SCS/SB's 189, 217, 246, 252 & 79 - This act adds businesses seeking to make energy improvements as an additional eligible recipient of the low-interest loans available through the State Treasurer's linked deposit loan program. The act directs the Department of Natural Resources to serve as a technical advisor and review each such loan application received by the State Treasurer's office and provide information to the Treasurer's office about the potential energy savings associated with each project. The State Treasurer shall give funding priority to projects with the greatest energy savings. A copy of an energy audit is a required part of the linked deposit loan application. (Sections 30.756 to 30.865 and Section 640.150) The act creates a refundable income and financial institutions tax credit which will be available for sports commissions, convention and visitors bureaus, certain nonprofit organizations, counties, and municipalities to offset expenses incurred in attracting sporting events to the state. Applicants for the tax credit must submit game support contracts to the Department of Economic Development for approval. The tax credit will be equal to the lesser of fifty percent of the incremental increase in sales and use tax revenues attributable to such event or one hundred percent of eligible expenses incurred. No more than ten million dollars in tax credits may be issued per fiscal year. Of the ten million dollars in tax credits available each fiscal year, no more than eight million dollars in tax credits will be available for all sporting events held in the City of St. Louis and any counties with a population in excess of three hundred thousand inhabitants. The tax credits are fully transferrable, provided a notarized endorsement is filed with the Department of Economic Development. The Department of Economic Development is prohibited from certifying game support contracts after August 28, 2017, but may certify game support contracts prior to such date which pertain to games to be held after August 10, 2017. (Section 67.3000)
Information technology companies, which create a minimum of twenty new jobs with an average wage equal to or exceeding ninety percent of the county average wage, will be eligible to receive up to three years of state and local sales tax exemption for purchases of tangible personal property and building materials used to construct, repair, or remodel a project facility. Information technology businesses may also receive up to five years of state and local sales tax exemptions for utilities and telecommunications services purchased for use at the project facility. The department of economic development will certify information technology companies for the state sales tax exemptions while local governments will have the option to certify such companies for exemptions from their local sales taxes. The act contains recapture provisions requiring repayment of tax incentives in the event an information technology company fails to meet program requirements. (Sections 144.062 and 144.810)
The act establishes the Missouri Science and Innovation Reinvestment Act. The act requires the advise and consent of the Senate for Gubernatorial appointments to the Missouri Technology Corporation's board of directors and sets the terms and requirements for the various members of the board of directors. The powers and duties of the Missouri Technology Corporation are expanded to allow the corporation to assume all monies and assets of the Missouri Seed Capital Investment Board and to establish a proof of concept finance program, an angel investment finance program, and a venture capital co-investment fund. The act provides application, approval, and reporting requirements for programs established by the Missouri Technology Corporation. In addition to the exceptions to open records and meetings requirements provided under the Sunshine Act, the act authorizes the Missouri Technology Corporation to close certain meetings and records held by the corporation. The directors of the department of economic development and the department of revenue must annually determine the incremental increase in gross wages paid within the state to science and innovation employees and apply a formula to such amount to determine the amount of funding necessary to administer the programs of the corporation. Once a determination is made, the directors of the department of economic development and the department of revenue must report their findings to the Governor and the General Assembly. The act replaces the Missouri Technology Fund with the Missouri Science and Innovation Reinvestment Fund, which will receive annual appropriations made by the General Assembly, based upon recommendations made by the directors of the departments of economic development and revenue, and contributions made by private entities, the federal government, and local governments. The act requires that any contract entered into between the corporation and any not-for-profit organization must provide at least a one hundred percent match of funding received from the corporation. (Sections 196.1115, 348.250 to 348.265, 348.269 and 348.271)
The act establishes the proof of concept business finance program to be administered by the Missouri Technology Corporation. The program will provide one-time loans to eligible advanced technology companies which must be repaid within five years of the date of the loan in an amount equal to two times the amount of the loan. Early repayment will result in a proration of the repayment amount. No more than one million two hundred fifty thousand dollars will be made available for loans to advanced technology companies each fiscal year. Loans made under the program cannot exceed seventy-five thousand dollars per eligible advanced technology company and must be leveraged dollar-for-dollar by additional equity investment in the company. Loan proceeds may be used by eligible advanced technology companies for intellectual property development, building prototypes, market studies, identifying and securing a management team, and business operations. (Section 348.268)
Subject to appropriation, the department of economic development is allowed to authorize tax credits encourage equity investment in technology-based early stage Missouri companies, commonly referred to as angel investments. Investors who contribute the first five hundred thousand dollars in equity investment to a qualified Missouri business may be issued a tax credit in the year in which the investment is made. Annual authorizations of the tax credits will be limited to the lesser of the amount appropriated by the general assembly or five million dollars. The tax credits will be equal to thirty percent of the investment. Investors are prohibited from receiving more than fifty thousand dollars in tax credits for a single investment or more than one hundred thousand dollars for investments in more than one qualified business per year. Tax credits for equity investment in technology-based early stage Missouri companies may be carried forward for up to three years or transferred. (Sections 348.273 and 348.274)
The act modifies provisions of the Missouri Quality Jobs Act to allow projects located within dormant manufacturing plant zones to receive benefits under the program. A project located within a dormant manufacturing plant zone will be capable of receiving benefits as a small and expanding business project if it creates at least ten jobs with an average wage for the new payroll equal to or in excess of eighty percent of the county average wage. The wage requirements for eligibility to receive benefits as a "technology business project" or "high impact project" are also modified to allow dormant manufacturing zone projects to receive benefits if the payroll for the new jobs created equals or exceeds eighty percent of the county average wage. (Sections 620.1878 and 620.1881)
The act modifies provisions of law which authorize a tax credit for qualified research expenses. The tax credit is limited to research expenses incurred in the research and development of agricultural biotechnology and plant genome products, and prescription pharmaceuticals consumed by animals. The act modifies the time-line for application and issuance of tax credits under the program. Under current law, no qualified research expense tax credits may be approved, awarded or issued after January 1, 2005. This act removes the prohibition on approval and issuance of tax credits and increases the annual tax credit cap from nine million seven hundred thousand to ten million dollars. The director of the department of economic development may allow taxpayers to transfer, sell, or assign up to forty percent of tax credits between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2017, provided such taxpayer files an application providing certain information regarding such transfer. In the event the amount of claims for tax credits exceed the annual cap, the act provides a method for pro rating issuance of tax credits.
(Section 620.1039)
The act contains provisions which are identical to those contained in Senate Bill 248 (2011) and similar to Senate Bill 94 (2011) and Senate Bill 203 (2011).
JASON ZAMKUS