2026 Legislative Session Recap

The 2026 Missouri Legislative Session ended with drama – this time in a good way. Three key policies entered the final week as almost-passed…but not quite. Clean Slate, land banks improvements, and Food is Medicine legislation were all passed by at least one chamber by the end of April but had not yet fully cleared the legislature. There was no guarantee that any of these bills would reach the Governor’s desk in time, since many final weeks of session end with political logjams. Thanks to work inside and outside the Capitol by supporters, bill sponsors, and Empower Missouri, these bills passed the finish line by the constitutionally mandated end of legislative session, 6:00 p.m. last Friday. Passing these policies means that many eligible Missourians will have their records automatically sealed, more Missouri communities will have access to land banks to restore vacant properties to beneficial use, and Missourians on Medicaid will get access to food and nutrition support to improve their health. It was a happy ending to a productive 2026 legislative session. While not every priority advanced this year, the 2026 legislative session produced meaningful progress across many of Empower Missouri’s core issue areas. 

Affordable Housing

• Increased Funding for the Missouri Housing Trust Fund – Legislation that would increase the recording fee that funds the Missouri Housing Trust Fund did not pass. This year was the first time that the funding increase bill passed out of committee, so we will look to build on that momentum next year.

• Limits on Institutional Investors Buying Single-Family Homes – Bills that placed limits on how many single family homes could be owned by institutional investors did not pass. 

• Land Banks (SB 973)  – Legislation that expands and improves land banks in Missouri did pass and was sent to Governor Kehoe for signature. Similar land bank language that passed in an omnibus bill in 2024 was invalidated in a court case last year. 

Community Justice

• Clean Slate (SB 1421) – Legislation to automate the expungement of qualifying records did pass and was sent to Governor Kehoe for signature. The bill creates new opportunities for an estimated 200,000+ Missourians & reduces barriers to jobs, housing, education, and healthcare.  Missouri became the 14th state to pass Clean Slate legislation.

• Restoring Voting Rights (HB 1871) – Legislation restores voting rights for people on probation and parole did pass and was sent to Governor Kehoe for signature. The bill includes an exception for people convicted of violent offenses. 

• Department of Corrections Independent Oversight – Bills to provide independent oversight of the Missouri Department of Corrections were introduced in both chambers. These bills did not pass either chamber. 

• Increasing Time Served in Prison & Youth Certification (SB 888) – Legislation that imposed sentencing changes that will increase the amount of time served in prison for many felonies did pass and was signed by Governor Kehoe. The legislation will increase annual prison costs and according to the Department of Corrections will require building a new prison at a cost of over $800 million. The bill also included harmful youth justice provisions including creating a juvenile criminal history database and increasing prosecutor involvement in certifying children as adults in the criminal legal system.

Food Security

• Food is Medicine – The Food is Medicine Act did pass and was sent to Governor Kehoe for signature. The act authorizes Missouri’s Medicaid agency to submit a waiver to incorporate food and nutrition services into Medicaid coverage. 

• SNAP and Medicaid Red Tape – Despite disguising the bills as stopping undocumented immigrants from receiving benefits, Missouri did not pass bills introducing unnecessary verification steps for SNAP & Medicaid applicants. The bills would have created extra paperwork requirements with no impact on undocumented immigrants who are already ineligible for benefits under state and federal law.

• Free School Meals – Bills were introduced in both chambers to expand access to free school meals. Unfortunately, none of the bills advanced to a hearing. 

• SNAP Lifetime Ban Opt Out – Bills to remove the lifetime ban on participating in SNAP for those convicted of certain drug felonies did not pass this session.
  

Want a deeper dive into the session? Be sure to join us TOMORROW (Wed. May 20th) at noon for our Legislative Wrap-Up Webinar. Click the button below to RSVP and receive the Zoom details!

If you want to partner on strategies for the next legislative session, I invite you to join one of our coalitions.