(SECTION 34.074)

This act requires the state and each political subdivision of the state to give a three-point bonus preference to service-disabled veteran businesses when selecting contractors for the performance of any job or service. Currently, the preference for disabled veteran businesses only applies when the quality of performance promised is equal or better and the price quoted is the same or less. This act repeals this requirement. If no, or an insufficient number, of disabled veterans submit a bid or proposal for a contract, the requirement that the Commissioner of Administration have a goal of awarding three percent of all contracts to disabled veterans will not apply.

This provision is similar to HB 2344 (2010).

(SECTION 41.025)

This act recognizes "prisoner of war" and "missing in action" as valid descriptions of casualty status and category classification for military personnel.

This provision is identical to HB 2114 (2010).

(SECTIONS 41.030 & 41.560)

This act defines "primary next of kin" as in order of precedence, a surviving spouse, eldest child, father or mother, eldest brother or sister, or eldest grandchild, for the purposes of the Uniform Code of Military Justice.

Currently, after the death of a military member who has performed meritorious military service, the Governor is authorized to give a meritorious military service medal to surviving relatives in a particular order. The act requires the governor to give the medal to the primary next of kin.

(SECTIONS 41.206 & 41.207)

This act allows the Adjutant General of the Missouri National Guard to establish the Missouri Youth Challenge Academy. This academy will provide residential, military-based training and supervised work experience to at-risk high school age youth. The act creates the Missouri Youth Challenge Fund to fund the academy. The fund consists of gifts, donations, appropriations, transfers and bequests. The adjutant general is given authority to establish rules to administer the Missouri Youth Challenge Academy and to make grants from the fund.

These provisions of the act have an emergency clause.

These provisions are identical to HCS/HB 2262 & 2264 (2010).

(SECTIONS 41.216 & 143.1004)

This act modifies the membership of the panel that administers and establishes the criteria for grants from the Missouri military family relief fund from two command sergeants major to two sergeant majors.

These provisions are similar to HCS/HB 1943 (2010) and SB 876 (2010).

(SECTIONS 41.572, 41.578, 41.582, 41.584, 41.586, & 41.588, SECTION 1 & SECTION 2)

This act authorizes the Governor to present a legion of merit medal to individuals who have exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding military service.

The Adjutant General of the Missouri national guard is authorized to present an Adjutant General staff identification badge to individuals who perform outstandingly on the Adjutant General's staff. The Adjutant General is also authorized to present a Missouri national guard first sergeant ribbon to individuals who have been assigned to a unit first sergeant position for a period of three years, are recommended by their squadron or company commander, and demonstrated exceptional and honorable leadership.

The Governor is also authorized to present campaign ribbons to individuals who have served in direct support of certain military campaigns, including: Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and several operations in Kosovo. The Governor is authorized to present campaign ribbons to members of the Missouri National Guard who served on active duty at any time beginning February 28, 1961 through May 7, 1975.

The Governor is also authorized to present a Governor's unit citation to units, teams, or tasks forces of the Missouri National Guard who served after September 11, 2001 during state emergency duty or federal deployments.

(SECTIONS 115.156, 115.278, 115.279, 115.281, 115.287, 115.291, & 115.292)

The Secretary of State shall establish procedures for overseas voters to request and send voter registration applications and absentee ballot applications by mail and electronically. Overseas voters include absent uniformed services voters, persons residing outside the United States who are qualified to vote in their previous domicile before leaving, those residing outside the United States who would otherwise be qualified to vote in their previous domicile, and persons in federal service.

The Secretary of State shall print and make available a sufficient quantity of absentee ballots, ballot envelopes, and mailing envelopes for such voters.

Absent uniformed services and overseas voters are excused from being required to deliver an affidavit sworn to before the election official receiving the ballot, notary public, or another authorized to administer oaths with the absentee ballot.

Election authorities are barred from refusing valid marked absentee ballots submitted by absent uniformed services and overseas voters solely on the basis of restrictions on envelope type.

The Secretary of State in coordination with the local election authorities shall develop a free access system by which an absent uniformed services and overseas voter may determine whether his or her ballot has been received.

This act removes the requirement that voters must make a statement by federal postcard, letter, or on a form prepared by the local election authority to qualify for a special write-in absentee ballot due to serving in the military or isolation. The special write-in absentee ballot shall be used in place of the Federal write-in absentee ballot in general, special, and primary elections for federal office.

These provisions are similar to SB 845 (2010), HB 1579 (2010), and provisions of SCS/HCS/HB 1966 (2010) and HCS#2/SB 844 (2010).

(SECTION 160.545)

This act modifies the A+ Schools Program. It allows students who are dependents of retired military who relocate to Missouri within one year of the date of the retirement to be exempt from the three year attendance requirement.

This provision is similar to a provision of HCS/HBs 2147 & 2261 (2010) and SCS/HCS#2/HB 1543 (2010).

(SECTION 194.119)

This act modifies the list of individuals authorized to direct the disposition of human remains to include a person designated on a U.S. Department of Defense form, if the person who died was on active duty in the United States military at the time of death.

This provision is identical to HB 1208 (2010).

(SECTION 301.3158)

This act creates the "LEGION OF MERIT" special license plate and allows any person who has been awarded this military service award to apply for it. To obtain the special license plate, a person must make application, furnish proof as a recipient of the Legion of Merit Medal, and pay a $15 fee to the Department of Revenue in addition to the registration fee and any other documents required by law

This provision is identical to HB 1771 (2010), and a provision of HCS/HB 2097 (2010), HCS/SCS/SBs 812, 752, &909 (2010), and SS/SCS/HB 2111 (2010).

(SECTIONS 447.503 & 447.559)

This act requires the state Treasurer's office to hold and maintain military medals that have been delivered by financial institutions to the Treasurer as lost or unclaimed property until the original owner or his or her heirs or beneficiaries can be identified. The Treasurer may designate a veteran's organization or other organization as custodian of medals until the medal can be returned.

These provisions are similar to HB 1745 (2010) and SB 846 (2010).

EMILY KALMER