On Friday, August 27, Governor Mike Parson terminated Executive Order 20-02 ending the State of Emergency that had been in effect since March 13, 2020.
Governor Parson says, “In the nearly 18 months we operated under this Executive Order, we have responded to the COVID-19 crisis by providing unprecedented levels of resources and support. This Order enabled us to respond to the unknown and ever changing needs of our state. Now, we know how to fight this virus and have a solution to ending the pandemic with the vaccine. Today (August 27), we are terminating this order as our situation no longer demands an expansive emergency declaration.”
According to a press release, upon the termination of Executive Order 20-02, Governor Parson has issued Executive Order 21-09, which represents a more targeted State of Emergency declaration that acknowledges the continued needs of Missouri’s health care system. Executive Order 21-09 invokes the Governor’s emergency powers pursuant to Section 44.100 and activates the Missouri National Guard for continued mission support in recovery operations, if needed.
The order also keeps in place provisions related to remote notary services and telehealth, and it allows state agencies to request waiver of certain statutory and regulatory requirements that would otherwise hinder the state’s response to ongoing COVID-19 challenges.
Officials say any statutory or regulatory waiver approved under Executive Order 20-02 that is still in effect as of the date of the new order will remain in place.
Approval of any new waivers will be aimed at supporting Missouri’s health care system and response to COVID-19. New requests will be subject to approval from the Governor’s Office.
Under the new order and as part of the transition process from the previous order, the state has significantly scaled back the number of waivers in effect. At the peak, more than 600 statutory and regulatory waivers were in place; however, only 163 waivers remain in effect under the new order. Many of the remaining waivers are implemented by the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The remaining waivers were found to be necessary to support the health care system, provide regulatory flexibility, and ensure the state remains federally compliant.
Executive Order 21-09 will terminate on December 31, 2021.