Workers, Students, Foster Parents Benefit From 2022 Missouri Laws

With the new year of 2022 upon us, there are a number of new laws going into effect in Missouri come January 1.

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Our thanks to State Representative Louis Riggs for providing us with a complete rundown of the laws passed by the Missouri General Assembly in the most recent session.

Here are some highlights of Missouri laws that will kick in Saturday.

Minimum Wage - Thanks to Proposition B, passed in 2018, Missouri's minimum wage rises to $11.15 for private businesses, unless your retail or service business has gross annual sales of less than $500,000.

Students' Right to Know - Starting January 1, the state Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development will be required, "to annually collect and compile specified information to help high school students make more informed decisions about their futures and ensure they are adequately aware of the costs of four year colleges and alternative career paths."

Child Placement - There had been a tax credit available for adoptive parents of special needs children. That tax credit will now be there for all adoptive parents. There's also a new tax deduction for expenses incurred in child care for foster parents.

Mental Health Insurance - A requirement for insurers to provide coverage for certain mental health conditions.

Police Use of  Force - requires law enforcement agencies to report local data on use-of-force incidents to the National Use of Force Data Collection administered by the FBI.