SB 1055 Summary

• Creates and defines the State Legal Expense Fund to pay claims and judgments against Missouri state agencies, officers, and employees arising from official duties, excluding those convicted of misdemeanors or felonies.

• Extends fund coverage to specific health care professionals (physicians, nurses, dentists, etc.) providing services at state institutions, community health centers, and schools without compensation, with liability caps ranging from $500,000 to $1,000,000 per claim.

• Limits noneconomic damages to $350,000 per claimant for state officer/employee claims under Section 537.600, with annual adjustments based on inflation, and excludes punitive damages.

• Requires the Attorney General to investigate and defend covered claims, except for claims involving the Department of Conservation, Department of Transportation, or public universities, which may use their own legal counsel.

• Excludes boards of police commissioners and their officers from fund coverage, reversing a prior court decision in Wayman Smith v. State of Missouri.