Missouri Senate

House Amendment

This act modifies the definitions of "blighted area" and "conservation area", and creates new definitions for "port infrastructure projects", "retail area", and "retail infrastructure projects". (Section 99.805)

This act modifies local tax increment financing projects by providing that a study shall be conducted by a land use planner, urban planner, licensed architect, licensed commercial real estate appraiser, or licensed attorney, which details how the area meets the definition of an area eligible to receive tax increment financing.

This act also provides that retail areas, as defined in the act, shall not receive tax increment financing unless such financing is exclusively utilized to fund retail infrastructure projects, as defined in the act, or unless such area is a blighted or conservation area. (Section 99.810)

Current law requires cities, towns, and villages located in St. Louis County, St. Charles County, or Jefferson County to establish a twelve member commission that shall include six members appointed by the county executive or presiding commissioner prior to the adoption of any resolution or ordinance approving tax increment financing projects. This act adds Cass County to such list of counties. (Section 99.820)

This act prohibits new projects from being authorized in any Greenfield area. (Section 99.843)

This act also prohibits new projects from being authorized in an area designated as a flood plain by the Federal Emergency Management Agency unless such projects are located in 1) Jackson, Platte, Clay, or Cole counties; 2) the cities of Springfield, St. Joseph, or Hannibal, 3) in a port district, provided such financing is utilized for port infrastructure projects; or 4) in a levee or drainage district created prior to August 28, 2021. Projects in flood plains shall not be authorized in St. Charles County unless the redevelopment area actually abuts a river or major waterway, as described in the act. (Section 99.847)

Current law allows districts and counties imposing a property tax for the purposes of providing emergency services to be entitled to reimbursement from the special allocation fund of a portion of the district's or county's tax increment. For projects approved after August 28, 2021, this act modifies such provision to allow reimbursement to ambulance districts, fire protection districts, and governing bodies operating a 911 center providing dispatch services and which impose economic activity taxes for such purposes. (Section 99.848)

This act is substantially similar to HB 1612 (2020), HCS/SS/SCS/SB 108 (2019), and HB 698 (2019), and to provisions contained in HCS/SS/SCS/SB 570 (2020), HCS/SCS/SB 616 (2020), and HCS/SS#2/SB 704 (2020), and are similar to SB 871 (2020), SB 311 (2019), HB 32 (2019), and SS/SCS/SB 859 (2018).

JOSH NORBERG

HA 1 - THIS AMENDMENT CHANGES THE TITLE FROM "RELATING TO TAX INCREMENT FINANCING" TO "RELATING TO REDEVELOPMENT IN CERTAIN AREAS".

HA 2 - THIS AMENDMENT MODIFIES SEVERAL PROVISIONS RELATING TO COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS.

HA 3 - THIS AMENDMENT MODIFIES THE DEFINITION OF "BLIGHTED AREA" IN MULTIPLE SECTIONS RELATING TO REDEVELOPMENT IN CERTAIN AREAS.

HA 5 - THIS AMENDMENT REMOVES COLE COUNTY FROM A LIST OF POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS THAT ARE EXEMPT FROM PROVISIONS PROHIBITING TAX INCREMENT FINANCING IN FLOOD PLAINS AND ADDS THE JEFFERSON CITY TO SUCH LIST.

HA 6 - THIS AMENDMENT AUTHORIZES A TAX CREDIT FOR ESTABLISHING AN URBAN FARM IN A FOOD DESERT. THIS AMENDMENT ALSO ESTABLISHES THE "SOCIALLY DISADVANTAGED COMMUNITIES OUTREACH PROGRAM" WITHIN THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE.