MO SB1491

Board of police commissioners gains authority to set annual salaries for police force members without prior General Assembly authorization, with salaries not falling below current levels at the act's effective date

City must appropriate minimum percentages of general revenue for police: 22% through December 2025, increasing 1% annually to 25% by January 2028 and thereafter; litigation costs, attorneys' fees, settlements, judgments, and pension costs are excluded from this calculation

Board may adopt and certify its own budget as authorization for expenditures, with transfers between character classifications requiring only board approval rather than municipal board of estimate and apportionment approval

Transition period for board of police commissioners to assume control of St. Louis municipal police force extended from July 1, 2026 to July 1, 2027; city remains responsible for legal costs, settlements, and judgments arising from pre-transfer actions

State legal expense fund reimburses boards of police commissioners for eligible liability claims on equal share basis up to $2 million collective maximum per fiscal year