Missouri voters could see the return of the presidential primary.
Members of the House voted 116-23 on Thursday to pass the legislation, four years after state lawmakers voted to remove it. The legislation now goes to the Senate, with five weeks left of the 2026 legislative session.
Also on Thursday, the House passed legislation creating cross-reporting requirements for child and animal abuse as well as a bill to restrict SNAP and Medicaid eligibility to U.S. citizens.
Presidential primary
The legislation would reinstate the primary, which would take place on the first Tuesday in March of every presidential election year.
Rep. Brad Banderman, R-St. Clair, said that is the earliest in the year that both the Democratic and Republican parties would allow.
"This is as early as we can have it, and I believe this will also help with some of the overlap in our April municipal election that happens every four years when we used to have the presidential preference primary," said Banderman, the bill's sponsor. The last two presidential primaries were held in Missouri on March 15 in 2016 and on March 10 in 2020.
There was no election authority-run presidential primary in 2024. Instead, state Republicans conducted a caucus for the 2024 election, while Democrats ran their own primary.
The bill also contains language that would bind the results of the primary to delegates. The political parties would have to allocate delegates in proportion to the statewide and congressional district results.
The legislation received bipartisan support, with Rep. Eric Woods, D-Kansas City, saying bringing back the primary makes Missouri more involved in the presidential election process in 2028 and beyond.
According to the bill's fiscal note, reinstating the primary could cost the state as much as $9 million in general revenue for fiscal 2028.
The legislation is HB 2387
Cross-reporting requirements for child and animal abuse
Cases of animal abuse and neglect in Missouri would have to be reported by child abuse investigators and others, under proposed legislation.
The House passed the bill on Thursday by a vote of 125-12. It now goes to the Senate.
The measure requires agencies involved in child abuse investigations to also be trained and report instances of animal abuse.
It also requires animal control officers to be mandated reporters in cases of abuse and neglect of vulnerable people, including children and the elderly.
The bill requires animal control officers to receive training on how to detect signs of abuse and neglect in children, the elderly and other vulnerable people.
Similarly, people who provide support and advocacy care for children, including Children's Division employees, would receive training on how to recognize abuse in animals.
Rep. Holly Jones, R-Eureka, the bill's sponsor, said there is a correlation between animal abuse and violence against humans. She said inflicting harm on animals can mentally harm people too.
"We know that companion animal abuse, dogs, cats, those kinds of things, abusing those animals that are so attached to a child or an elderly person creates a lot of psychological and mental abuse for that person," Jones said.
The legislation also adds starvation to the definition of animal abuse.
The legislation is HB 2292
Changes to Missouri SNAP and Medicaid
The chamber also approved legislation Thursday that would bar noncitizens from receiving Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program benefits.
"This legislation is about accountability, clarity and responsible stewardship of taxpayers resources," said Rep. Jamie Gragg, R-Ozark, the bill's sponsor.
Certain immigrants in the country with legal status, including refugees and lawful permanent residents, would still be allowed to apply for aid.
The legislation requires people who qualify for SNAP to submit proof of citizenship or legal status and repeals an existing law that prohibits the state from asking about legal status.
It mirrors provisions included in the federal One Big Beautiful Bill Act that passed last summer.
The legislation was opposed by Democrats who said it places extra burdens on Missourians despite little evidence of fraud in the state's SNAP program.
"You are now lending to the problem by increasing bureaucratic red tape, by making it harder for your constituents to access the services that they are paying into as taxpayers," said Rep. Keri Ingle, D-Lee's Summit.
An amendment to the legislation sponsored by Rep. Brandon Phelps, R-Warrensburg, also restricts Missouri Medicaid to U.S. citizens and certain immigrants.
Federal law currently prohibits people in the country without legal status from enrolling in Medicaid.
"It's about preventing fraud," Phelps said. "It's about preserving taxpayer dollars."
As with SNAP, Democrats said there is no evidence of fraud by immigrants against the state's Medicaid program.
The legislation would not restrict anyone from accessing emergency services.
Another provision of the bill requires the director of the Missouri Department of Social Services to request a federal waiver to change the state SNAP program by excluding certain foods, such as candy and soda, and prioritizing healthier foods, such as fruits and vegetables.
It was opposed by Democrats who said that, while honorable, it places more restrictions on Missourians in poverty – especially those living in food deserts.
"Find a different target, find another enemy. Leave those folks alone," said Rep. Ian Mackey, D-Richmond Heights. "When they sell you that birthday cake, say thank you and let them have theirs, too."
Gragg said: "We're telling people they can buy flour, they can buy eggs, they can buy milk, they can buy the chocolate powder that goes in it. They can make cake."
The federal government already approved a waiver in December after Gov. Mike Kehoe submitted a request in October. Changes to the SNAP program are predicted for this fall.
The legislation passed 95-44 on a party-line vote.
HB 2481 now goes to the Senate.
Copyright 2026 St. Louis Public Radio