Missouri lawmakers reached the deadline to introduce Senate bills in the upper chamber on Thursday, March 1. To date, more than 470 bills have been introduced in the Missouri Senate.

Before adjourning for the week, lawmakers sent several bills to the House of Representatives for deliberation.

Senate Bill 568, sponsored by Sen. Mike Parson, R-Bolivar, is designed to ensure safety on Missouri roadways. The bill would amend Missouri’s “Move Over” law so that drivers would be required to use caution and change lanes (if possible) when approaching stationary emergency vehicles or vehicles operated by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) that display amber or amber and white lights. By requiring drivers to “move over” and avoid stationary vehicles on the roadways, the safety of those on the road would be better protected.

Click here to listen to “The Senate Minute” from Feb. 29, which features a report on SB 568. Included in this report are Sen. Parson and Senate Minority Floor Leader Victor Callahan, D-Independence.

To give motorists-in-training more opportunities to demonstrate safe driving, SB 648 would expand the list of qualified individuals who may accompany temporary driving instruction permit holders.

Under current law, a person who has a temporary instruction permit may only drive when accompanied by a parent, grandparent, legal guardian, or qualified driving instructor. The bill would expand this list of qualified individuals to include people who are at least 25 years of age, have been licensed for at least three years, and have received permission from the young driver’s legal guardian.

Sponsored by Sen. Timothy Green, D-Spanish Lake, SB 655 would create the Higher Education Capital Fund to provide matching funds to public colleges and universities for certain capital projects. In order to receive matching funds, a public college or university must raise 50 percent of the cost of the capital project from private donations or grants before receiving the matching funds from the General Assembly. This funding cannot be used for athletic facilities or any other facilities that generate revenue.

Other bills sent to the Missouri House include SB 690, which would allow the Missouri State Highway Patrol to sell surplus watercraft, watercraft motors, and trailers in the same manner that the Highway Patrol may currently sell surplus highway patrol vehicles. In 2011, the state water patrol was combined with the highway patrol. When this was done, no statute was put into place to allow the newly combined patrols to sell surplus watercrafts. Senate Bill 690 would correct this oversight.

Still needing another passing vote before moving to the House is SB 699. The legislation addresses earned compliance credits, administrative jail sanctions, and mandatory placement in programs for first-time revocations. The bill also would create two panels — the “Sentencing and Corrections Oversight Commission” and the “Joint Committee on Missouri Criminal Code.”

Under this act, offenders would have to earn compliance credits that are equal to 30 days of time served to offenders placed on probation, parole, or conditional release beginning Oct. 1, 2012. Only certain Class C and D felonies or offenders guilty of drug crimes who are not on lifetime supervision may earn the credits.

The legislation would also allow offenders to be jailed for short periods of time (no longer than 48 hours for first period; only spend up to 360 hours in jail in a calendar year) when their parole officers believe they have violated a condition of release. In addition, counties would receive reimbursement from the Department of Corrections for the length of the detention, under certain circumstances.  However, if there is not enough funding to cover the reimbursement or the jail does not have enough space, then the jail may refuse to accept offenders.

Click here to watch “Daily Audio and Video Clips” from March 1, which feature postings regarding SB 699. Included in these clips is Sen. Green.

Some of the bills introduced in the Missouri Senate this week address food stamp eligibility, bed bugs in rental units, and medical care during emergencies.

• Senate Bill 855, sponsored by Sen. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, would modify eligibility requirements for food stamps as it relates to ineligible immigrants.
• Senate Bill 846 would define the duties and liabilities of landlords and tenants of multi-family residential units in regards to bed bugs. Landlords would be required to inspect a unit within seven days of a complaint of bed bugs. This act is designed to keep rental units hygienic and free of pests.
• Senate Bill 880, sponsored by Sen. Jay Wasson, R-Nixa, would modify provisions relating to physician assistant supervision during declared emergencies. Under current law, physician assistants are allowed to practice without physician supervision in emergency situations. The bill would define emergency situations to include emergencies declared by the state or federal government.

Panels Consider Senate Bills

On Tuesday (2-28), the Senate Small Business, Insurance and Industry Committee considered numerous bills.

Senate Bill 634 would require health carriers to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of eating disorders beginning Jan. 1, 2013. The eating disorder health insurance requirement states that the insurer must provide access to psychiatric and medical treatment under the plan, and provide coverage for integrated care and treatments as prescribed by medical and psychiatric health care professionals. Treatments may include nutrition counseling, physical therapy, dietician services, medical monitoring, and psychiatric monitoring.

