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Capitol Briefing

Week of May 3, 2010

 

 
 
Senate Passes “Health Care Freedom Act”

 

Legislature Continues Work on State Employee Retirement Reform

 

 

 

JEFFERSON CITY—With one week remaining in the legislative session and the fiscal year 2011 budget passed and sent to the governor well ahead of schedule, the Senate has turned its focus to working through some of the biggest issues of the year. One of the General Assembly’s most high-profile measures, the “Health Care Freedom Act,” made a significant move forward in the legislative process this week.

 

“Health Care Freedom Act”

The Senate voted to approve HB 1764 , a comprehensive insurance measure that contains a referendum on the Health Care Freedom Act, which if approved by the Legislature, will be placed before Missouri voters.

The initiative, which stems from Senate Joint Resolution 25 , sponsored by Sen. Jane Cunningham (R-Chesterfield), would prohibit any law from forcing a patient, employer or health care provider to participate in any government or private health care system. Unlike SJR 25, HB 1764 would not amend the Missouri Constitution; instead it would place the Health Care Freedom Act into state statute.

The bill now heads back to the House for final approval. Because of the referendum found in the measure, the bill would be sent to the Secretary of State upon receiving the House’s endorsement, after which it would be placed on the August 2010 ballot.

Watch a video clip of Sen. Cunningham discussing the legislation.

State Employee Retirement Reform

The Legislature continues to move forward with state employee retirement reform. The Senate approved HB 2357 , handled in the Senate by Sen. Jason Crowell (R-Cape Girardeau). The Senate’s version, SB 714 (sponsored by Sen. Crowell), was also heard in the House Retirement Committee this week.

Both bills would create a different retirement plan for any person who becomes a state employee on or after January 1, 2011. To be eligible for normal retirement under this plan, most employees must be at least 67 years old and have at least 10 years of service, or reach age 55 with the sum of the employee’s age and service equaling at least 90.

The bills would also change the age requirements for early retirement and specify that employees must work for the state for at least 10 years to gain ownership of their benefits. Members of the new retirement plan would also be required to contribute 4 percent of their pay to the retirement system.

In addition, the measures would create the Missouri State Retirement Investment Board, which would be authorized to manage the investment of the assets of the Missouri State Employees Retirement System (MOSERS) and the Missouri Department of Transportation and Highway Patrol Employees Retirement System (MPERS).

Senate Approves Autism Insurance House Bill

The Senate this week passed its version of HB 1311 , a bill that would require, beginning Jan. 1, 2011, health insurance carriers to provide insurance coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of autism spectrum disorders. It also would prohibit health carriers from denying or refusing to issue coverage on an individual or dependent solely because the individual is diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder.

Additionally, the bill would provide for the licensure of applied behavior analysts. Applied Behavior Analysis is a common treatment method for children with autism.

This measure is similar to SB 618 .

 

Voting Measures Passed by Senate Committee

The Senate Financial & Governmental Organizations and Elections Committee this week passed two bills that would change certain voting procedures in Missouri. The committee approved both House Bill 1966 and House Joint Resolution 64 , companion bills that would enable legislation for advanced voting, photo I.D. requirements for voting, and provisions for absentee voting in Missouri. These bills are now eligible to be debated on the Senate floor.

 

Senate Bills Earn House Approval

The House’s version of SB 605 , sponsored by Sen. Rob Mayer (R-Dexter), was passed by the House this week and is currently in conference committee. A conference committee is charged with working out the differences between the two chambers regarding a bill. The main provision of SB 605 would increase the assessed valuation a county must maintain in order to move into a higher classification.

Senate Bill 733 , sponsored by Sen. David Pearce (R-Warrensburg), is also in a conference committee after a version of the bill was passed by the House. The bill would make changes to two of the state’s major higher education scholarship programs.

  

The House’s changes to the bill would first make modifications to the Bright Flight Scholarship Program, a merit-based program that encourages top-ranked high school seniors to attend approved Missouri colleges and universities. It specifies that a student must be a Missouri resident in order to be eligible for a scholarship, and it expands scholarship eligibility to individuals who have received a GED, or completed a homeschooling program of study, secondary coursework through Missouri’s Virtual Public School, or any other academic program that satisfies the compulsory attendance law.

In addition, SB 733 provides that all students in the top 3 percent of Missouri ACT or SAT test-takers will receive awards prior to any student in the top 4 or 5 percent receiving an award (current law provides that in fiscal year 2011 and beyond, a student scoring in the top 4 and 5 percent of Missouri ACT or SAT test-takers will receive a $1,000 scholarship).

The bill also specifies that if a Bright Flight scholarship recipient cannot attend an approved institution because of military service, the student would still receive the scholarship if he or she returns to full-time status within six months of ending military service.

The second major part of the bill changes and equalizes the financial aid amounts offered through the Access Missouri Financial Assistance Program, which is a need-based program designed to increase accessibility to a student’s school of choice. It maintains current aid amounts through the 2013–2014 school year, and adds new financial assistance amounts for the 2014-2015 academic year and beyond. Under the new aid amounts, a student attending a public two-year school would receive between $300 and $1,300, while a student attending a public four-year school, or an approved private school, would be eligible for an award of $2,850 maximum and $1,500 minimum.  

