The 2009 legislative session is officially over, although new bills must be signed or vetoed by July 15 by Gov. Nixon, and they don't become law until Aug. 28.

• While the passage of a primary safety belt law was the Commission and MoDOT’s number one legislative priority, the measure failed to gain enough support to advance for passage into law.
• The General Assembly also repealed Missouri’s motorcycle helmet law. Among other things this act may, if signed into law, exempt persons 21 years of age or older from wearing protective headgear except when operating or riding motorcycles or motortricycles on interstates.
• Legislation was passed to help MoDOT provide better incident management by authorizing faster removal of abandoned property on the right of way on any highway outside of an urban area. Now the abandoned property can be removed if left unattended for 24 hours, rather than 48 hours.
• Senate Concurrent Resolution 5 was passed, indicating the state’s support toward maintaining a navigable depth on the Missouri River so it can become a more reliable alternative for moving freight.
• The Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission was also granted the right to enter into more than three design-build highway project contracts. However, the total number of contracts cannot exceed 2 percent of the total number of all state highway system projects listed in the commission's approved STIP for that fiscal year.
• Additionally, a piece of property located in St. Louis City, which is currently being used by the Department of Corrections as a minimum security correctional facility, was conveyed to the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission for the new Mississippi River Bridge project.
• Among various other changes to existing law relating to transportation, Missouri created a new law called “David’s Law. Under this act, MoDOT shall establish and administer a drunk driving risk reduction awareness program and signs, yet to be developed, shall be placed at or near the scene of the accident.
• Several highway and bridge designations were also made, including a new interstate interchange designation program, to be known as Heroes Way. This program will honor fallen Missouri heroes who have been killed in action while performing active military duty with the armed forces in Afghanistan or Iraq on or after Sept. 11, 2001.