| For Immediate Release: Dec. 01, 2015 |
Contact: Jill Kline (573) 751-9762 |
JEFFERSON CITY – State Sen. Jill Schupp, D-Creve Coeur, today pre-filed three pieces of priority legislation for the 2016 legislative session. Each of the three bills focuses on enhancing protections for vulnerable Missourians.
“As in years past, my number one priority in the upcoming legislative session is to put people first. The three bills filed today propose solutions to critical problems that affect the health and wellbeing of many Missourians,” Schupp said. “Government can be a force for good; and as a senator, I take seriously my responsibility to ensure the safety and security of Missourians who are earnestly considered in our legislative process.”
The first bill would strengthen youth suicide awareness in Missouri by allowing elementary and secondary licensed educators to annually receive up to two hours of professional development credits for suicide education and prevention training. The bill would also charge the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) with formulating guidelines for training and development surrounding youth suicide prevention, and call on the department to coordinate with school districts to create model policies aimed at countering this issue facing Missouri’s youth.
The bill, which is substantially similar to SB 328 (2015), would create the framework within DESE for an evolving system of awareness and prevention that would help educators impact the lives of at-risk Missouri youth for years to come. A process would be put in place that would allow the department to request information and feedback from the established prevention programs within the districts so that they could be adapted and improved to best address this devastating problem.
In 2013, suicide was the second leading cause of death among young Missourians, ages 15-24, according to the Missouri Institute of Mental Health. This bill addresses one of the largest problems facing the youth of this state and comes at a crucial point in time to help these young Missourians who are at risk.
Sen. Schupp’s second bill would prohibit lenders from charging excessive fees and interest rates, which can lead Missouri families into a vicious cycle of debt. Specifically, this new legislation forbids any lender making or offering consumer credit loans, title loans, consumer installment loans or unsecured loans of $500 or less (commonly known as payday loans) from contracting for, or receiving interest, fees and finance charges on the unpaid principal balance of loans in excess of 36 percent.
The bill would achieve this by: Reducing the annual percentage rate for payday, title, installment and other high-cost consumer credit and small loans from high, triple-digit rates to 36 percent per year; offering veterans and others the same 36 percent rate limit currently in place for active-military families; and preserving fair lending by restricting lenders from avoiding the rate limit through deceptive structuring practices.
Sen. Schupp’s final bill filed today would extend the medical assistance of the MO HealthNet program to citizens, ages 19-64, who would not otherwise be eligible but qualify for the program under the Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010. The bill goes into effect beginning Jan. 1, 2017, and affects Missouri residents who have an income at or below 133 percent of the federal poverty line plus five percent of the applicable family size.
This act also outlines policies pertaining to reimbursement rates for MO HealthNet providers and would charge the MO HealthNet Oversight Committee with conducting research and investigations into health-related savings and revenues associated with expanding health service eligibility. Sen. Schupp’s third bill seeks to help provide health services to low-income Missourians who need this assistance the most.
Pre-filing of bills will remain open until the legislative session begins on January 6, 2015.
For more information on Sen. Schupp’s legislation, visit her official Senate website at www.senate.mo.gov/schupp.