For Immediate Release: Feb. 16, 2012
Senate Delivers Several Measures to the
House of Representatives

JEFFERSON CITY — Before adjourning for the week, the Missouri Senate gave its final approval today (2-16) to numerous bills, sending them to the House of Representatives for its consideration.

Senate Majority Floor Leader Tom Dempsey, R-St. Charles, sponsors Senate Bill 572, which addresses protections for co-employees who are at risk of personal lawsuits for their role in honest accidents at work, among other provisions.  The act would make occupational disease exclusively covered under Missouri’s workers’ compensation system. This includes toxic exposure that causes health-related illness or death to workers.

Senate Bill 572 would also release co-employees from all liability for workplace injuries and death due to accidents or occupational disease that result from the worker’s employment.  However, if an employee purposefully causes or increases the risk of workplace injury, he or she would not escape liability. 

In addition, the bill states that all administrative remedies must be exhausted before civil actions involving injury or death filed by the employee can move forward.  Also, the act would raise the death benefit for employees from $5,000 to $10,000.  The bill passed by a vote of 25-8, with the adoption of an emergency clause.

Senate Bill 455, sponsored by Sen. David Pearce, R-Warrensburg, addresses reverse transfers between two- and four-year institutions, and creates a course library that includes 25 lower-level courses, making it easier for students to see what courses are transferable between institutions.  The bill sponsor says his legislation, which received unanimous approval, makes higher education more accessible by allowing students to move through the higher education system in a timelier manner.

The Senate also gave unanimous approval to legislation that would require the Department of Transportation to establish a minimum yellow light change interval time for traffic-control devices.  Senate Bill 611, sponsored by Sen. Jim Lembke, R-St. Louis, would require minimum yellow light change interval time to fall in line with nationally recognized engineering standards, and would prohibit yellow light change interval times for traffic-control devices from being less than the recognized standard.  Sen. Lembke tells his colleagues states using this yellow light timeframe have seen collisions decrease, and his bill would provide safer intersections throughout the state.

Legislation that changes the state’s do-not-call list by allowing cell phone numbers is also on its way to the House.  Under current law, only landline telephone numbers may be placed on Missouri’s no-call list, which reduces unwanted telemarketing calls made to individuals’ homes.   Senate Bill 594, sponsored by Sen. Will Kraus, R-Lee’s Summit, allows cell phone numbers to be placed on this list, and prohibits telemarketers from sending a fax, text message, digital image, or any other form of data communication to any phone number on the list.  The bill passed without any opposition.

Senate Bill 773, sponsored by Sen. Mike Parson, R-Bolivar, would push Missouri’s filing period for the 2012 state primary election back from Feb. 28 to March 27.  The bill sponsor says he filed this legislation to address the current situation regarding the 34 districts in the Missouri Senate, and give those who are charged with redrawing the legislative boundaries more time to complete a finalized map.  This bill received unanimous approval and was adopted with an emergency clause.

Other measures making their way over to the House include:

  • Senate Bill 450 (unanimously approved with an emergency clause), sponsored by Sen. Scott T. Rupp, R-Wentzville, would change the length of school board terms for certain school districts that became urban districts as a result of the 2010 census;
  • Senate Bill 469 (passed by a vote of 28-6), sponsored by Sen. Box Dixon, R-Springfield, would require a periodic review of all administrative rules and modify provisions regarding the awarding of certain fees in administrative actions;
  • Senate Bill 485 (unanimously approved), sponsored by Sen. Jane Cunningham, R-Chesterfield, would change Missouri law governing liens on aircrafts;
  • Senate Bill 498 (passed by a vote of 32-2), sponsored by Sen. Brian Munzlinger, R-Williamstown, would prohibit cities from restricting veterans’ organizations from operating resale shops, such as thrift stores, in certain areas of the state; and
  • Senate Concurrent Resolution 15 (unanimously approved), sponsored by Sen. Dempsey, urges Congress to support a plan for the Upper Mississippi River Basin that provides flood control without adverse impacts on existing levees and communities.

For more information about bills moving through the Missouri Senate, visit www.senate.mo.gov.  To contact the Senate Newsroom, call (573) 751-3824 or email: newsroom@senate.mo.gov.