Bill > HB3031

This bill modifies the grounds on which the State Board of Education can refuse to issue or renew, or discipline, a teacher's license to teach. Previously, a teacher's license could be disciplined or revoked for pleading guilty to or being found guilty of a felony or crime involving moral turpitude, obtaining a certificate through fraud, incompetence, immorality, or neglect of duty, or if another state took disciplinary action against their certification for similar reasons. The bill removes the provision that allowed charges to be filed for annulling a written contract with a local school board without the board's consent, and also removes the ability for local school districts or the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to file charges based solely on the annulment of a contract. It clarifies that charges can be filed for any cause outlined in the section, including a combination of causes, and specifies that if a teacher's underlying conduct is also the subject of a pending criminal charge, they can request a delayed hearing until the criminal trial is complete. The bill also expands the list of specific serious offenses, including dangerous felonies and various sexual offenses against children, that will result in the mandatory revocation or denial of a teaching certificate. It outlines procedures for notice, hearings, and appeals, and states that a teaching certificate can only be issued to someone convicted of a felony or crime involving moral turpitude if the State Board of Education unanimously votes to do so.

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB3031&year=2026&code=R