Modifies provisions relating to professional licensing

INSPECTIONS OF LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES (SECTION 198.022) Under this act, the Department of Health and Senior Services may accept, in lieu of an inspection conducted by the Department, a written report of a survey or inspection conducted by any state or federal agency, provided the survey or inspection is comparable in scope or method to the Department's inspections and conducted in accordance with Title XVIII of the Social Security Act. A residential care or assisted living facility shall be subject to an inspection by the Department if the facility fails to maintain an accredited status by a recognized accreditation entity. Finally, if a facility exempt from an annual inspection under this act has one or more violations of any class I standards, then the facility shall be subject to a full inspection by the Department.

This provision is identical to a provision in SS/SCS/SB 841 (2026) and in the truly agreed to and finally passed SS/SCS/HCS/HB 2372 (2026), is substantially similar to a provision in SCS/HCS/HB 943 (2025), and is similar to SB 689 (2025).

INTERIOR DESIGNERS (SECTIONS 324.001, 324.028 TO 327.750. 537.033 & 621.045 & THE REPEAL OF SECTIONS 324.406 TO 324.436) This act modifies the registration of interior designers from the Division of Professional Registration with advice and recommendations by the Interior Design Council to the licensing of interior designers from the Missouri Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Professional Land Surveyors, Professional Landscape Architects, and Licensed Interior Designers ("Board"). The Board shall increase from fifteen members to seventeen members with the two new members being licensed interior designers.

The Interior Design Council and the Interior Design Council Fund shall be abolished upon the appointment by the Governor and confirmation by the Senate of the licensed interior designer members of the Board. The rules of the Interior Design Council shall be deemed adopted by the Board until revised, amended, or repealed, of which such action shall be taken on or before January 1, 2027. The funds in the Interior Design Council Fund shall be transferred to the State Board of Architects, Professional Engineers, Professional Land Surveyors, Professional Landscape Architects, and Licensed Interior Designers Fund.

Additionally, this act defines the practice of licensed interior design and provides that a licensed interior designer shall undertake to perform licensed interior design services only when he or she is qualified by education, training, and experience in the specific technical areas involved. Furthermore, licensed interior designers shall be in responsible charge of interior design technical submissions that can affect the health, safety, and welfare of the public within their scope of practice. Licensed interior designers shall not take responsible charge over interior technical submissions prepared by another person unless the licensed interior designer actually exercises personal supervision and direct control over such interior technical submissions.

This act modifies the educational and training requirements for licensed interior designers by repealing the qualification of at least three years of an interior design curriculum from an accredited institution with three years of experience. Additionally, an applicant shall be exempt from providing substantial evidence of certain educational and training qualifications if his or her curriculum or transcript has been approved by the Board.

Nothing in this act shall be construed as precluding an architect from performing any of the services within the practice of licensed interior design.

Current law provides that a renewal or reinstatement application for registration as an interior designer shall be accompanied by proof of completion of continuing education in the fields of either interior design or architecture. This act repeals such provision and provides that the Board shall establish the continuing education requirements for interior designers which shall be substantially equivalent to the continuing education requirements for architects.

Finally, this act includes licensed interior designers in the definition of "design professional" for immunity from civil liability for participation in a peer review process.

This act contains a delayed effective date for the repeal of the Interior Design Council and the Interior Design Fund, which shall become effective upon notification to the Revisor of the appointment of the interior designer members of the Board by the Director of the Division of Professional Regulation.

These provisions are identical to provisions in the perfected SS/SB 895 (2026), SS/SCS/SB 991 (2026), in the truly agreed to and finally passed HCS/SS#2/SB 1233 (2025), and in HCS/HB 2353 (2026), and are similar to SB 287 (2025), HB 566 (2025), SB 1325 (2024), and HB 2158 (2024).

NONRENEWABLE TEMPORARY LICENSES (SECTION 324.004) Under this act, any person who has at least three years of work experience in an occupation or profession in another state or the District of Columbia that does not use a license to regulate that occupation or profession may submit an application for a non-renewable, two-year temporary license in Missouri to the relevant oversight body. A person shall submit proof of experience in the occupation or profession and proof of citizenship or lawful presence in the United States, except as provided. Within 45 days of receiving the application, the oversight body shall make a determination of qualification. The oversight body shall require an applicant to take and pass a profession-specific examination and may require an examination specific to Missouri laws.

If the applicant is not residing in Missouri, the oversight body shall conditionally approve the application. If an applicant fails to provide proof of domicile in Missouri within 60 days of receipt of temporary license, the oversight body may terminate the temporary license and the applicant may reapply for the temporary license.

Upon expiration of the temporary license, individuals shall be required to apply for a permanent license, consistent with the licensure and application requirements of that license as set forth in statute and rule. A license issued under this act shall not be qualified for reciprocity with another state or as part of an interstate compact. The provisions of this act shall not apply to certain specified professions.

