Capitol Briefing

Week of April 5, 2010

Senate Advances Education Bill

“Rebooting Government” Initiatives Move Forward in Senate Legislation

JEFFERSON CITY—Education was a primary focus for the Missouri Senate this week, as lawmakers gave initial approval to a wide-ranging bill relating to Missouri’s public school system.

Senate Bill 815 , sponsored by Sen. Matt Bartle (R-Lee’s Summit), contains several provisions, some of which include:

• Requiring the State Board of Education to establish standards for charter school sponsors to conduct annual Missouri school improvement plan assessments of each sponsored charter school.
• Expanding eligibility for the Teacher Choice Compensation Package to teachers in all school districts upon a majority vote of the school board. Current law provides that only teachers in the St. Louis City School District are eligible to participate in the package to receive performance-based salary stipends.
• Allowing a school district to adopt a year-round educational program by a majority vote of the school board. A school district that adopts a year-round educational program must meet the minimum number of school days required and have no vacation, including summer, last more than four weeks.
• Allowing a school district to offer, by majority vote of the school board, two start dates for kindergarten. One start date must occur on the district’s normal starting date and the other must occur approximately halfway through the year.

Watch a video clip of Sen. Bartle discussing SB 815 on the Senate floor.

Another bill relating to education, SB 734 , sponsored by Sen. David Pearce (R-Warrensburg), also received first-round approval from the Senate this week. The bill contains a few of the many cost-saving recommendations that were presented during the Senate’s “Rebooting Government” work day, which was held March 23.

Current law requires students to earn one unit of credit in physical education to graduate from high school. One recommendation added to SB 734 would allow a school board to adopt a policy permitting any student who has participated in three or more years of high school interscholastic athletics to receive one unit of P.E. credit to satisfy the graduation requirement. The P.E. requirement could also be fulfilled if a student has earned a fine arts credit for participation in high school marching band for three or more years (these provisions are also contained within SB 815).

The bill would also require regional professional development centers to assist school districts in identifying and implementing cost-saving measures.

Both measures need one more “yes” vote from the Senate before moving to the House.

Passed by the Senate, Sent to the House

Senate Bill 877 received a final vote of approval by the Senate this week. The bill, which contains several provisions relating to child support, would require current documentation (such as a wage stub or W-2 form) to verify the income of the parties for an initial order of child support, as well as for any changes made to the order.

It also would provide that no child support be awarded in instances where both parents sign an agreement and request the court to award them joint physical custody, resulting in the child or children spending substantially equal time with both parents; the difference in the verified incomes of the parents is less than 25 percent; and a finding has been made that the custody arrangement and award of no child support is in the best interest of the child.

A bill that would establish insurance parity for cancer treatments was also sent to the House. Senate Bill 786 would require every health benefit plan that covers cancer chemotherapy treatment to provide coverage for a prescribed, orally administered anti-cancer medication just as it would for intravenously administered or injected cancer medications covered under the plan. 

First-Round Senate Approval

Senate Bill 622 advanced in the Senate after receiving initial approval this week. Under current law, the fee for registering a pesticide in Missouri is $15 per year with a late charge of $5 assessed for any pesticide not registered by Jan. 1. This act increases the registration fee to $150 per year and late charge to $50. The bill needs one more vote of approval from the Senate before moving on to the House.

Bills Ready for Senate Floor Debate

The Senate Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources Committee this week passed SB 992 , sponsored by Sen. Dan Clemens (R-Marshfield). The bill would create the Missouri Farmland Trust, which would authorize the Department of Agriculture to accept or acquire farmland in the state for the purpose of leasing the land to beginning farmers.

In addition, SB 1037 , sponsored by Sen. Joan Bray (D-St. Louis), was passed by the Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy and the Environment Committee . Under the bill, municipalities may individually or jointly form Clean Energy Development Boards, which would fund energy projects for property owners within their jurisdictions. These projects must either reduce energy consumption or create energy from renewable sources, and in exchange for receiving the project funding, a property owner would agree to pay a special assessment to be collected with his or her property tax for a period not to exceed 20 years.

The Senate General Laws Committee passed SB 1057 , sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields (R-St. Joseph). The bill would require the Office of Administration to issue a report to the General Assembly by December 31, 2010, in consultation with the directors of each state department that analyzes programs within every department that should be eliminated, reduced or combined.

Senate Committee Hearings

Senate Bill 639 , sponsored by Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Glendale), was heard in the Senate Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee this week. The bill would provide that any person may bring an action for MO HealthNet fraud on behalf of the person and the state.

Also, the Senate General Laws Committee heard SB 1067 , sponsored by Sen. Shields, which would create the Joint Committee on Missouri's Promise. The committee would be charged with developing long-term strategies and plans for issues that will impact Missouri’s future, including health care, education and job development. In addition, the committee would also be responsible for implementing a budget forecast in order to plan for the long-term financial soundness of state government.

These bills must be passed by their respective committees to be brought up on the Senate floor for debate. 

The Missouri Senate will reconvene at 4 p.m. on Monday, April 12. The Second Regular Session of the 95th Missouri General Assembly runs through Friday, May 14, 2010.

This legislative update is written on a weekly basis. To follow these and other issues facing the Missouri Senate, visit www.senate.mo.gov. Visitors can track legislation as it passes through the General Assembly, learn more about their district, or listen to streaming audio of legislative debate as it happens. For more legislative news, please visit the Senate Newsroom . There you will find various audio and video programs and other services, such as:  

Subscribe / Unsubscribe

-END-