The Missouri General Assembly adjourned the regular session on May 15, 2026. Out of 2,048 House bills and 975 Senate bills introduced this session, 101 bills were Truly Agreed to and Finally Passed.
State Funding for Domestic and Sexual Violence Services
The General Assembly finished its work on the Fiscal Year 2027 state budget prior to the constitutionally mandated deadline of May 8. MOCADSV and Gibbons-Workman staff met with the Governor’s budget director on May 21 to continue advocating for state funding to support domestic and sexual violence services and survivors.
The General Assembly’s budget includes the following funding levels:
- Domestic Violence Shelter Services (DVSS) – $10,162,137 (Federal FVPSA, Federal TANF, State General Revenue (GR))
- Sexual Violence Shelter Services (SVSS) – $1,750,000 (State GR)
- Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) – $42,864,755 (Federal CVF and State GR)
- Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors (STOP) & Sexual Assault Service Providers (SASP) – $3,294,343 (Federal Violence Against Women Act (VAWA))
- State Services to Victims Fund (SSVF) – $2,000,000 (State GR)
- Rape Prevention and Education (RPE) – $1,287,134 (Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC))
MOCADSV encourages members and partners to share your gratitude with Rep. Raychel Proudie, Rep. Betsy Fogle, and Rep. Darin Chappell, who spoke in support of DVSS and VOCA funding during the Conference Committee hearing. Additional thanks should also be extended to the Senate Appropriations Committee for including VOCA funding in their budget and the House Budget Committee for restoring DVSS funding to their budget.
Action on MOCADSV’s Priority Bills
MOCADSV staff tracked multiple bills throughout the legislative session that pertain to domestic and sexual violence work. While reviewing these bills, staff created a list of priority bills. MOCADSV, along with its members and lobbyists at Gibbons-Workman, advocated by meeting with legislators throughout the session to provide education about domestic and sexual violence, support services, and the potential impact bills could have on communities.
Below are bills that were Truly Agreed to and Finally Passed this session that pertain to domestic violence and sexual assault work. Several of these bills contain multiple provisions. The governor has 45 days following the adjournment of the legislative session to either sign or veto a bill. All signed bills go into effect August 28, 2026, unless a different date is specified within the bill. Sections that impact domestic and sexual violence laws are highlighted here.
HB 1908 – Allows the court to enter a judgment of dissolution of marriage, or legal separation, if a person is pregnant. Signed by the Governor on April 7, 2026.
HB 2273 – Modifies and establishes provisions relating to the protection of children and vulnerable persons. Addresses cyberstalking, disclosure of intimate digital depictions, nonconsensual dissemination of private sexual images, sadistic online exploitation, grooming of a minor, and establishes the Missouri Crime Victims Fund. Signed by the Governor on April 7, 2026.
SB 907 – Establishes the “Act Against Abusive Website Access Litigation,” which establishes provisions relating to litigation alleging certain disability access violations. Signed by the Governor on May 6, 2026.
HB 2596 – Modifies provisions relating to health benefit plans. Provides for annual supply of contraception. Awaits the Governor’s signature.
HB 2637 – Modifies and establishes provisions relating to public safety. Addresses no-contact orders, definitions for bodily harm, offense of stalking, unlawful tracking of a motor vehicle, cyber harassment, cyberstalking, disclosure of an intimate digital depiction, and sadistic online exploitation. Awaits the Governor’s signature.
SB 982 – Modifies provisions relating to sexual offenses and the sex offender registry. Awaits the Governor’s signature.
SB 999 – Modifies provisions relating to vulnerable persons. Addresses cyberstalking, no contact orders, definitions of physical injury, offense of stalking, cyber harassment, disclosure of intimate digital depictions, and sadistic online exploitation. Awaits the Governor’s signature.
SB 1421 – Modifies provisions relating to the unlawful use of unmanned aircraft in certain areas. Creates the offense of masked intimidation. Awaits the Governor’s signature.
