Missouri Senate

Senate Committee Substitute

For fiscal year 2013 and each fiscal year after that, the act modifies how money from the Gaming Commission Fund is allocated. This act removes the specific funding for the Early Childhood Development, Education and Care Fund from this fund, and provides the net proceeds of the fund remaining after distribution to the specified funds go to the Veterans' Commission Capital Improvement Fund. The Early Childhood Development, Education and Care Fund is to receive at least thirty-five million dollars from the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement each year.

The amount of specified annual funding for the Missouri National Guard Trust Fund from the Gaming Commission Fund remains four million dollars. The General Assembly may appropriate additional money from the Gaming Commission Fund to the Missouri National Guard Trust Fund, up to one million five hundred thousand dollars each year.

In addition to other statutory purposes, the Missouri Veterans' Commission may use the funds in the Veterans' Commission Capital Improvement Fund for administration of the Missouri Veterans' Commission.

This act prohibits the establishment, creation, or operation of a quality rating system, credentialing, or training quality assurance system for early childhood education unless enacted into law through a bill, an initiative petition, or a referendum. A quality rating system cannot be enacted unless it allows for ratings or evaluations to be conducted by at least three nationally or regionally recognized organizations that reflect the composition and diversity of the early childhood program market. The Governor is prohibited from establishing a quality rating system through executive order. Governmental agencies, departments, boards, commissions, committees, councils, divisions, and political subdivisions are prohibited from establishing a quality rating system absent approval as described in the act. They are also prohibited from spending, applying for, or accepting moneys, regardless of source, for a quality rating system. Any taxpayer or member of the General Assembly will have standing to enforce this act.

This act prohibits public institutions of higher education and other governmental entities, quasi-governmental entities, and private entities, as provided in the act, from operating the Sue Shear Institute for Women in Public Life or any similar institute whose operations include tracking the participation of women at various levels in government, as described in the act.

This act has an emergency clause.

This act is similar to SB 793 (2012).

EMILY KALMER