JEFFERSON CITY — Nearly 200 bills were truly agreed to and finally passed by the General Assembly and delivered to the governor before lawmakers adjourned at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 16.  Some of the measures passed by the Legislature this week will go before Missouri voters in November.

House Joint Resolution 90, carried through the upper chamber by Sen. Will Kraus, R-Lee’s Summit, will allow voters to authorize early voting in Missouri.  Early voting would occur the six business days prior to the general election for those who have registered to vote within a specific timeframe.  Missouri voters will also be able to decide on the November ballot if a temporary three-quarters of one cent sales and use tax is needed to help fund transportation projects throughout Missouri.  Under House Joint Resolution 68, carried by Sen. Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, the sales and use tax would expire after 10 years, unless renewed by voters.

One of the major accomplishments touted by both parties during the 2014 legislative session was the reform of Missouri’s school accreditation and student transfer process.  Senate Bill 493, sponsored by Sen. David Pearce, R-Warrensburg, is a compromise among nine Senate bills filed this session that would change how the state assigns classification designations to individual schools throughout the state, naming them as unaccredited, provisionally accredited, accredited or accredited with distinction.  In addition, the bill would address how certain students transfer from one school to another when their home school is deemed unaccredited.  Senate Bill 493 contains an emergency clause.

Another bill relating to education sponsored by Sen. Pearce, this one focusing on higher education institutions, would require the creation of a performance-based funding model for public colleges and universities in Missouri.  Under Senate Bill 492, core funding for each school would be appropriated in FY 2015 and funding through the increase allocation model would begin FY 2016, with 90 percent distributed based on institutional performance measures (students’ retention, graduation rates, students’ job placement in association with their degree, and students’ pursuit of graduate degrees); 10 percent based on full-time equivalency; and 10 percent based on weighted full-time equivalent credit hours.  This bill also contains an emergency clause.

House Bill 1689, ushered through the upper chamber by Sen. Pearce and contains provisions sponsored by Sen. Joseph Keaveny, D-St. Louis, would address eligibility requirements for children to enter in school district operated pre-K programs and allow certain school districts that operate early childhood education programs to receive state funding through the state’s school foundation formula for certain students between the ages of 3-5, among other provisions relating to early childhood education.

Revising Missouri’s aging criminal code was another top priority for members of the majority and minority party.  Senate Minority Floor Leader Jolie Justus, D-Kansas City, and Senate Judiciary Chairman Sen. Bob Dixon, R-Springfield, co-sponsored Senate Bill 491.  The bill will create new classes of felonies and misdemeanors, reorganize crimes to fit new penalties in state statutes, and ensure that crimes count toward repeat offenders’ enhanced sentences.  House Bill 1371, handled by Sen. Justus, makes technical corrections to the Senate measure that addresses state statutes on crime and punishment.  Senate Bill 491 won’t take effect until 2017.

Previously, senators overwhelmingly sent to the governor health care legislation that would increase access to oral anticancer treatments (Senate Bill 668, sponsored by Sen. Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City); require mammography facilities to provide patients with information about breast density (Senate Bill 639, sponsored by Sen. Dan Brown, R-Rolla); and provide increased access to an alternative epilepsy treatment using hemp extract (House Bill 2238, handled by Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Glendale, which contains an emergency clause). 

Legislation sponsored by Sen. Jamilah Nasheed, D-St. Louis, also moves to the governor’s desk for his approval.  Senate Bill 532 would allow certain relative caregivers, acting under an affidavit, to consent to medical treatment and educational services for a minor child who lives with that caregiver if the legal parents’ or guardians’ consent cannot be obtained.  In addition, parents may also delegate this consent authority to the relative caregiver in writing.

In addition, members of the General Assembly included funding in the state’s $26.4 billion operating budget for the 2015 fiscal year, which runs June 30, 2014, through July 1, 2015, $17.8 million in general revenue to restore dental benefits for Medicaid-eligible adults.  House Bill 2011 was carried in the upper chamber by Senate Appropriations Chairman Kurt Schaefer, R-Columbia.  While members across the aisle agree on this funding item, senators from the minority caucus continue to promote complete Medicaid expansion for Missourians. 

Members of the majority caucus touted the passage and the override of the governor’s veto on Senate Bills 509 & 496, sponsored by Sen. Kraus, as another major accomplishment this session.  The measure is described as one of the first broad-based tax reform bills designed to grow Missouri’s economy. The majority caucus also applauds reforming Missouri’s unemployment compensation system, which is part of Senate Bill 510. 

Most measures passed by the General Assembly this session are set to take effect on Aug. 28, 2014.  Those that contained an emergency clause will become law upon receiving the governor’s signature.  With the 98th General Assembly, First Regular Session starting in January, lawmakers are already focusing on issues they would like to address next session.

To see a complete list of bills delivered to the governor during the 2014 legislative session, visit www.senate.mo.gov and click on the “Truly Agreed Bills” link under the “Legislation” tab.