The following bills have been submitted
for consideration to the
Missouri Legislature in the 2001 session.

To obtain copies of the bills, visit:
http://www.house.state.mo.us/bills01/billist.htm for House bills and http://www.senate.state.mo.us/01info/bil-list.htm for Senate bills,
or contact your Senator or Representative.

The content of the bills change rapidly once they are heard in committee
and make their way through floor debates. Should drastic changes be made
we will contact you immediately for action to be taken.

BILLS FILED IN THE MISSOURI HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Federation is opposed to HB 27 -- Locking Devices for Firearms
Co-Sponsors: Wilson (42), Boykins, Thompson, Curls, Troupe

This bill requires that all concealable firearms and assault weapons distributed in this state be equipped with locking devices that are sufficiently strong to prevent unauthorized use.

Federation is opposed to HB 130 -- Animal Shelter Grant Fund
Co-Sponsors: Van Zandt, Campbell

This bill creates the Animal Shelter Grant Fund to be administered by the Department of Agriculture. Any person who sells a dog or cat at retail which has not been neutered is to collect a $25 fee and remit the fee to the Department of Agriculture for deposit in the fund. Moneys in the fund are to be used to provide grants to local licensed animal shelters for spaying and neutering programs.

Federation is monitoring HB 184 -- Wild Elk
Co-Sponsors: Legan, Robirds, Luetkemeyer, Townley, Naeger, Myers, Froelker, Miller, Crawford

This bill makes the Department of Conservation financially responsible for any damage caused by wild elk, including personal injuries sustained during vehicular collisions with wild elk and damage to crops, livestock, fencing, motor vehicles, and other private property. The bill also allows landowners and lessors of land to kill wild elk that have damaged their property.

Federation is monitoring HB 259 -- Wild Elk
Co-Sponsors: Koller, Hampton

This bill makes the Department of Conservation financially responsible for any damage caused by wild elk, including personal injuries sustained during vehicular collisions with wild elk and damage to crops, livestock, fencing, motor vehicles, and other private property. The bill also allows landowners and lessors of land to kill wild elk that have damaged their property.

Federation supports HB 306 -- Agricultural Producers Protection Act
Co-Sponsors: Wiggins, Clayton, Shoemyer, Berkowitz, Ransdall

Enacts the agricultural producer protection act.

Federation supports HB 323 -- Feral Hogs
Co-Sponsors: Crump, Ransdall, Hampton

This bill makes it a class A misdemeanor to knowingly release swine to live in a wild state on public or unfenced private land. Free-roaming hogs not conspicuously identified by ear tags may be killed without liability on public lands or on private lands with the permission of the landowner, although state wildlife regulations must be followed during the firearms deer and turkey hunting seasons.

Federation is monitoring HB 324 -- Sexual Conduct with Animals
Co-Sponsors: Hollingsworth, Hanaway

This bill prohibits persons from engaging in sexual conduct with animals, from causing other persons to engage in sexual conduct with animals, and from permitting sexual conduct with animals on premises under their charge or control. A violation is a class D felony, unless it occurs in the presence of a minor, in which case it is a class C felony. Additionally, courts may prohibit defendants from residing in households where animals are present, may remove animals from defendants' households at their expense, and may order psychological counseling and evaluation for defendants at their expense.

Federation is Opposed to HB 374 -- Missing and Stolen Pets
Co-Sponsors: Fraser, Abel

This bill makes it a class C felony to knowingly misappropriate a pet, law enforcement animal, or rescue animal with intent to sell it, knowingly purchase a stolen pet, or knowingly remove an identification marker or tag from a pet without permission. The bill also requires the Department of Public Safety to create an Internet registry where owners may list their missing or stolen pets. Anyone purchasing pets for research purposes is required to examine them for identification marks and search the registry. If a match is found, the purchaser must contact the owner for verification and report suspected stolen pets to a local law enforcement agency. Pets sold to licensed dealers for research purposes must be accompanied by a veterinarian's health certificate.

Federation is monitoring HB 379 -- Wild Elk
Co-Sponsors: Reid, Wiggins, Myers, Shoemyer

This bill prohibits any release of elk into the wild before January 1, 2012. Releases that are intentional or the result of gross negligence are a class A misdemeanor.

Federation is monitoring HB 455 -- Peace Officer Training
Co-Sponsors: Monaco, Jolly

This bill requires canines acquired by law enforcement agencies after July 1, 2002, to be trained and certified along with the handlers. The Director of the Department of Public Safety will set by rule the hours and type of canine-handler training required for certification and the certification fee.