Sponsored by Sen. Ron Richard, R-Joplin, SB 619 would modify Missouri’s valued policy statute to cover all perils covered under a policy rather than just loss caused by fire.

Under current law, insurance companies are only required to pay out the full value of a homeowner’s insurance policy for both real estate and personal property if the home is a total loss from fire.

Senate Bill 619 would modify Missouri statute to include a wind or tornado disaster, requiring insurance companies pay claimants for the total face value of an insurance policy for the loss of, or damage to, a home from any disaster covered under the policy without claiming a diminished value on the property. 

On Wednesday (2-28), the Senate Education Committee and Transportation Committee assembled to consider several bills, including legislation that would address students’ school credits and the future of Interstate 70.

The Senate Education Committee considered SB 762, sponsored by Sen. Joe Keaveny, D-St. Louis, which would allow high-risk charter schools to include alternative arrangements for students to obtain credits for satisfying graduation requirements in the charter application and charter. Alternative arrangements may include credit for off-campus instruction, performance-based credit, embedded credit, work experience, independent studies, and performance-based credit options.

Click here to watch “The Senate Minute” from Feb. 28, which includes a report on SB 762. Featured in this report are Sen. Brian Munzlinger, R-Williamstown, and Sen. Keaveny.

Senate Bill 595, sponsored by Sen. Will Kraus, R-Lee’s Summit, would modify the qualifications for individuals who serve on a special education due process hearing panel. The act would prohibit panel members from having previously worked for a school district, either as an employee or as an independent contractor or consultant, within the last five years.

The Senate Transportation Committee considered a bill that addresses the future of I-70, and how funding could be appropriated to revamp and repair the frequently-used roadway.

Senate Bill 752, sponsored by Sen. Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, would authorize the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission to form a Public-Private Partnership by contract with a private partner to finance, develop, and operate I-70 as a toll facility.

The commission or the private partner would be permitted to impose tolls on I-70 and authorize the private partner to collect and enforce the tolls. The rate of the tolls would be set in the comprehensive agreement between the commission and the private partner, and all revenue from tolls would be deposited into the State Road Fund or into a trust account as provided under the comprehensive agreement.

The private partner could use any method for collecting and enforcing tolls, including toll barrier facilities and electronic recording devices.

The Missouri Senate is scheduled to reconvene at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, March 5. Lawmakers’ spring recess is set to begin upon adjournment on Thursday, March 8, and will conclude when senators reconvene on Monday, March 19.

For a complete list of bills filed this session, please visit the Missouri Senate website at www.senate.mo.gov and click on “List of 2012 Senate Bills” under the Legislation tab.

To follow these and other issues facing the Missouri Senate, visit www.senate.mo.gov. Visitors can track legislation as it passes through the General Assembly, learn more about their district, and, when the Legislature is in session, listen to streaming audio of legislative debate as it happens.

Throughout session, you can also utilize the Missouri Senate website to follow the Senate’s legislative accomplishments. On the left-hand side of the screen is a window that states the meeting status of the Senate. You can also listen to live debate, follow dates of committee hearings on the hearing calendar, and view the Senate Journal to keep up with the upper chamber’s work.

For more legislative news, please visit the Senate Newsroom. There you will find various audio and video programs and other services, such as:  

• Missouri Legislative Update (MLU) – A video program produced periodically throughout the year that provides an overview of the news in the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives. The program features news interviews with lawmakers and stories on issues concerning Missourians.
• Capital Dialogue – Missourinet's Bob Priddy hosts this monthly half-hour roundtable program bringing legislators together from the Missouri Senate and House of Representatives from different political parties to discuss their positions on specific issues and legislation.
• This Week in the Missouri Senate – A weekly five-minute audio program that wraps up the week’s news in the Missouri Senate. Programs are posted online every Friday in .mp3 format.
• Senate Minute – A condensed, one-minute audio report of current Senate news. Programs are posted in .mp3 format and are available through podcast.
• Daily Audio / Video Clips – Throughout the year, the Senate Newsroom posts broadcast-quality audio and video highlights from Senate committee hearings, floor debate, press conferences and other legislative events.  Please note: Clips linked to this Capitol Briefing are only available for the legislative week referenced in the publication.
• Daily News Clips – The Senate Newsroom compiles daily news clips from various print and online publications that cover issues relating to the Legislature and state government. An archive of past clips is maintained online and is offered as a subscription service.

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