such programs. Each public institution of higher education shall, in collaboration with the coordinating board and advisory committee, develop an articulation pathway for each of the identified programmatic areas. Previously referred to as Higher Education Core Curricula or Core 60.
Status: Truly Agreed To and Finally Passed-Sent to Governor
SB 160 (https://www.senate.mo.gov/25info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=363)
Sponsor: Brad Hudson (R)
Synopsis: This omnibus bill contains the following items of impact to MACRAO membership (synopsis pulls language from the bill summary) among other sub-bills:
1) This act authorizes Missouri State University to grant Doctor of Philosophy degrees in disciplines other than engineering and to grant Bachelor of Science degrees in veterinary technology.
2) This act prohibits public institutions of higher learning, such as state colleges, community colleges, and technical schools, from taking adverse action against a student association because of the association's beliefs or the actions of its leaders. Specifically, these institutions shall not deny a belief-based student association, such as a political, ideological, or religious association, any benefits that are available to other student groups, including access to campus facilities and communication channels. A belief-based student association shall be responsible for defining its own mission, beliefs, and conduct standards. A belief-based student association may seek relief in a judicial or administrative proceeding against an institution that violates the provisions of the act. See the bill for further detail.
3) This act provides that the offense of hazing shall be known as "Danny's Law" and provides that a person is guilty of the offense of hazing if a person knowingly, actively, and not under duress participates in, solicits another person to participate in, or causes or plans a willful act that endangers a student or certain members of organizations under the sanction of a public or private college or university. See the bill for further detail.
Status: Truly Agreed To and Finally Passed-Sent to Governor
The Government Relations Committee will provide an additional update this summer to the membership in the event that one or more of these bills is not signed by the Governor. Otherwise, this will be the final scheduled legislative update for this academic year. We have also included some additional articles of interest below. We hope our updates have been useful for you this legislative season.
MACRAO Government Relations Committee
[email protected]
ADDITIONAL ARTICLES OF INTEREST
AACRAO Advocacy Alert-House Reconciliation Package Outreach Call
AACRAO Connect-Updates on Legislation Impacting Higher Ed and What You Can Do
Inside Higher Ed-Congress Could Make Paying for College Even More Complicated
Inside Higher Ed-House GOP Wants to Put Colleges on the Hook for Unpaid Loans. How Would It Work?
Inside Higher Ed-TRIO on the Chopping Block
US Department of Education-“Dear Colleague” Letter: Changes to the Approval Process for Changing Accrediting Agencies
