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Read. Follow. Verify.Missouri House Bill 1857 Modifies Unlawful Possession of a Firearm Offense and Penalties
Last action · May 15, 2026: Referred: Emerging Issues(H)Sponsor: Steve Butz
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What This Bill Would Do
Missouri House Bill 1857 modifies the offense of unlawful possession of a firearm by adding a specific exemption for minors under eighteen who possess firearms on public property if they have completed a hunter education course required by the Department of Conservation.
Residents under eighteen carrying firearms on public property face different criminal liability depending on whether they have completed a state-approved hunter education course, altering the application of felony firearms statutes for minors.
- Section 571.070 of the Revised Statutes of Missouri (RSMo) governs the criminal offense of unlawful possession of a firearm in the state. context
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.
Minors under eighteen years of age
Minors possessing firearms on public property are exempt from criminal penalties if they complete the required hunter education course.
Individuals with felony convictions
Individuals with felony convictions remain prohibited from possessing firearms, with an explicit statutory exception maintained for antique firearms.
Department of Conservation
The department's hunter education course serves as the qualifying standard for the minor public property possession exemption.
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
What makes firearm possession by a minor on public property legal under this bill?
What felony classification applies to unlawful possession of a firearm?
Are antique firearms subject to the restrictions for individuals with felony convictions?
What else do you want to know?
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
4 actions- May 15, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred: Emerging Issues(H)
- Jan 8, 2026HouseFloorRead Second Time (H)
- Jan 7, 2026HouseIntroducedRead First Time (H)
- Dec 1, 2025HouseIntroducedPrefiled (H)
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. 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.
Hunter Education Exemption for Minors
The bill introduces a specific statutory carve-out for minors possessing firearms on public property provided they complete a Department of Conservation hunter education course.
Connected Entities
Sources
house.mo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance60How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy50Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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