House Bills Approved by Senate

House Bill 1713 , handled in the Senate by Sen. Kurt Schaefer (R-Columbia), was passed by the Senate this week. The bill would require all health insurance policies issued to Missouri residents to include coverage for adopted children on the same basis as other dependents of the enrollee.

In addition, Sen. Schaefer handled HB 1472 , which was passed by the Senate as well. The bill would expand the state’s list of controlled substances to include synthetic compounds that mimic the effects of marijuana (commonly called “K2” or “spice”), among other substances. 

Watch a video clip of Sen. Schaefer discussing HB 1472.

Both bills must be approved by the House before moving to the governor’s desk.

House Bill 1408 , handled in the Senate by Sen. Jim Lembke (R-St. Louis), was also approved by the Senate and sent back to the House with Senate revisions. The current version of the bill would allow interest on unpaid state income tax refunds to begin collecting at a sooner date. Currently, the state has 120 days to process a filed tax refund before interest is owed; The Senate’s version of HB 1408 reduces the deadline to 90 days.

Also approved by the Senate this week was HB 2226 , handled in the Senate by Sen. Delbert Scott (R-Lowry City). The Senate’s version of the comprehensive measure would make several changes regarding the regulation of certain professions such as private investigators, dental hygienists, physical therapists and nurses, as well as the regulation of hospitals.

Final approval in the House on both of these measures would send the legislation to the governor.

 

FY 2011 Supplemental Funding Bill Sent to Governor

 

House Bill 2016 , handled in the Senate by Senate Appropriations Chairman Rob Mayer, was approved by the Legislature and now awaits the governor’s signature. The supplemental budget bill for fiscal year 2011 (which runs July 1, 2010, through June 20, 2011) allocates money from the state’s federal stimulus and federal budget stabilization funds, among others, to various departments for specific programs and projects. Included is funding for K–12 and higher education, transportation projects and conservation.

Watch a video clip of Sen. Mayer discussing HB 2016 on the Senate floor.

Truly Agreed and Finally Passed

 

Several bills are close to the end of the legislative process after receiving final approval from lawmakers this week. These measures now await the governor’s signature and include:

  • Senate Bill 649 , sponsored by Sen. Rita Heard Days (D-St. Louis). Requires the governor to issue an annual proclamation designating March 12 as "Girl Scout Day."
  • Senate Bill 578 , sponsored by Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields (R-St. Joseph). Allows port authority boards to establish port improvement districts to fund projects with voter-approved sales taxes or property taxes.
  • Senate Bill 851 , sponsored by Sen. Eric Schmitt (R-Glendale). Requires at least four days notice before public meetings where local governing bodies may vote on tax increases, eminent domain and certain districts and projects.
  • House Bill 1750 , handled in the Senate by Sen. John Griesheimer (R-Washington). Requires Missouri’s largest telecommunications companies to balance out the differences between interstate and intrastate access rates for Incumbent Local Exchange Telecommunications Companies. Watch a video clip of Sen. Griesheimer discussing HB 1750 on the Senate floor.
  • House Bill 2147 , handled in the Senate by Sen. Pearce. Allows a student who is a dependent of a retired military member who relocates to Missouri within one year of the retirement date to be exempt from the A+ Schools Program’s three-year attendance requirement.

Senate Bills Passed by House Committees

 

Several Senate bills were approved by their respective House committees this week, making them eligible to be taken up for debate on the House floor. Some of these bills include:

  • Senate Bill 625 was passed by the House Job Creation and Economic Development Committee, and would require the Children's Division within the Department of Social Services to develop rules, which would become effective by July 1, 2010, that modify the income eligibility criteria for any person receiving state-funded child care assistance—either through vouchers or direct reimbursement to child care providers.
  • Senate Bill 693 , sponsored by Sen. Yvonne Wilson (D-Kansas City), was passed by the House Special Standing Committee on Children and Families Committee this week. The bill, among other provisions, would also require the Children's Division to make reasonable efforts to place siblings in the same foster care, kinship, guardianship or adoptive placement, unless doing so would compromise the safety or well-being of any of the siblings.

Note: Next week’s Missouri Senate Capitol Briefing will be released on Friday, May 14 to coincide with the last day of the legislative session.

The Missouri Senate will reconvene at 3 p.m. on Monday, May 10. 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:  

  • Missouri Legislative Update  (MLU) – A video program produced periodically throughout the year that provides an overview of the news in the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives. The program features news interviews with lawmakers and stories on issues concerning Missourians.
  • Capital Dialogue  – Missourinet's Bob Priddy hosts this monthly half-hour roundtable program bringing legislators together from the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives from different political parties to discuss their positions on specific issues and legislation.
  • This Week in the Missouri Senate  – A weekly five-minute audio program that wraps up the week’s news in the Missouri Senate. Programs are posted online every Friday in .mp3 format.
  • Senate Minute  – A condensed, one-minute audio report of current Senate news. Programs are posted in .mp3 format and are available through podcast. All four of these programs give listeners the option of subscribing via podcast.
  • Daily Audio / Video Clips – Throughout the year, the Senate Newsroom posts broadcast-quality audio and video highlights from Senate committee hearings, floor debate, press conferences and other legislative events.
  • Daily News Clips – The Senate Newsroom compiles daily news clips from various print and online publications that cover issues relating to the Legislature and state government. An archive of past clips is maintained online and is offered as a subscription service.

 

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