В Миссури вступили в силу новые законы о безопасности: ужесточены наказания за вождение в нетрезвом виде, киберпреследование и повреждение критической инфраструктуры

Posted Several new Missouri laws related to public safety took effect Aug. 28, addressing critical infrastructure crimes, traffic and boating rules, and offenses against people, according to the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Critical infrastructure crimes A new law makes it a crime to purposely or recklessly damage a critical infrastructure facility. A related law expands the list of places where flying a drone under 400 feet is prohibited to include critical infrastructure facilities, and it lowers the threshold for what counts as an "open air facility" to 500 people. Traffic and boating changes MoDOT can now raise speed limits to 75 mph on rural interstates, though the agency must complete a study before making any changes. A new school bus safety law adds five license points for violations of the underlying school bus safety statute. If such a violation causes serious injury or death, the offense becomes a class D felony, and the law creates a new fine and license-suspension system through the Department of Revenue for repeat offenders. Causing a death through criminally negligent intoxicated driving is now a class A felony. Under Bently and Mason's Law, someone convicted of causing a parent's death through intoxicated driving must pay child support until the surviving child dies, marries, enters active-duty military service, turns 18, or turns 21 if enrolled in higher education or physically or mentally incapacitated. Mason's Law lets people register with the Department of Revenue if they or a family member have a condition that could affect their ability to cooperate with law enforcement; that provision takes effect Jan. 1, 2027. Anyone born on or after Jan. 1, 2006, will need a boater safety card to operate a boat on Missouri waters. RJ's Law creates an alert system for missing people with certain disabilities affecting mental cognition. It takes effect no later than July 1, 2027. Offenses against people and sex crimes Harassment charges will carry added severity levels for repeat offenders starting July 1, 2027. Missouri's stalking laws, both first- and second-degree, are being substantially rewritten to include technological abuse, also effective July 1, 2027. Two new crimes, cyberharassment and cyberstalking, target people who use digital technology to threaten, intimidate or induce fear in others. Cyberharassment takes effect July 1, 2027. Cyberstalking has also been added as grounds for a full order of protection. A new offense covers disclosure of an intimate digital depiction, applying to anyone who shares such images intending to harass, threaten or financially or reputationally harm the person depicted, or who does so knowing or recklessly disregarding that it will cause harm. A separate law targets sadistic online exploitation, covering people who use the internet to manipulate, intimidate or threaten victims for sadistic purposes, including coercing self-harm, harm to animals or others, sharing of personal information, or suicidal ideation; using nonphysical coercion to extort sexually explicit content; or using intimate images to demand money. The definition of a "child" for purposes of endangering the welfare of a child now covers anyone under 18. A new gift card fraud law targets people who alter or tamper with gift cards or packaging, or who scheme to obtain a card or its redemption information through deceit.