2-Weeks of Session Left
My Legislation is in Multiple Places in the Senate
HB155 – The language from my House Bill 155 establishes provisions relating to the Show-Me MyRetirement Savings Plan, which is a multiple-employer retirement savings plan, in which multiple employers may voluntarily choose to participate regardless of whether any relationship exists between and among the employers other than their participation in the plan. The bill itself is now the underlying bill in an omnibus retirement system legislative package and should be voted out of Senate committee next week. It is also on House Bill 934, which is another retirement system legislative package that should be voted out of a different Senate committee. This coming week, it will likely be added to another Senate bill being voted on in the House this coming week.
HB809 – Codifies in law the development of a financial literacy program requiring 1 high school semester credit on things like mortgages, investing, managing a checkbook, student loans, etc. The bill is now the anchor for a package of 8 non-controversial financial affairs bills that passed out of committee without any opposition, including my House Bill 155, mentioned above.
My House Bill on Senate 3rd Read Calendar
HB415 - Requires dealers to collect and remit sales tax on motor vehicle sales. The bill is on the Senate perfection calendar now. Once perfected, it will get a third read vote and then come back to the House for final approval, since changes were made. I have placed the language on another bill, also in the Senate, and have three amendments ready to put on three different Senate bills that could come up this week.
My House Bill Voted on in House Committee
House Bill 1071 (HB1071) was voted Do Pass in the Utilities Committee this week. The bill gives the Public Service Commission contracting authority in certain circumstances. I’ve been working on this language for a couple of years, and I believe we’ve finally found an agreement that satisfies everyone. I’ve discussed the bill language with a senator who is handling an omnibus utilities bill and we will probably put it on there in the house and send it back for final approval.
St. Louis Tech Week
Governor Parson participated in the St. Louis Tech Week events this week. Here’s a link to their webpage https://techstl.com/techweek/.
Legislation to Provide Direct Access to Physical Therapy Signed into Law (SB 51)
Governor Mike Parson has signed Senate Bill 51 into law. The legislation allows Missourians more direct access to physical therapy?services. A signing ceremony was held in Governor Parson's office at the State Capitol this week where he was joined by the sponsors of the bill.
Under the provisions of SB 51:
Budget Bills Head to Conference (HBs 2-13, 15)
With just a little more than a week before the constitutional deadline to approve a state operating budget, key members of the House and Senate are now headed to conference to work out the final details for the spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year.
It was on March 30 that the House gave its stamp of approval to the appropriations bills that make up the state budget. The plan as approved by the House checked in with a funding total of $45.6 billion. The Senate then took the House plan and spent the last few weeks making several key changes. The version of the budget approved by the Senate increases state spending by more than $4 billion. As it returned to the House the Senate-approved plan checked in at a total of approximately $50 billion.
Budget leaders from the House and Senate will now meet in conference committees to iron out the differences in the two spending plans. One of the key differences in the two plans is funding for the expansion of Interstate 70. The House opted not to include funding for the plan in the state operating budget, but instead placed the $859 million requested by the governor in a separate capital improvements project bill that also included another $180 million for other road projects. The Senate plan allocates more than $2.8 billion for the Interstate 70 project and utilizes bond debt to provide $1.4 billion of that funding. The two chambers will now need to work to reach an agreement on the total amount allocated to the project and whether to issue bonds to provide a portion of the funding.
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The Senate made several other changes to the House budget that members from both chambers will discuss. Among other items, the Senate added nearly $462 million to raise rates paid to agencies that care for individuals with developmental disabilities, as well as $300 million to build a new psychiatric hospital in Kansas City. Additionally, the Senate authorized $29 million to boost the minimum school teacher salary to $38,000. The members of the Senate also added $43 million to build a new veterinary hospital and $25 million to construct a research slaughterhouse at the University of Missouri.
House and Senate members will conference on the budget next week to iron out the final version of the state spending plan. The two chambers have until Friday, May 5 to give final approval to the bills that make up the state operating budget.
