Missouri – Governor Mike Kehoe has officially signed Senate Bill 71 into law. This is a big step forward in making sure Missouri’s public safety workers get more support. The legislation, known as the Public Safety Recruitment and Retention Act, was signed last week during a ceremony held at the St. Louis Fire Department headquarters—a symbolic location underscoring the bill’s focus on first responders.
The main goal of SB 71 is to improve education for both public safety officers and their families. The new law says that officers who have served for six years or more, as well as their dependent children if the officer has served for at least 10 years, can get full tuition coverage for authorized college majors.
Recipients must agree to live in Missouri for at least five years after they first get help or until they graduate. The program’s goals are to make college more affordable and to encourage people to stay in public service for a long time in the state.
“Missouri’s public safety professionals dedicate their lives to protecting our communities, and they deserve more than just our thanks—they deserve real support,” said Governor Kehoe. “SB 71 makes a meaningful investment in their futures and the futures of their families, helping ensure Missouri remains a state where service is honored, and opportunity follows sacrifice.”
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The measure has a lot of other parts that directly affect public safety operations and staff, in addition to the scholarship program. The law gives the Board of Trustees of the Firemen’s Retirement System of St. Louis new power to also manage the St. Louis Firefighter’s Retirement Plan. This means that the board will now be in charge of all retirement, disability, and death benefits for city firefighters.
SB 71 also introduces tougher penalties for crimes involving vehicle theft. A class D felony is now defined as entering a car with the intent to steal it. If a gun is involved, the crime becomes a class C felony. It is now a class A misdemeanor to even try to get into a car by messing with the door handles.
The bill also extends the Line of Duty Compensation Act, which makes sure that the families of public safety officials who die while on the job get money.
The new scholarship program will be run by the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development. Officials have said that an application process and requirements for documents will be available soon. The department will provide updates on its website.
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Senator David Gregory and Representative Dave Hinman sponsored the bill, which is part of a larger effort by the Kehoe administration to help people who serve, promote workforce development, and make Missouri communities safer.
