SB 78 - This act establishes the "First Amendment Protection Act." The act provides that boards and commissions shall cease investigations and dismiss complaints concerning a licensee's business or professional practices if the basis of such complaint was the licensee's exercise of rights protected by the Free Exercise Clause or the Free Speech Clause of the Missouri Constitution or the United States Constitution. Additionally, this act provides that it shall not be unprofessional conduct for a licensee or applicant of a license to engage in the exercise of such rights and an oversight body shall not impose discipline for engaging in the exercise of such rights. However, a licensee or an applicant commits unprofessional conduct when aiding or abetting a person or organization taking adverse actions against other licensees or applicants where the other licensees' or applicants' speech or conduct was not made in their professional capacity and would be protected by the Free Exercise Clause or the Free Speech Clause against a state actor. An oversight body may take disciplinary action for such unprofessional conduct.
This act is similar to HB 2306 (2024).
KATIE O'BRIEN