Missouri Senate

Senate Substitute

A+ SCHOOLS PROGRAM: This act modifies the A+ Schools Program by removing the requirement that the student's attendance at a public high school in the state be the three years immediately prior to graduation. The act also adds that a student must have graduated from such public high school. (Section 160.545)

These provisions contain an emergency clause.

These provisions are identical to HB 599 (2017) and similar to SB 650 (2016).

COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICTS: Under current law, in order for a school district to become attached to a community college district, a petition must be submitted to the school board of the school district signed either by voters of the district equal in number to ten percent of those voting in the last school election at which school board members were elected or by a majority of the voters of the district, at which point an election must be called. This act provides that a community college district may, by a majority vote of its board of trustees, propose a plan to the voters of the school district to attach the school district to the community college district, levy a tax rate equal to the rate applicable to the community college district at the time of the vote of the board of trustees, and call an election upon the question of such plan. The community college district shall be responsible for the costs associated with the election.

This provision is identical to a provision in the truly agreed to SS/SB 592 (2018), SCS/HB 1442 (2018) and substantially similar to SCS/SB 990 (2018), a provision in SCS/HB 1446 (2018), and a provision in CCS/SS/SCS/HB 1291 (2018).

MISSOURI HIGHER EDUCATION SAVINGS PROGRAM: This act modifies the Missouri Higher Education Savings Program to allow Missouri 529 account holders to transfer money from such account to a Missouri ABLE account while retaining tax exempt status on any money transferred. (Section 166.435)

These provisions are identical to the perfected version of SS/SB 882 (2018) and HCS/HB 2115 (2018).

ACCESS MISSOURI FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM: This act allows students enrolled in approved virtual institutions, as defined in the act, to participate in the Access Missouri Financial Assistance Program.

A virtual institution is required to continuously maintain certain specified requirements to be considered an approved virtual institution. (Sections 173.1101-173.1107)

These provisions are identical to SCS/SB 188 (2017), to provisions contained in the perfected version of SCS/SBs 603, 576 & 898 (2018), are substantially similar to HB 1267 (2018), and are similar to HCS/HB 411 (2017), SCS/HB 1716 (2016), and HCS/HB 1254 (2015).

STUDENT MEAL PLANS: This act states that after July 1, 2019, no public institution of higher education shall require any student to purchase meal plans or dine at on-campus facilities when a student has presented medical documentation of a food allergy, food sensitivity, or medical dietary issue to the institution. (Section 173.1592)

This provision is identical to HB 1769 (2018).

JAMIE ANDREWS