MO HB524

Increases initial training requirement for bail bond agents from 24 to 40 hours and increases maximum license fees from $150 to $300 biennially.

Expands prohibitions on who can be licensed as bail bond agents to include employees, contractors, and volunteers of courts or law enforcement agencies, and employees at jail locations.

Requires general bail bond agents to deposit $10,000-$50,000 in assets with the department for security and file quarterly financial statements; limits outstanding bonds to 15 times their secured assets.

Establishes new bond forfeiture procedures giving bail bond agents 90 days to locate defendants before forfeiture becomes final judgment, with provisions to set aside forfeitures if defendant is incarcerated elsewhere.

Creates new section 374.766 establishing violation levels and enforcement procedures, and increases penalties for unlicensed bail bond business operations to class A misdemeanor for first offense and class D felony for subsequent violations.