Holsman: End of Session Report

Dear Friends,

I want to start by wishing you all a Happy Independence Day! I hope that you and your family have a fun, safe, and relaxing Fourth of July. Let us not forget the sacrifices that have been made throughout the years to protect the liberties and freedoms that we, as Americans, hold dear. From our founding fathers to the soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines, and coast guardsmen currently serving in our armed forces, we all owe a debt of gratitude to those men and women who have helped make this country great.

This End-of-Session newsletter is prepared especially to keep you connected and informed. The budget shortfalls dominated a majority of our legislative efforts. Issues we all care deeply about - education, healthcare, energy and the environment, law enforcement, taxes - were carefully deliberated.

In this newsletter are brief summaries of some successful bills. Detailed summaries and full pdf copies of all the bills that passed can be found at: http://house.mo.gov. All bills are sent to the Governor for his approval before becoming law.

Now that the legislative session has come to a close, I look forward to spending more time at home, talking with constituents and learning about the issues most important to south Kansas City and Grandview. Whether here or in Jefferson City, I am humbled by this opportunity to serve.

Warmest regards,

Jason

Property Assessed Clean Energy

The Property Assessed Clean Energy Act, originally sponsored by Rep. Jason Holsman as House Bill 2178, passed as an amendment on House Bill 1692. Property Assessed Clean Energy, or PACE, grants municipalities the authority to issue bonds to provide homeowners with funding to install energy efficiency improvements or energy-generation systems on their properties. These improvements would be paid for over time by the homeowner through a higher assessment of their property. Therefore the bonds will be paid off only by the citizens who take advantage of the program. The PACE program will allow homeowners and residents to save money on their utility bills by reducing their net energy consumption and will create 'green-collar' jobs by putting people to work building and installing energy efficient improvements.

Urban Farming

House Bill 1848, sponsored by Rep. Jason R. Holsman, creates a Joint Committee on Urban Farming to explore ways to provide inner city residents with improved access to healthy food. The 10-member committee is charged with studying and making recommendations regarding the impact of urban farm cooperatives, vertical farming, and sustainable living communities. The committee will also examine various trends in urban farming; existing resources and capacity; the impact on affected communities; and any needed legislation, policies, or regulations.

Stronger DWI Penalties

House Bill 1695, 1742 & 1674 creates stronger penalties for DWI offenders. The bill requires drivers with blood-alcohol levels of at least 0.15 percent to spend 48 hours in jail, and those with at least 0.2 percent to spend at least five days in jail, unless they complete the requirements of a DWI court or docket or other court-ordered treatment. In addition, the bill allows any circuit court to set up a DWI docket or court for repeat offenders or those whose blood-alcohol content exceeds 0.15 percent. Several Missouri courts already offer DWI Courts, which allow repeat DWI offenders to avoid jail time while receiving treatment for alcohol abuse.

The bill also requires state courts to handle any DWI case involving a defendant with two or more alcohol-related contacts with authorities or intoxication-related traffic offenses, requires police and prosecutors to adopt policies for reporting information on DWI offenses to a central databank, increases the minimum jail time for previous DWI offenders from five to 10 days, and increases the minimum jail time for a persistent offender to 30 days.

Ethics Reform

Senate Bill 844 is an ethics reform package designed to increase transparency and accountability in the political process. One provision of the bill addresses the issue of political money laundering by restricting committee-to committee transfers of campaign donations. The bill limits the number of political committees and makes it a crime to transfer committee funds with the intent to conceal the source of the original funds.

The bill also gives additional authority to the Missouri Ethics Commission to launch investigations. Under current law, the commission can act only after receiving a complaint. Senate Bill 844 allows the commission to launch an investigation after a unanimous vote of all six commission members. The bill also creates the crime of obstructing an ethics investigation.

In addition, the bill requires that campaign contributions made during a legislative session in excess of $500 be reported within 48 hours. The bill also makes it a crime for an elected official to offer a job to a lawmaker in exchange for votes. Senate Bill 844 also creates new crimes for lobbyists who do not properly report how much they spend on meals and gifts for state officials.

Autism Insurance Reform

At left: Representatives Grill & Holsman with Governor Nixon at the signing ceremony of Missouri's Autism Insurance bill.

House Bill 1311 & 1341 requires state-regulated group insurance policies to provide coverage for children with autism spectrum disorders. The legislation requires group insurance policies to provide coverage for applied behavioral analysis services (ABA) for autistic children age 18 and younger. The coverage will have an annual cap of $40,000 and will be adjusted at least once every three years for inflation.

