The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Missouri bill limits civilian oversight board powers over police misconduct investigations
Last action · May 15, 2026: Referred: Emerging Issues(H)Sponsor: David Tyson Smith
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What This Bill Would Do
Local governments across Missouri may establish civilian review boards to investigate public complaints against law enforcement officers, while restricting board powers strictly to excessive force, abuse of authority, discourtesy, and offensive language. Unsworn complaints or prior withdrawn cases cannot serve as the sole basis for board findings, and any authority outside these specified powers is expressly and void.
Local civilian oversight entities face statutory caps on their investigative reach and evidentiary standards, restricting what types of officer misconduct they can examine and prohibiting findings based on unsworn testimony.
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.
local law enforcement officers
Law enforcement officers are subject to investigations and disciplinary recommendations by civilian review boards specifically concerning excessive force, abuse of authority, discourtesy, and offensive language.
members of the public
Members of the public gain the statutory framework to submit sworn complaints of specific police misconduct to local civilian review entities.
local governing bodies
Cities and counties are authorized to establish or utilize civilian review boards and are required to reimburse board members for reasonable and necessary expenses.
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 types of misconduct can a civilian review board investigate?
Can a review board base its findings on unsworn complaints?
Do civilian review board members get paid for their service?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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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 22, 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.
State-Level Preemption of Local Police Oversight
The bill explicitly preempts any local oversight authority outside the enumerated statutory powers, creating a uniform statewide cap on what civilian boards can investigate.
Connected Entities
Sources
house.mo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance75How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy65Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz40Current news / social attention level
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