Representative Jim Neely's Capitol Report

Members of the Missouri House of Representatives gave initial approval this week to legislation meant to put thousands of Missourians on a fast track to develop the skills they need to obtain good-paying jobs. The bill would create a new state financial aid program known as Fast Track that would address workforce needs by encouraging adults to pursue an industry-recognized credential in an area designated as high need.

Fast Track is a creative solution that could impact nearly 16,000 eligible students providing training, meeting specific workforce needs, improving the economy, and benefitting Missourians in all regions of our state.

Missouri has the seventh most diversified economy and ranks among the top 10 states in high school graduation rates, but lags in post-secondary degree or credential attainment.  Around 755,000 Missourians have some college experience but no degree, meaning there are thousands of individuals who could take advantage of the innovative Fast Track program.

The goal of Fast Track is to provide community colleges, tech schools, and universities with the means to equip students for the high-paying, high-demand jobs of the future. It is designed to open up higher education opportunities for hard-working, middle-class families looking for a boost to pursue their dreams. It is also meant to help Missouri businesses find workers with the training needed to fill their workforce demands. 

Fast Track is a needs-based scholarship targeted at adults age 25 and older who are working toward a certification, undergraduate degree or industry-recognized credential for a high demand occupation.  To be eligible, a student must be at least 25 years of age, not have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher, and have an adjusted gross income of less than $40,000 for an individual and $80,000 for a married couple filing jointly.  If approved, a Missourian could attend an approved Missouri postsecondary institution of their choice and have their tuition and fees paid for by the program.  The program is a “last-dollar” program and will be applied after all federal non-loan aid, state student aid, and any other governmental student financial aid are applied.

Fast Track is a wise investment that will open doors for Missourians across the state to help continue building a stronger economy. The say the state’s business climate remains strong, but in order for businesses to succeed into the future, the state must take steps to create a more skilled workforce that is ready for the jobs of tomorrow. 

The bill now requires a final vote in the House before moving to the Senate.

House Sends Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Legislation to the Senate (HB 188)

The House gave final approval this week to legislation that would create a statewide monitoring program for drug prescriptions. The bill would combat the abuse of prescription drugs and help prevent conflicts between medications.

Known as the Narcotics Control Act, the bill would require the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services to establish and maintain a program to monitor the prescribing and dispensing of all Schedule II through Schedule IV controlled substances. The bill would require information on these drugs being prescribed and dispensed to be reported within 24 hours. By the year 2022 the information would be updated in real time. In response to the security concerns, supporters say the bill contains numerous protections to ensure data is encrypted so that private information remains private. The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.

House Approves Legislation to Raise Awareness of Celiac Disease (HB 72)

House members gave approval this week to legislation meant to raise awareness of celiac disease, which is an immune disorder that leaves a person unable to eat wheat, rye, or barley. A person with celiac can go through a broad variety of uncomfortable symptoms, but a lack of awareness about the disease can cause it to go undiagnosed for years.

The legislation would designate the second Wednesday in May as “Celiac Awareness Day” in Missouri.  The date would fall during national Celiac Awareness Month.  Under the bill, citizens of the state would be encouraged to participate in appropriate events and activities that increase awareness of celiac disease.

The sponsor of the bill, whose daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease, said, “My intent for this bill would be to help raise awareness for everyone including doctors, because it seems like it takes doctors a long time to say, ‘You know what, it might be celiac disease.’”

There is no treatment or cure for celiac disease. The only thing sufferers can do is closely watch what they eat and avoid even the smallest amounts of gluten. Supporters hope that passing the legislation would make more people – particularly doctors – aware of celiac and shorten the time it takes for a person to be tested for it.

The bill now moves to the Senate for consideration.

House Approves Bill to Enact “Hailey’s Law” (HB 185)

Another bill headed to the Senate is meant to better protect children by improving the state’s Amber Alert system. The bill is known as “Hailey’s Law” in honor of Hailey Owens, who was abducted and murdered at the age of 10 while walking home from a friend’s house.

Soon after the arrest of her killer, state officials and lawmakers turned their attention to the Amber Alert System.  Though witnesses saw Owens being abducted, more than two hours passed before an Amber Alert was issued to let authorities and the public statewide know to look for her, and what her kidnapper and his vehicle looked like.

Legislators then and now said that faster issuance of an Amber Alert is unlikely to have changed the outcome in Owens’ case. She is believed to have been killed too soon after her abduction. However, the tragedy highlighted a need to expedite the issuance of alerts.  

The legislation would require the Amber Alert System to be tied into the Missouri Uniform Law Enforcement System (MULES), which is the computer system that allows all law enforcement in Missouri to communicate.  That means once an officer enters information about a missing child into MULES, it would at the same time be available to the Amber Alert system.  

The bill would also require the state’s Amber Alert System Oversight Committee to meet at least once a year to discuss ways to improve the system.  Currently there is no requirement for that committee to meet. Having the committee meet regularly to evaluate the system means there will be an ongoing effort toward getting alerts out more quickly.

Special Committee on Government Oversight Examines Department of Revenue Issues

House members investigating the Department of Revenue say it hasn’t prepared Missourians for owing more income tax or getting smaller tax refunds this year, and that many Missourians could suffer because of it.

An error in Missouri tax code that dates back at least to 2004 was only recently discovered. The error was revealed because of the federal tax relief plan that was passed in 2017. As a result of the combination of the tax change and the error, Missourians’ overall tax debt will decrease, but some could see a greater remaining income tax bill or a smaller refund than they anticipated.

During the hearing, members of the House Special Committee on Government Oversight looked back over the Department of Revenue’s efforts to alert Missourians about how the tax code has changed and what it could mean for them.

“The department was proud to send out press releases to talk about the bicentennial license plate that we switched over to … they spread the news whether it be on social media, whether it be in press releases, you read about that in the paper, there were different TV interviews; there was a lot of notoriety about a new license plate, however now that this mistake has occurred the Department of Revenue does not want to ‘fess up,” said the chairman of the committee. “Let the taxpayer know that an error occurred and what they should be expecting as we get closer to April.”

The revenue department director told the committee he agrees that communication should be improved. He also stressed that he believes it is a minority of Missouri taxpayers who will experience a significant change in their tax returns.

Lawmakers also asked the department for examples of how taxpayers might be affected. The director said his department has declined to offer examples because the many variables in filing means any two people filing the same way, with the same annual income, could see wildly different impacts. Legislators told him they still want examples so they have a better idea what some Missourians might face. 

The committee will meet again next week when it will ask more questions of the department director and review the examples that legislators have requested, which he urged the department to prepare.

Missourians who have questions about their 2018 return can contact the Department of Revenue for assistance at (573) 522-0967 or visit the department’s website at https://dor.mo.gov/.

I hope you have a wonderful week! As always, please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions, concerns, or suggestions you might have. If you have an event you would like me to attend please let me know. As your Representative I am here to assist you however I can. I can be reached by email at Jim.Neely@house.mo.gov or by phone at 573-751-0246.