?Senate Bills Approved and Amended by the House
SB 187 modifies various provisions relating to financial affairs. Under current law, the state treasurer is permitted to invest in linked deposits in an amount up to $800 million at any one time. This act increases that threshold to $1 billion. Furthermore, the act modifies the total deposit for linked deposits that may be used for different borrowers. This act requires the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) to convene a work group to develop and recommend academic performance standards relating to the one-half unit of credit in personal finance required for high school graduation. This act establishes the Show-Me MyRetirement Savings Plan, which creates new provisions relating to retirement savings plans for private-sector employees. This act modifies various provisions relating to the regulation of certain financial institutions. This act creates the "Commercial Financing Disclosure Act". Under this act, any person who consummates more than 5 commercial financing products, as defined in the act, to a business located in this state in a calendar year is required to make certain disclosures to the business with regard to the product.?This act adds to the offense of property damage in the first degree if such person knowingly damages, modifies, or destroys a teller machine or otherwise makes it inoperable. A number of additional provisions were added to the bill during discussion on the House floor.
SB 222 modifies provisions relating to political subdivisions. This act establishes the "Protecting Missouri's Small Businesses Act" which provides that any political subdivision that implements any shutdown order and the business closes solely due to such shutdown order for at least 21 consecutive days or 45 cumulative days shall waive the fee for a business license during the period of the shutdown order and reduce the real and personal property tax liability of the business as provided in the act.?This act prohibits library boards from overruling the recommendations of a county planning commission or a township planning commission relating to county or township improvement plans.?This act provides that no county, municipality, or political subdivision shall impose or otherwise enforce a moratorium on eviction proceedings unless specifically authorized by law. This act modifies the definition of "video service" for provisions of law relating to video service providers and such definition now specifically excludes streaming content. The act authorizes the board of trustees of a consolidated public library district to change the dates of the fiscal year. This act provides that no political subdivision shall require an owner of residential property to have a home inspection conducted prior to the sale of the property, unless such inspection requirement is for new construction or occupancy permits. A number of additional provisions were added to the bill during discussion on the House floor.
House Bills Sent to the Senate
HB 1109 raises the aggregate amount that the state treasurer may invest in linked deposits, such that the total amount deposited at any one time does not exceed $1 billion. Currently, the cap is $800 million. The bill specifies that the aggregate deposits shall be used for linked deposits to eligible small businesses in addition to the businesses currently allowed. Currently, there is a maximum dollar amount that can be deposited in linked deposits applicable to the various businesses, this bill changes the maximum to a percentage of the aggregate deposit. Supporters say last year there was $1.4 billion in deposits and 781 loans were made of which 42 loans were to women owned businesses, agriculture, small business and industry. The needs of small businesses and agriculture has grown. Businesses need the ability to have loans to improve Missouri's economy. This bill is helpful to all participants and is important to borrowers and farmers and ranchers. Further, the risk is with the lenders and not the State Treasurer.
Missouri811 or Dig Rite in the Capitol
One of the groups in the building this week were members of the Missouri811 or Dig Rite. In 1986, Missouri One Call System (MOCS) was established in response to the Missouri Underground Facility Safety and Damage Prevention Act 319 (RSMo Chapter 319). In 2007, the Common Ground Alliance (CGA) and its member community launched the nationwide campaign to promote 811, the newly designated three-digit number for calling before you dig. To further public awareness and usage of the 811, as well as to better align with other statewide organizations and fellow members of the CGA, Missouri One Call System rebranded as Missouri 811. Here’s a link to their webpage https://missouri-811.org/.
The primary responsibility of Missouri 811 is to serve as the single point of contact for all public underground facilities located throughout the state 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Once Missouri 811 is notified of a dig site by the excavator (homeowner or professional), Missouri 811 notifies all the public underground facility owners in the vicinity of the dig site so they can locate and mark their own facilities to prevent damage or disruption. This service is funded by its members and is free to anyone digging in Missouri.
Missouri’s K-12 Scholarship Program
In 2021, the Missouri General Assembly passed HB349 and SB86 which established the Missouri Empowerment Scholarship Accounts Program, MOScholars. The law provides state tax credits for contributions to approved, non-profit Educational Assistance Organizations (EAOs). These EAOs use the contributions to award scholarships to Missouri students with Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and students living in low-income households. The program is administered by the Missouri Treasurer’s office. Here’s a link to their webpage https://treasurer.mo.gov/MOScholars/.
Earth Day Event at State Capitol
There was an Earth Day event held at the State Capitol last Friday. The event was well attended and people learned about MO Dept. of Natural Resources programs, such as water, recycling, and energy. Here’s their webpage at www.dnr.mo.gov.
As always, if you have any questions feel free to contact me at [email protected], 573-751-3762 or my office is located on the 4th floor of the Capitol in room 411A.
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