Work in Senate Ramps Up as March Begins

JEFFERSON CITY—The upper chamber continued sending legislation to the House for consideration this week. All told, the Senate approved six bills that now make their way to the other body for possible debate, including Senate Bill 131, sponsored by Sen. Mike Parson, R-Bolivar, which would modify provisions relating to weight limitations on vehicles hauling certain agricultural products. The bill was approved by a vote of 33-0.

Senate Bill 283, sponsored by Sen. Mike Kehoe, R-Jefferson City, would allow political subdivisions to assign the operation of a retirement plan to the Missouri Local Government Employee’s Retirement system. The legislation was passed by a final vote of 33-0.

Senate Bill 245, sponsored by Sen. Dan Hegeman, R-Cosby, would allow counties in which townships have been abolished to continue to collect a property tax for road and bridge purposes for a specified period of time. The legislation was approved by a vote of 33-0.

Senate Bill 13, sponsored by Sen. Brian Munzlinger, R-Williamstown, would change the membership and appointment process for the Career and Technical Education Advisory Council. The legislation was passed with a vote of 31-2.

Senate Bill 221, sponsored by Sen. Dave Schatz, R-Sullivan, would exempt annexations in certain municipalities from the review requirements of the St. Louis Boundary Commission.

Senate Bill 214, sponsored by Sen. David Pearce, R-Warrensburg, would modify the law relating to liens on chattel.

The bills now go to the House for first reading and committee referral.

Senators Spend Majority of Wednesday in Committee Hearings

With most lawmakers attending Auditor Tom Schweich’s funeral on Tuesday, March 3, committees normally held the second-day of the legislative week were rescheduled to Wednesday, March 4. Senators spent the bulk of that day in hearings, even forgoing morning session to vet and consider proposed legislation for the 2015 session.

The Seniors, Families and Children Committee, chaired by Sen. David Sater, R-Cassville, met Wednesday morning at 8:15 a.m., in the Senate Lounge. Members considered Senate Bill 341, sponsored by Sen. Jeanie Riddle, R-Callaway County. Under the bill, when the Children's Division receives a report concerning a juvenile with problem sexual behavior, the division shall immediately communicate the report to the appropriate local office, which will then use a family assessment and services approach to respond to the report.

Nothing in this act prevents the local office from commencing an investigation if, during the family assessment and services approach, the local office determines that an investigation is warranted. Such an investigation may include requesting assistance from the appropriate law enforcement agency.

The Seniors Committee also heard Senate Bill 380, sponsored by Sen. Paul Wieland, R-Imperial, which establishes a committee to assess the continuation of the Money Follows the Person Demonstration Program.

The Small Business, Insurance and Industry Committee, chaired by Sen. Parson, considered numerous pieces of legislation at 10 a.m. in Senate Committee Room 1, including:

• Senate Bill 346, sponsored by Sen. Jay Wasson, R-Nixa, which would raise the amount of assets that an insurance company may invest in foreign securities, investments or deposits from 5 to 25 percent;
• Senate Bill 51, sponsored by Bob Onder, R-Lake St. Louis, which would modify Missouri's Health Care Freedom Act by prohibiting the state from implementing a health insurance exchange, prohibiting insurers from accepting remuneration, and prescribing duties of the Attorney General for enforcement of the act;
• Senate Bill 89, sponsored by Sen. Paul LeVota, D-Independence, which would require health carriers to file their premium rates and accompanying information with the Department of Insurance for approval;
• Senate Bill 129, sponsored by Sen. Dan Brown, R-Rolla, which would require authorization for certain labor unions to use dues and fees to make political contributions and requires consent for withholding earnings from paychecks;
• Senate Bill 140, sponsored by Sen. Parson, which would provide that defendants in tort actions shall only be held severally liable and not jointly;
• Senate Bill 362, also sponsored by Sen. Parson, which  would allow the Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration to issue non-binding informational documents to insurers’; and
• Senate Bill 392, sponsored by Sen. Wieland, which would modify which members of fraternal benefit societies are exempt from insurance agent licensing.

At 11 a.m. on Wednesday, the Financial and Governmental Organizations and Elections Committee met to consider numerous measures, which included:

• Senate Bill 416, sponsored by Sen. Wasson, which would modify provisions of law regarding the disposition of deceased human remains;
• Senate Bill 69, sponsored by Sen. LeVota, which stipulates that the Board of Elections shall be the election authority in counties that have Board of Election Commissioners for purposes of declarations of candidacy;
• Senate Bill 103, sponsored by Sen. LeVota, which allows members of the General Assembly to request confidential professional licensee information;
• Senate Bill 457, sponsored by Sen. Sater, which would provide that all licensees regulated by the Board of Pharmacy shall report disciplinary actions taken by another licensing jurisdiction against such person or entity's license;
• Senate Bill 458, also sponsored by Sen. Sater, which would modify regarding the renewal of licenses issued by the Board of Pharmacy; and
• Senate Bill 313, sponsored by Sen. Wayne Wallingford, R-Girardeau, which would allow the types of controlled substances that can be prescribed by advanced practice registered nurses.

The Jobs, Economic Development and Local Government Committee, chaired by Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Glendale, considered:

• Senate Bill 339, sponsored by Sen. Munzlinger, which would authorize all third and fourth class counties to collect a property tax to pay for road rock on county roads;
• Senate Bill 114, sponsored by Sen. Will Kraus, R-Lee’s Summit, which would allow all school and library districts to be reimbursed for 50 percent of their tax increment under a tax increment financing plan;
• Senate Bill 387, sponsored by Sen. Wasson, which would modify provisions required to be in nuisance abatement ordinances enacted by municipalities and counties; and
• Senate Bill 452, sponsored by Sen. Schmitt, which provides that no person shall be found guilty of failure to appear if the criminal matter solely involves certain traffic-related infractions.

The Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources Committee, chaired by Sen. Munzlinger, met Wednesday afternoon to consider three bills:

• Senate Bill 386, sponsored by Sen. Joseph Keaveny, D-St. Louis, which would extend the types of illnesses that can be treated using CBD oil;
• Senate Bill 255, sponsored by Sen. Rob Schaaf, R-St. Joseph, would allow those licensed by the Department of Agriculture to grow and handle industrial hemp and creates the crime of unlicensed industrial hemp production; and
• House Bill 259, sponsored by Rep. Bill Reiboldt, which would create the Missouri Dairy Revitalization Act of 2015.

Late Wednesday afternoon, the Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence Committee, chaired by Sen. Bob Dixon, R-Springfield, met to consider Senate Bill 417. The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal, D-University City, which would specify when a law enforcement officer is justified to use deadly force and requires a special prosecutor be appointed to investigate instances of such deadly force.

Finally, on Thursday morning, the Veterans’ Affairs and Health, chaired by Sen. Brown, heard testimony on Senate Bill 298, sponsored by Sen. Kraus, which would require hospital to provide oral and written notice of a patient's outpatient status and the impact of that status on the patient's health insurance coverage, and Senate Bill 325, sponsored by Sen. Sater, which would delineate procedures to be used by pharmacy benefit managers with regards to maximum allowable cost lists.

The 2015 legislative session runs until May 15. To follow these and other issues before the Missouri Senate, visit www.senate.mo.gov. Visitors can track legislation considered by the General Assembly during the 2015 session, learn more about their legislative district and listen to streaming audio of legislative debate as it happens on the Senate floor.

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