Bill > HB1809

This bill modifies Missouri law to enhance medical providers' involvement in reporting and collecting evidence for gunshot and serious stab wounds. Specifically, emergency rooms will now be required to provide three hours of annual training to personnel on forensic evidence collection and maintain a secure storage unit for such evidence. Medical providers who treat patients with gunshot or stab wounds (defined as at least one inch deep) must immediately report the patient's identity and wound details to local law enforcement. The bill also mandates that emergency rooms have access to evidentiary collection kits, which will be developed and distributed by the Department of Health and Senior Services and the Department of Public Safety. These new requirements aim to improve documentation and tracking of violent injuries, while protecting medical professionals by providing them immunity from civil liability when reporting in good faith. The bill covers medical professionals licensed under chapters 334 and 335, which typically refer to physicians and osteopathic physicians, and establishes clear guidelines for their participation in criminal investigations related to serious wound cases.

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB1809&year=2026&code=R