Federation is monitoring HB 549 -- Wildlife Code Violations
Co-Sponsors: Holand, Hampton

In addition to the existing class A misdemeanor charge, this bill requires anyone illegally taking or possessing an antlered deer to remit to the Conservation Commission an amount ranging from $1,500 to $7,500, depending on the deer's Boone & Crockett score. The commission may allocate up to 25% of the funds for grants that promote anti-poaching activities. The bill also requires courts to notify the commission if anyone fails to appear at a hearing or pay a fine for taking wildlife illegally. The commission may consider this information in permit suspension, revocation, or denial actions.

Federation is monitoring HB 690--Enacts procedures relating to the exposure of humans to rabies or zoonotic diseases and requires the registration of primate animals.
Sponsors: Meg Harding, Glenda Kelly with, Boucher,Haywood, Holt, Copenhaver, Jolly, Johnson (90), Mays (50) and Coleman as Co-sponsors.

Federation is opposed to HB 828--Authorizes "animal friendly" license plate.
Sponsor: Bill Skaggs

Federation is opposed to HB 858--Amends provisions regarding animal care facilities.
Sponsors: McKenna, Scheve, Abel, Carnahan, Fraser, Van Zandt, Campbell, Shelton, Boucher, with Co-sponsors Holt, Bowman, Wagner, Hilgemann, Harlan, Foley, Williams, Surface, Coleman, Ward, Ransdall, Hendrickson, Villa, Liese, Portwood, Greisheimer, Reinhart, Gratz, Hosmer, Levin, Vogel, Burton, Ostmann, Britt, Barry, Ross and Hanaway.

BILLS FILED IN THE MISSOURI SENATE

*Be sure to refer to the bottom of this page!

Federation is monitoring SB 9 - Missouri Agricultural Advocates office
Sponsor: Harold Caskey

Creates Farmland Protection Act and Missouri Agricultural Advocate's Office

Federation is monitoring SB 20 - Creates the Non-Native Species Council
Sponsor: Wayne Goode

This act creates the Non-native Species Council. The named members of the Council are the Directors of the Departments of Agriculture, Conservation, Health, Natural Resources and Transportation. The Director of the Department of Conservation shall serve as the first-year Council chair and the other named members shall serve one year terms as Council chair on a rotating basis. Other agencies may be included. The five named agencies shall provide temporary staffing for the Council, and the Council may request appropriations for dedicated staffing. State agencies whose actions affect non-native species shall attempt to prevent further impacts of non-native species and shall not act in ways that create further impacts of non-native species. The Council shall oversee implementation of the act, encourage planning, develop recommendations, facilitate sharing of information and create and update an Non-native Species Management Plan. The Plan shall be issued within 18 months of passage. The Plan shall be a 5-year rolling plan including goals, objectives and measures of success concerning non-native species.

Federation is monitoring SB 27 - Registering primates and rabies or zoonotic disease
Sponsor: Sidney Johnson

This act provides for the Department of Health to investigate and issue orders in instances where an animal has bitten or otherwise exposed a person to the possibility of contracting rabies or any zoonotic disease when counties have not adopted rules pursuant to Sections 322.090 to 322.130. The Department of Health shall investigate the incident and issue orders to prevent and control rabies or zoonotic disease. The Department of Health shall have discretion to order the animal quarantined, isolated, impounded, immunized or disposed of. The Department of Health is granted rulemaking authority concerning the classification of a disease as a zoonotic disease. It shall be a Class A misdemeanor for the owner of an animal to knowingly fail or refuse to comply with the orders of the Department of Health or to attempt to transfer or dispose of the animal. This act makes the owner of the animal responsible for the costs associated with the incident. The owner of the animal shall be liable to the injured person for all damages except when the damaged party directly contributed to the injury. This act also requires owners of non-human primates to register the animal with the local law enforcement agency in the county in which the animal is kept. Failure to register the animal is a Class C misdemeanor.

Federation is monitoring SB 38 - Dept. of Conservation to be responsible for wild elk
Sponsor: Morris Westfall

This act makes the Department of Conservation liable for all damages resulting from reintroduction of elk. Examples include damages to crops, fences, livestock, and vehicles and personal injuries. It further provides that landowners or lessors may destroy elk if they have damaged the property.

Federation is monitoring SB 107 -- Dept. of Conservation to be responsible for wild elk
Sponsor: Sarah Steelman

This act makes the Department of Conservation liable for all damages resulting from reintroduction of elk. Examples include personal injuries, including death; damages to crops, livestock, and real or personal property. It requires the Department of Conservation to either remove and relocate or destroy the wild elk upon the report of a landowner that wild elk have caused property damage. It further provides that landowners or lessors may destroy elk if they have damaged the property.

Federation supports SB 141 -- Designates llamas as livestock
Sponsor: Doyle Childers

This act designates llamas as livestock. This designation will exempt most production costs from sales and use tax.

Federation is opposed to SB 490 -- This act increases the penalties for animal abuse.
Sponsors: Patrick Dougherty and John Loudon