The conclusion of the 2026 Missouri legislative session also means MOCADSV staff will begin working on the New 2026 Missouri Laws publication. The New Missouri Laws publication is a part of a series that highlights bills that passed during the legislative session that may affect survivors or advocacy organizations.
We have reached the midpoint of the 103rd General Assembly’s 2nd regular session. It has been a busy and productive first half of the session, highlighted by Capitol Advocacy Days in February and tremendous engagement from our member agencies through communication with their legislators, Capitol visits, and written and in-person testimony on bills that directly impact survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
State Funding for Domestic & Sexual Violence Services
A top priority for MOCADSV during each legislative session is to advocate for sustained funding for domestic and sexual violence service providers. This includes advocating for general revenue support for three core funding streams: Domestic Violence Support Services (DVSS), Sexual Violence Support Services (SVSS), and Victims of Crime Act (VOCA).
The Governor’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget recommendation included a $1 million cut in General Revenue under the Department of Social Services’ Domestic Violence line item. Thanks to an amendment by Rep. Raychel Proudie, the $1 million that was removed from the Governor’s budget recommendation has been restored in the House Budget Committee’s Department of Social Services budget bill. While we celebrate clearing this “first hurdle,” our focus now turns to ensuring this is maintained as the budget proceeds through the House and Senate and on to the Governor’s Desk. We express our sincere thanks to all who responded to our Action Alerts on this effort by contacting their legislators, alerting local media, and sharing with their local communities. Watch future editions of our monthly Legislative Update and social media for progress updates and/or action alerts as the appropriations process moves through the General Assembly.
For the past several years, the General Assembly has included a supplemental appropriation to bridge the gap in federal VOCA funding in the amount of $25 million. The Governor did not include this amount in his budget recommendation, and the House Budget Committee did not restore it in their markup of the DSS budget bill. Advocacy continues as we work to secure these funds in the extremely tight budget year that the state is facing.
Progress on MOCADSV Priority Bills
MOCADSV is pleased to share two early successes in the progress of priority bills.
HB 1908, sponsored by Rep. Cecelie Williams (with companion bills sponsored by Rep. Raychel Proudie and Rep. Ashley Aune and a Senate version sponsored by Sen. Maggie Nurrenbern), which allows the court to enter a judgement of dissolution of marriage or legal separation if a person is pregnant, passed both the House (Y-147, N-0) and Senate (Y-29, N-0) and is headed to the Governor’s Desk for signature. The bill passed out of both House and Senate committees and in both chambers with unanimous votes, showing tremendous support for ending the prohibition on finalizing divorce while pregnant in Missouri. This was the first non-appropriations bill passed this session.
HB 2273, an omnibus bill sponsored by Rep. Ed Lewis and handled in the Senate by Sen. Jill Carter, is also headed to the Governor’s Desk after passing the House (Y-148, N-2) and the Senate (Y-32, N-0). This bill includes various provisions for the protection of children and vulnerable persons and includes the language that establishes the Crime Victims Fund. This fund will create a permanent line item within the Department of Social Services budget to allow for future appropriations to bolster the VOCA grant program. MOCADSV expresses our gratitude to Rep. Cathy Jo Loy and Sen. Jill Carter for introducing and supporting bills to establish the Crime Victims Fund.
After several years of advocacy, bills to extend the statute of limitations for personal injury claims and child sexual abuse and to provide that retrospective laws may be enacted for civil childhood sexual abuse claims are making progress in the legislature. HB 1664, sponsored by Rep. Brian Seitz, has passed the House (Y-95, N-12) and will now move to the Senate. HJR 130, also sponsored by Rep. Seitz, has passed the House Judiciary Committee. SB 1140 and SJR 93, both sponsored by Sen. Brad Hudson, have passed the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee.
HB 1694 and SB 907, sponsored by Rep. Mazzie Christensen and Sen. Brad Hudson, respectively, would protect businesses, nonprofits, and government agencies from harmful litigation regarding website access. The House version of this bill has passed the House (Y-149, N-0) and is now before the Senate General Laws Committee.
