The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Missouri Senate Bill 1168 Establishes Certificates of Good Character and Modifies Offender Good Time Credit
Last action · January 27, 2026: Second Read and Referred S Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence CommitteeSponsor: Steve Roberts
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What This Bill Would Do
Circuit courts in Missouri are authorized to issue certificates of exemplary conduct and good moral character to eligible individuals, which remove legal bars to employment, housing, and occupational licenses while protecting employers from liability. Additionally, the bill mandates that the Department of Corrections award additional confinement credit to qualifying offenders who complete specific educational, vocational, or rehabilitation programs.
Qualifying individuals with past criminal convictions gain legal pathways to secure housing, employment, and occupational licenses, while prison inmates who complete approved rehabilitation or educational programs can earn reductions in their confinement time.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Individuals with criminal convictions
Eligible individuals may petition circuit courts for certificates of good character that remove bars to employment, housing, and occupational licenses.
Employers
Employers receive civil and criminal liability protection for acts of employees holding certificates of good character, barring willful or wanton hiring negligence.
Department of Corrections offenders
Inmates meeting criteria become eligible for mandatory good time credits and retroactive credit for program completions dating back to December 31, 2009.
Licensing entities
State licensing bodies must track and report annual statistics regarding license applicants and holders with felony convictions and certificates.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is eligible to receive a certificate of good moral character?
Does a certificate prevent licensing boards or employers from seeing a person's criminal history?
How many days of credit do offenders earn for completing qualifying educational or treatment programs?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
Check Your Understanding
1.According to the bill version 5072S.01I, under what condition shall the circuit court issue a certificate of exemplary conduct and good moral character to an eligible individual?
2.What effect does the certificate have on employment, housing, or occupational licenses according to bill version 5072S.01I?
3.According to bill version 5072S.01I, what liability protection is provided to an employer regarding an employee who has been issued a certificate?
Follow the record
Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
3 actions- Jan 27, 2026SenateFloorSecond Read and Referred S Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee
- Jan 7, 2026SenateIntroducedS First Read
- Dec 1, 2025SenatePrefiled
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. The text on record is the 5072S.01I - Introduced version. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Mandatory Confinement Credits
The bill shifts Department of Corrections rules from permissive to mandatory good time credits upon superintendent recommendation for qualifying program completions.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.senate.mo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy50Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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