This provision is identical to a provision in SS/SB 895 (2026), in HCS/SB 1092 (2026), and in the truly agreed to and finally passed HCS/SS#2/SB 1233 (2026) and is similar to a provision in HCS/HB 2300 (2026), in SS/SB 61 (2025) and in the perfected HB 478 (2025), SB 817 (2024), in HCS/SS#2/SCS/SB 88 (2023), and HB 1900 (2022).

BACKGROUND CHECK AND OTHER DOCUMENTS REQUIRED FOR PHYSICIAN LICENSURE (SECTION 334.031) This act requires a candidate applying for licensure as a physician to submit to a criminal background check and furnish certain educational and experience documents. This act also allows the Board of Registration for the Healing Arts to require applicants to list all licenses to practice as a physician currently or previously held in another state, territory, or country and to disclose any past or pending investigations, discipline, or sanctions for such licenses. The Board may also obtain a report on the applicant from the National Practitioner Data Bank or the Federation of State Medical Boards.

This provision is identical to a provision in the truly agreed to and finally passed SS/SCS/HCS/HB 2372 (2026), is substantially similar to a provision in the perfected SS/SB 895 (2026), SCS/SB 1423 (2026), in SCS/HB 2591 (2026), HB 2976 (2026), and in SCS/SB 292 (2025), and is similar to a provision in SB 1030 (2024), SB 1251 (2024), HB 2349 (2024), HB 2753 (2025), HB 1279 (2023), SB 511 (2023), and SB 538 (2021).

RESPIRATORY CARE LICENSES (SECTIONS 334.870 & 334.880) Currently, an applicant for a respiratory care license is required to submit written evidence of credentials from the cognitive competency testing organization authorized by the Missouri Board for Respiratory Care or current licensure or registration as a respiratory care practitioner in another jurisdiction that meets or exceeds Missouri licensure standards. This act instead provides that the applicant shall submit: (1) An active credential as a registered respiratory therapist through the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC); (2) Current licensure or registration with an active credential as a respiratory care practitioner in another jurisdiction that meets or exceeds Missouri licensure standards; or (3) An active credential as a certified respiratory therapist earned prior to January 1, 2027, through the NBRC.

Additionally, this act provides that license renewals shall be subject to random audits to ensure the licensee has an active credential through the NBRC.

These provisions are identical to provisions in the truly agree to and finally passed HCS/SS#2/SB 1233 (2026) and in SCS/HB 2591 (2026) and are similar to provisions in HCS/HB 2957 (2026).

LENGTH OF SUPERVISION FOR SOCIAL WORK (SECTION 337.600) This act modifies the definitions of a "qualified advanced macro supervisor," "qualified baccalaureate supervisor," and "qualified clinical supervisor" to provide that such person is a licensed social worker who has practiced social work for which he or she is supervising the applicant for a minimum of three, instead of five, years.

This provision is identical to a provision in the perfected SS/SB 895 (2026), in HCS/SB 1092 (2026), in the truly agreed to and finally agreed to HCS/SS#2/SB 1233 (2026), SB 1417 (2026), HB 1963 (2026), in HCS/HB 2300 (2026), in the truly agreed to and finally passed SS/SCS/HCS/HB 2372 (2026), in SCS/HB 2591 (2026), SB 479 (2025), and SB 563 (2025), and is substantially similar to HB 886 (2025).

CLINICAL FELLOWSHIPS FOR SPEECH LANGUAGE PATHOLOGISTS & AUDIOLOGISTS (SECTION 345.050) This act modifies the requirements for licensure as a speech pathologist or audiologist by providing for completion of a clinical fellowship under the direct supervision of a licensed speech-language pathologist in good standing, rather than under the direct supervision of a person licensed by the state of Missouri in the profession in which the applicant seeks to be licensed.

This provision is identical to a provision in HCS/SB 1019 (2026), in HCS/SB 1092 (2026), in the truly agreed to and finally passed HCS/SS#2/SB 1233 (2026), in HCS/HB 2300 (2026), and in SCS/HB 2591 (2026) and is substantially similar to a provision in the perfected SS/SB 895 (2026), SB 1405 (2026), in the truly agreed to and finally passed SS/SCS/HCS/HB 2372 (2026), in HCS/SS/SB 7 (2025), in the perfected SS/SB 61 (2025), in the perfected HCS/HB 268 (2025), SB 431 (2025), in the perfected HB 478 (2025), in HB 765 (2025), and in SCS/HB 834 (2025).

SEVERABILITY (SECTION B) In the event that any section, provision, clause, phrase, or word of this act or the application of the act is declared invalid under the Constitution of the United States or the Constitution of the State of Missouri, the General Assembly intends for the severability of this act. KATIE O'BRIEN