Creates provisions relating to immunity from liability for health care professionals who inquire about potential dangers in patients' homes

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Gregg Bush

Missouri HB 1928 protects health care professionals from civil/criminal liability when they inquire about safety hazards in a patient’s home and counsel on safe storage, while rest

Referred: Emerging Issues(H)

#firearms #healthcare #healthcareprofessionals

Summary of HB 1928 (Missouri, 2026)

Purpose and intent

Creates immunity from civil and criminal liability for health care professionals when they inquire about safety concerns in a patient’s home during a medical examination or assessment.

Aims to identify and address potentially dangerous devices, substances, or situations in patients’ private residences, and to educate patients or guardians on safe storage and maintenance practices.

Key provisions and changes

New sections introduced to authorize and protect inquiries and related activities:

Health care professionals may inquire into:
The presence or absence of a harmful or potentially harmful device or substance in the patient’s private home.
Any other harmful or potentially harmful situations in the patient’s private home.
Health care professionals may counsel or educate patients or guardians on best practices for storing and maintaining hazardous devices or substances.
Documentation of any such inquiries and counseling may be included in the patient’s medical records.

Immunity protections:

Health care professionals are not subject to criminal or civil liability for conducting these inquiries, providing counseling, or documenting information related to these inquiries.

Firearm-related provisions:

The bill clarifies that health care professionals are not required to inquire about a patient’s firearm ownership, nor to document firearm ownership, nor to disclose firearm ownership status to government entities, except under specific conditions (court order, threat assessment, or with the patient’s explicit consent on a separate document).
Any disclosure of firearm ownership information is restricted and requires narrowly defined circumstances; such data should not be routinely entered into electronic medical records unless medically indicated and compliant with other laws.

Privacy and data handling:

The separate firearm ownership consent document, when used, must be a distinct, non-routine form indicating consent solely for firearm-related information.

Who is affected

Health care professionals licensed in Missouri (and individuals under their supervision).

Patients undergoing medical examination or assessment where safety in the home is a consideration.

Health care facilities and entities responsible for maintaining medical records.

Those involved in mental health referrals or safety assessments related to firearm ownership (to the extent the bill interacts with such processes).

Procedural and timeline aspects

Legislative history:

Referred to Emerging Issues (H) on May 15, 2026.
Previously read in the House (Second Time on Jan 8, 2026; First Time on Jan 7, 2026) with prefiling in December 2025.

Standalone changes replace the existing section 571.012 with two new sections: 191.947 and 571.012.

The bill explicitly includes a prohibition against routine data entry on firearm ownership in electronic medical records, unless medically indicated.

Notable considerations

Balances patient safety in home environments with protections against unnecessary surveillance or stigmatization.

Sets clear immunity parameters for clinicians when conducting home-safety inquiries and providing education.

Establishes specific limits around firearm ownership data collection in medical contexts, aligning with privacy and lawful disclosure considerations.

If you’d like, I can provide a plain-language briefing for patients or a version tailored for clinical staff to help with implementation and compliance.