SS/SB 265 - This act enacts provisions relating to funds established within the state treasury. WATERWAYS AND PORTS TRUST FUND (Section 68.080) This act establishes the "Waterways and Ports Trust Fund". The fund shall consist of moneys appropriated to it by the General Assembly, and may also receive money from federal, private, or other sources. Moneys in the fund shall be withdrawn only upon appropriation by the General Assembly, to be administered by the Highways and Transportation Commission and the Department of Transportation, in consultation with Missouri public ports, for the purposes of developing a statewide plan for waterborne commerce and reviewing plans of local or regional port authorities for major public capital improvements to encourage coordination with the statewide plan. The act specifies eligibility requirements for a project to be eligible to receive an appropriation from the fund, and provides that appropriations from the fund may be used as a local share in applying for other grant programs. This act shall terminate on August 28, 2033, pending the discharge of moneys from the fund. The fund shall be dissolved on December 31, 2033, with the unencumbered balance being transferred to the General Revenue Fund. These provisions are identical to provisions in the truly agreed to and finally passed HS/HCS/SS/SB 138 (2023) and provisions in the truly agreed to and finally passed SS/HB 202 (2023), and similar to HB 476 (2023) and HB 491 (2023). INTERSTATE 70 IMPROVEMENT FUND (Section 136.415) This act establishes the "Interstate 70 Improvement Fund", to be used solely by the Highways and Transportation Commission for the purposes of completing and widening or otherwise improving and maintaining Interstate 70. These provisions are identical to SCS/SB 317 (2023), and similar to HB 1200 (2023) and provisions in SB 457 (2017). FLOOD RESILIENCY ACT (Section 256.800) This act creates "Flood Resiliency Act" and the "Flood Resiliency Program" for the purpose of increasing flood resiliency along the Missouri and Mississippi rivers and their tributaries and improving statewide flood forecasting and monitoring ability. The state of Missouri may participate with a political subdivision in the development, construction, or renovation of a flood resiliency project, as defined in the act, if the political subdivision has a plan for such project which has been submitted to and approved by the Director of the Department of Natural Resources. Alternatively, the state may promote such project or initiate its own plan for such project. Such plan shall include a description of the flood resiliency project, as described in the act, and the Director shall approve such a project subject to certain conditions as described in the act. Political subdivisions with approved flood resiliency projects and their partners may receive funds from public and private sources, including the newly created Flood Resiliency Improvement Fund, for the purpose of implementing such projects under the act. These provisions are identical to provisions in the truly agreed to and finally passed CCS/HCS/SB 109 (2023), provisions in the truly agreed to and finally passed HS/HCS/SS/SB 138 (2023), provisions in the truly agreed to and finally passed SS/HB 202 (2023), SB 615 (2023), HB 1242 (2023), and HB 2617 (2022), and similar to SB 984 (2022). PUBLIC DEFENDER FUND (Section 600.042) Under current law, any funds available from government grants, private gifts, donations, bequests, or other sources made to the Office of the Public Defender are deposited in the general revenue fund of the state. This act creates the "Public Defender - Federal and Other Fund" in the state treasury and provides that funding from any government grants, private gifts, donations, bequests, or other sources shall be deposited into such fund. These provisions are identical to provisions in the truly agreed to and finally passed SS/SCS/SBs 189, 36 & 37 (2023), provisions in CCS/HCS/SS/SCS/SB 72 (2023), HCS/SS/SB 245 (2023), HB 663 (2023), and provisions in SCS/HCS/HBs 994, 52 & 984 (2023), SB 1039 (2022), provisions in SCS/HB 2088, et al (2022), and HB 2370 (2022). ERIC VANDER WEERD