Bill > HB1932

This bill requires employers in Missouri to provide employees with a meal period of at least 30 consecutive minutes for every eight-hour shift, with employees not permitted to be at their workplace for more than five and a half hours without a meal break. The bill defines a "meal period" or "meal break" as a non-work time that allows employees to eat or engage in personal activities, which can be paid or unpaid. Importantly, employers are not required to pay employees during these meal breaks. The bill includes several exemptions to this requirement, such as workplaces covered by collective bargaining agreements, situations where compliance would affect public safety, single-employee positions, workplaces with fewer than five employees on a shift, and employers with continuous operations requiring constant employee availability. Employers who violate these provisions can be fined between $300 and $1,200 per violation, with the fine increasing for subsequent infractions. The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations is authorized to create rules for implementing this law and can grant specific exemptions under certain circumstances. The bill is set to take effect after August 28, 2026, and includes provisions ensuring that any rules created must comply with existing state administrative procedures.

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1932&year=2026&code=R