Governor Parson Signs Four Tort Reform Bills into Law

JULY 10, 2019

Jefferson City — In Governor Parson's 2019 State of the State, he spoke about the importance of tort reform, and today, he signed four pieces of tort reform legislation into law.

SB 7 modifies provisions of civil procedure regarding joinder and venue. This bill restricts the ability of plaintiffs with no connection to Missouri from bringing mass and class action suits to the state.

“During this year’s session, we made major progress improving Missouri’s business climate,” Governor Parson said. “Today, we took a great step in bringing fairness to our courts and giving Missouri businesses the opportunity for competitive economic growth."

SB 30 allows evidence of failure to wear a seatbelt to prove comparative negligence, causation, absence of defect, and failure to mitigate damages.

HB 959 modifies provisions of the Motor Vehicle Franchise Practices Act, and SB 224 modifies various Supreme Court Rules relating to discovery.

Governor Parson also signed two other bills:

HB 220 - Property Taxes for Wind Energy

Modifies provisions relating to the taxation of property involved in producing wind energy.

SB 196 - Omnibus DNR

Modifies provisions relating to the Department of Natural Resources.

For more information on a bill, visit the Missouri House or Missouri Senate website. Governor Parson plans to sign more bills today at 3 p.m.