SCS/HB 834 - This act modifies provisions relating to licenses regulated by state agencies.TEMPORARY CHILD CARE FACILITY LICENSES (SECTION 210.221)
This act creates a process for the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to issue a temporary child care facility license to a child care provider to expand an existing site or to add a new location. The provider shall not be on probation, have a license revoked in the previous twelve months, or have a current letter of censure and shall complete any required background checks, safety and sanitation inspections, and staff training for the site being expanded or added. Temporary licenses issued under this provision shall be valid for no longer than twelve months or until the Department makes a final determination on full licensure.
Prior to obtaining the temporary license, the provider shall have operated a child care facility for at least thirteen months.
The new facility shall be subject to an inspection without notice within sixty days of opening. If the child care facility is an existing facility, but there is a change of ownership, such facility shall be subject to inspection without notice within 60 days of the change in ownership.
Additionally, a child care license shall specify the effective dates of the license and whether it is temporary.
This provision is identical to HCS/HBs 850, 53, & 482 (2025) and is similar to SB 568 (2025) and SB 571 (2025).
EMERGENCY SUSPENSION AND RESTRICTIONS ON MASSAGE THERAPISTS AND CHIROPRACTORS (SECTIONS 324.263 & 331.084)
This act provides that the Board of Therapeutic Massage and the Board of Chiropractic Examiners can apply to the Administrative Hearing Commission ("AHC") for an emergency suspension or restriction of a license if the licensee is the subject of a pending criminal indictment, information, or other charge related to the duties and responsibilities of the licensed occupation, and there is reasonable cause to believe that the public health, safety, or welfare is at imminent risk of harm.
Within one business day of receiving the complaint, the AHC shall return a service packet, as described in the act, to the board, which shall then serve the licensee within twenty-four hours. Within five days of receipt of the complaint, the AHC shall conduct a review and, if the AHC determines there is reasonable cause for the board's complaint, the AHC shall enter an order of suspension or restriction. The order will be effective upon personal service or delivery of a copy to all of the licensee's addresses on file. The AHC shall then hold an evidentiary hearing on the record within forty-five days of the board's filing, or upon final adjudication of the criminal charges, to determine if the initial order entered by the AHC will continue in effect and whether a cause for discipline exists. If no cause for discipline is found, the AHC shall issue findings and terminate the order for suspension or restriction. If the AHC finds cause for discipline, the AHC shall issue findings and order the suspension or restriction to remain in effect until a disciplinary hearing before the board, which may impose discipline otherwise authorized by state law.
Furthermore, this act provides that if the AHC does not grant an initial order, the board shall remove all reference to such emergency suspension or restriction from public records.
These provisions are identical to HB 58 (2025), provisions in the perfected HCS/HB 268 (2025), and in the perfected HB 478 and contains a provision similar to HB 1549 (2024), a provision in SCS/HCS/HB 2280 (2024), HCS/HB 175 (2023), and HB 1610 (2022).
FUNERAL DIRECTORS AND EMBALMERS (SECTIONS 333.041 & 333.042)
This act modifies the process for obtaining a license to practice embalming and to practice funeral directing.
This act provides that a practicum embalming student registrant may assist, under the direct supervision of a licensed embalmer, in a licensed funeral establishment after approval by the State Board of Embalmers and Funeral Directors ("Board"), but shall not assist when not under such supervision.
In addition of the current requirements for an embalmer's license, this act provides that an applicant for an initial license to practice embalming shall furnish evidence that he or she has passed the National Board Examination Sciences, the Missouri Law Examination, and upon written request to the Board and if such person has not previously passed, the person may sit for the National Board Examination Arts. Additionally, the applicant shall provide evidence of employment in a qualifying embalmer apprentice program, as defined in the act, for no less than six months and has personally embalmed at least twenty-five dead human bodies under the supervision of a licensed embalmer, with the first twelve bodies embalmed under the direct supervision of a licensed embalmer.
