Bills Begin Moving From House to Senate
JEFFERSON CITY: One thousand, three hundred bills have been filed thus far this session with thirteen bills initially passing the House Floor and on to the Senate. All of the committees are hearing a variety of bill topics, with the Budget Committee spending a majority of their efforts hearing testimony to build the state budget. Following are summaries of some of bills that have passed the House:
HB 1435 – CORONER TRAINING: would establish a Coroner Standards and Training Commission to establish training standards for the office of county coroner. The commission created by the bill would establish training standards relating to the operation, responsibilities, and technical skills of the office of county coroner. The bill would also establish a $1 fee for any death certificate issued and use these funds to pay for training for county coroners.
HB 1467 – LAGERS RETIREMENT (Pike): modifies the Missouri Local Government Employees Retirement system (LAGERS) member employer contribution elections expanding options for employees and employers.
HB 1526 – DOCUMENT PRESERVATION: would repeal the laws authorizing the Secretary of State to open and maintain an archival facility in the City of St. Louis and the Missouri State Archives – St. Louis Trust Fund. The bill requires that all unobligated funds in the Missouri State Archives – St. Louis Trust Fund on January 1, 2021, shall be transferred to the State Document Preservation Fund. Supporters say the fund is not needed because it did not perform as intended and the last donation was in 2015.
HB 1700 – TRANSIENT GUEST TAX: would authorize the City of Springfield to submit to the voters a transient guest tax not to exceed 7.5 percent of the charges per occupied room per night. The tax would be used solely for capital investments that can be demonstrated to increase the number of overnight visitors. Supporters say the bill would create a transient guest tax so that the city of Springfield can use the proceeds to build a new convention center. The new convention center would help attract more visitors and create new jobs for the area.
HB 1330 – CONVEYANCE OF LAND: would authorize the Governor to sell, transfer, grant, convey, remise, release, and forever quitclaim all interest in specific property, described in the bill, along with an easement, located in Cole County, Missouri. Supporters say the land would be used to develop a port near Jefferson City. In connection with the new port in New Orleans and the expansion of the Panama Canal, Missouri businesses will now have affordable access to international business markets. Supporters say this land has not been used for 100 years, so this is a beneficial transaction for both sides.
HB 1521 – CAPITOL SAFETY: is meant to create better safety and security in the State Capitol building and the state office complex. The bill would establish the Capitol Police Board to provide for public safety at the seat of government and for the safety and security of elected officials, government employees, and their guests.
HB 1934 – PSRS: would ensure greater transparency and accountability for the Public School Retirement System (PSRS). The bill exempts information pertaining to the salaries and benefits of the executive director and employees of the Board of the Public School Retirement System of Missouri from being confidential.
Per the State Treasurer’s request, this legislation aligns PSRS with other public pension systems’ disclosures of executive staff salaries. In summary: This legislation does not affect members’ personal retirement information. There will be no costs for the PSRS system to implement.
HB 1963 – HYPERLOOP: would help make Missouri the first state in the nation to develop a high-speed Hyperloop system. The bill would add the “tube transport system” to the list of projects that are eligible for a public-private partnership.
Contact my office at 573-751-5388 or e-mail at Patricia.Pike@house.mo.gov for more information on legislative topics or assistance on State Issues, Flags, Resolutions and Capitol visits. Our office (404) is open Monday through Thursday from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. year-round in Jefferson City, MO.