The bill also establishes a state Behavior Analyst Advisory Board under the State Committee of Psychologists within the Division of Professional Registration. The new board will be charged with establishing and overseeing licensure and registration requirements for behavior analysts and assistant behavior analysts who provide therapies for children with autism spectrum disorders.

In addition, House Bill 1311 & 1341 provides an exemption to businesses with 50 or fewer employees that show the mandate increased their premiums by at least 2.5 percent compared to the previous year.

College Scholarships

Senate Bill 733 addresses the discrepancy between scholarship money available to private and public school students through the Access Missouri program. Under current law, students who attend private and public schools are eligible for disparate award amounts. Senate Bill 733 raises the maximum scholarship to $1,300 for community college students and sets it at $2,850 for students at either public universities or private institutions, starting in 2014.

Senate Bill 733 also modifies the Bright Flight scholarship program. Most significantly, the bill ensures that students who score in the top 3 percent with their ACT or SAT scores receive Bright Flight merit scholarship awards before those who score in the top fourth or fifth percent. Bright Flight eligibility will expand to the top 5 percent next year under a new state law.

In addition, the bill addresses students who elect to join the armed forces. These students who qualify for a Bright Flight scholarship may defer their award and receive it at a later date, as long as they return to full-time student status within six months of the end of their military service.

Veterans Omnibus Bill

At right: Representative Jason R. Holsman meeting with a World War II veteran in the Missouri State Capitol.

House Bill 1524 & 2260 will make it easier for military members serving overseas to vote. The bill requires the Secretary of State to establish procedures for overseas voters to request voter registration applications and absentee ballot applications. The legislation also requires that at least one form of electronic communication for use by absent uniformed services and overseas voters must be designated for requesting voter registration applications and absentee ballots.

The bill also authorizes the governor to present a Legion of Merit Medal to individuals who have exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding military service and achievement reflecting honorably and creditably upon the state. In addition, the governor can present a campaign ribbon to individuals who have served in direct support of several military campaigns. The ribbons will include a Missouri Iraq Campaign Ribbon, a Missouri Afghanistan Campaign Ribbon, a Missouri Kosovo Campaign Ribbon, and a Missouri Vietnam Campaign Ribbon.

Other provisions of the bill specify that the State of Missouri recognizes the designations of Prisoner of War (POW) and Missing in Action (MIA) as valid descriptions of casualty status and category classification for military personnel; require the Adjutant General to establish the Missouri Youth Challenge Academy for at-risk high school age youth; and require all state agencies and political subdivisions to give a three-point bonus preference to a service-disabled veteran business operating as a Missouri business when letting a contract for the performance of any job or service.

Downsizing Government

House Bill 1868 reduces the size of state government and authorizes the formation of a committee to study the potential for additional downsizing in the future. The bill will save the state millions of dollars by transferring the powers and duties of the State Water Patrol to the newly established Division of Water Patrol within the State Highway Patrol. The bill also establishes the Joint Committee on the Reduction and Reorganization of Programs within State Government. The 14-member committee must publish a report by December 31, 2010, with recommendations for reducing, eliminating, or combining state programs and departments.

School Safety

At left: Rep. Holsman with a group of students from Boone Elementary

House Bill 1543 contains a number of provisions focused on school safety and improving the working environment for school staff . The bill gives school boards more authority to establish discipline codes. It also expands immunity for school employees who follow established discipline policies. Another provision of the bill defines cyber-bullying to include the use of computers, the Internet, and phones to bully a student.

The legislation also provides school districts with additional budget flexibility during times when funding is limited. For the next three fiscal years, the bill suspends the requirement that school districts spend one percent of state funding on professional development. The legislation allows a school district to spend the money at its discretion. The change will free up approximately $30 million in education funding for schools across the state.

Extraordinary Session

In June, Governor Jay Nixon called the Missouri General Assembly back to Jefferson City for a special "Extraordinary Session" to consider a tax incentive bill to potentially save thousands of jobs at a Ford Motor Company manufacturing plant in the Clay County. The bill has been subject to The Missouri State Capitolsome controversy, as the suggested funding mechanism for these job-saving tax incentives is a reduction in the pensions of Missouri State employees, who are already among the lowest paid state employees in the nation. The House of Representatives was in session June 24th through June 29th discussing this bill. After the bill has worked its way through the Senate, it will return to the House for further consideration on July 7th and 8th. I will keep you updated about the progress of this bill as it moves through the legislative process.