Additionally, this act repeals provisions regarding failure to complete the requirements for an embalmer's license in a five-year period, passage of a state examination administered by the Board for an embalmer's license, issuance of an embalmer's or funeral director's license by the Board, and waiver of any licensure requirements to certain individuals of a licensed funeral director because of sickness, mental incapacity, or injury.
This act also provides licensure requirements for an initial license to practice funeral directing. An applicant for such license shall furnish evidence that he or she is eighteen years of age, possesses a high school diploma or equivalent thereof, and has either:
(1) Completed a funeral service education program and received a passing score on the National Board Examination Arts and the Missouri Law Examination; or
(2) Applied for a funeral director provisional license, completed a qualifying funeral director apprentice program, and:
(a) Within twenty-four months, completes a twelve-month apprentice program under the personal supervision of a licensed funeral director in a licensed Missouri funeral establishment, which includes arranging and conducting ten funeral services, and receives a passing score on the National Board Examination Arts and the Missouri Law Examination; or
(b) Within thirty-six months, completes an eighteen-month apprentice program under the personal supervision of a licensed funeral director in a licensed Missouri funeral establishment, which includes arranging and conducting twenty-five funeral services, and receives a passing score on the Missouri Law Examination.
Additionally, this act repeals provisions regarding hours devoted as an apprentice for applicants of a funeral director license, passage of a state examination administered by the Board for a funeral director's license, failure to complete the requirements for an embalmer's license in a two-year period, and waiver of certain requirements for licensed embalmers seeking a funeral director license.
A person seeking to obtain a funeral director limited license for work only in a cremation funeral establishment shall meet the qualifications as specified in the act. Additionally, such person shall be exempt from an apprenticeship program.
Finally, this act provides that the Board may, at its discretion and upon written request, waive the funeral director licensure requirements for up to six months if there is an absence of a funeral director in charge due to the death or disability and there is no licensed funeral director available to fulfill the duties. The waiver may allow for a spouse, next of kin, personal representative, or conservator to conduct business until such time as a licensed funeral director can be obtained or arrangements for closure or sale of the funeral establishment, but the waiver shall not allow any services to be provided for which a formal funeral service education program is required.
These provisions are similar to provisions in SB 351 (2025), SB 1052 (2024), in SCS/HB 2280 (2024), HCS/HBs 2322 & 1774 (2024), SB 348 (2023), HB 629 (2023), HB 1491 (2022), HCS/SB 9 (2021), HCS/SB 330 (2021), SCS/HB 585 (2021), HCS/HB 724 (2021), HB 1349 (2021), and HB 2432 (2020).
EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR SOCIAL WORKERS (SECTION 337.600 TO 337.645)
Currently, the educational requirements for licensure of certain social workers include receiving a baccalaureate or master's degree in social work from an accredited program approved by the Council on Social Work Education or receiving a doctorate or Ph.D. in social work. This act provides that such applicants may receive a master degree in social work from a social work program either accredited by the Council on Social Work Education or recognized and approved by the State Committee for Social Workers as set forth in the act.
These provisions are identical to provisions in HCS/HB 268 (2025), in the perfected HB 478 (2025), and in the perfected HB 765 (2025) and is substantially similar to HB 216 (2025), HCS/HB 1533 (2024) and provisions in SCS/HB 2280 (2024).
CLINICAL FELLOWSHIPS FOR LICENSURE OF SPEECH PATHOLOGISTS AND AUDIOLOGISTS (SECTION 345.050)
This act modifies the requirements for licensure as a speech pathologist or audiologist by providing for completion of a clinical fellowship under the direct supervision of a licensed speech-language pathologist in good standing, rather than under the direct supervision of a person licensed by the state of Missouri in the profession in which the applicant seeks to be licensed.
This provision is identical to a provision in HCS/SS/SB 7 (2025), in SS/SB 61 (2025), in HCS/HB 268 (2025), SB 431 (2025), in HB 478 (2025), and in HB 765 (2025).
KATIE O'BRIEN