Legislative Actions and Information for the Week of Jan. 21, 2019
| On The Floor
While important action and discussion often happens on the floor of the Missouri Senate, in the early weeks of session, much of the discussion and debate occurs in the Senates legislative committees. These committees are where bills are first heard and analyzed by senators after being introduced on the floor. Committees will hear from the sponsor of the bill, take public testimony and further scrutinize the bill and its language. Committees may vote to approve a piece of legislation and return it to the Senate floor for further consideration by all 34 members of the Senate. Last week, committee assignments were announced. Senator Nasheed has been assigned to the following committees: · Gubernatorial Appointments – considers appointments made by the governor to Missouri’s boards and commissions; · Appropriations – handles all appropriation bills and helps draft Missouri’s operating budget for the next fiscal year; · Fiscal Oversight – considers and reports on all bills, except regular appropriation bills, that require new appropriations or expenditures of appropriated funds in excess of $100,000, or that reduce funds by that amount during any of the first three years that public funds will be used to fully implement the provisions of the bill; · Ways and Means – hears matters relating to the state’s revenue, public debt, the interest on that debt, the assessment of real and personal property, the classification of property for taxation purposes and gaming. Bills and Committees Several of Sen. Nasheed’s bills have begun to move through the legislative process and some have even been referred to committee. She has also introduced another piece of legislation, Senate Bill 261. Senate Bill 22 – This legislation allows for information gathered through the pretrial discovery process to be presented at the time of arraignment, when formal charges are read to the defendant, rather than beforehand. This bill has been referred to the Senate’s Judiciary Committee. Senate Bill 23 – This bill allows a law enforcement officer, family member or household member to petition a court for a firearm restraining order for an individual believed to be a threat to themselves or others. If approved by the court, the restraining order prohibits the individual from purchasing, possessing, receiving or having in their custody any firearms for a period of time. Senate Bill 23 has been referred to the Senate’s Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee. Senate Bill 24 – This proposal requires the sheriff and their staff in St. Louis City, St. Louis County or Kansas City to receive information regarding the physical and mental health of anyone being transferred to their jail before or at the time of transfer. If this information is not provided, the transfer may be refused. This legislation has also been referred to the Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee. Senate Bill 91 – This bill specifies that a court may, rather than shall, double the fines for certain traffic offenses committed in safe travel zones designated by the Missouri Department of Transportation. Senate Bill 91 has been referred to the Senate’s Transportation, Infrastructure and Public Safety Committee for a hearing. Senate Bill 92 – This act requires health benefit plans issued, amended, delivered or renewed in the state following August 28, 2019, to provide coverage for the diagnosis and treatment of infertility, including in vitro fertilization, embryo transfer and artificial insemination. This bill has been referred to the Senate’s Insurance and Banking Committee. Senate Bill 261 – One of the newest pieces of legislation introduced on the Senate floor by Sen. Nasheed aims to protect Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits for Missourians who legally use medical marijuana. Current law allows for TANF-eligible recipients or applications to be screened for illegal drug use, if the Department of Social Services has cause to believe this is the case. If found using substances illegally, individuals risk losing eligibility for TANF benefits for three years. Senate Bill 261 would provide protections for those using medical marijuana as prescribed under the recently approved constitutional amendment. Appropriations The most important task the Missouri General Assembly must accomplish during the legislative session is approving the state’s operating budget for the upcoming fiscal year. The Senate Appropriations Committee plays an important role in helping make that happen. The committee has begun to review the governor’s proposed budget and has started to hear testimony from various state departments about their respective funding needs. Other News Sex Trafficking Awareness Event On Jan. 23, Sen. Nasheed hosted the 4th Annual Sex Trafficking Awareness Day event in the State Capitol to help educate and inform lawmakers about the dangers associated with sex trafficking in the state of Missouri. Senator Nasheed would like to thank the 30 organizations that came to participate in the day’s events. She would also like to thank those who came out to help further the fight against sex trafficking.
A great group of people attended the sex trafficking awareness rally on Jan. 23. |
