HB 153, sponsored by Representative Kevin Corlew and supported by Associated Industries of Missouri, received initial approval by the Missouri House today. The bill would adopt the same standard for evaluating expert witnesses that is used in federal courts and more than 40 states. The bill now moves to the Missouri Senate for further consideration.
According to the summary, “this bill specifies that a witness who is qualified as an expert may testify in the form of an opinion or otherwise if the expert’s specialized knowledge will help the trier of fact to understand the evidence or to determine a fact in issue, the testimony is based on sufficient facts or data, the testimony is the product of reliable principles and methods, and the expert has reliably applied the principles and methods to the facts of the case.”
Associated Industries of Missouri has supported this change for several years. Last year, the bill was passed and vetoed by former Governor Jay Nixon.
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