With the start of the new year, several statewide legal changes take effect in Missouri, including wage changes and a school safety deadline affecting how districts plan for emergencies. The school safety deadline tied to Jan. 1 is part of the Stop the Bleed Act, a provision within Senate Bill 68, a wide-ranging education reform law that significantly expanded school safety requirements across Missouri. While most of Senate Bill 68 took effect Aug. 28, 2025, and began shaping district policies for the 2025–26 school year, the start of 2026 marks a transition point for additional safety measures scheduled to roll out next. Under the Stop the Bleed Act, the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is required to develop a protocol for traumatic blood loss by Jan. 1. The protocol is to be developed in coordination with state and federal public safety partners and will serve as the statewide framework guiding how school personnel respond to severe bleeding injuries…