JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. — FY 2022 Budget Has Been Approved by the Legislature

May 7, 2021

House and Senate Give Final Approval to FY 2022 State Operating Budget (HBs 1-13, 15, 18, 19)

Members of the House and Senate wrapped up work on the Fiscal Year 2022 State Operating Budget on Friday. The fiscally responsible spending plan continues to support state operations and programs that will help lead Missouri out of the pandemic. In total, the budget contains $35.6 billion of state and federal spending authority. The appropriations bills that make up the spending plan will now head to the governor’s office for his consideration.

Record Investment in K-12 Education

The final version of the budget makes a significant investment in the state’s system of education. Once again the legislature has fully funded the K-12 School Foundation Formula. The record investment for early childhood education and K-12 education checks in at nearly $7.5 billion. The final version of the state operating budget also includes a $20 million increase for K-12 school transportation, exceeding more than $110 million in funding for the first time in several years.

The spending plan also includes:

$7.3 million in federal funds for the Governor’s Emergency Education Relief Fund (GEER II) to help meet needs in K-12 schools
$5 million for a deferred maintenance grant program for charter schools who own their own building or a building owned by the local school district
$3 million for a Rural Advising Program to help high school students and counselors in rural areas with college entry
$2.5 million to boost reading literacy in the St. Louis area
$3.25 million to initiate the School Turnaround Act
Protecting Missouri’s Vulnerable Children

The 2021 legislative session has seen the General Assembly make a commitment to provide additional resources to foster and adoptive parents. The state operating budget also includes funding to ensure vulnerable young people can find a nurturing home. The plan provides a $40.7 million increase for adoption and guardianship subsidies, as well as a $12.8 million increase to Foster Care Maintenance Payments that support families with foster children.

General Assembly Approves Bill to Empower Students to Succeed Academically (HB 349)

The House and Senate have given final approval legislation meant to empower parents to have access to schools and educational resources that will best meet the needs of their children. The legislation will create Empowerment Scholarship Accounts (ESAs) to help parents afford the best educational opportunities for their kids.

Legislature Approves Bill to Protect Victims of Domestic Abuse (SB 71)

Legislation is now on its way to the governor that would allow victims of domestic abuse to obtain lifetime orders of protection against their abusers. The bill received overwhelming bipartisan support in both the House and Senate.

Under current law, a court can issue an order of protection for up to one year. Supporters of the bill said some victims of abuse are subject to fear and trauma when they have to see their abuser each year to ask a judge to renew the order. The bill approved by the General Assembly would allow the court to issue orders of protection for at least two years and up to 10 years if an evidentiary hearing finds the abusers pose a serious danger to the physical or mental health of the victim or a minor household member. In these cases, the order could be renewed periodically and be valid for at least two years and up to the lifetime of the abuser.

Providing Skilled Veterans with a Direct Path to Licensure (HB 476)

Missouri will soon cut bureaucratic red tape to ensure more skilled veterans are able to work and practice in the state. Under legislation on its way to the governor, the state would recognize military occupational specialties for licensure.

Specifically, the legislation includes a Military Occupational Specialty as a type of licensure when applying for licensure in Missouri in the same occupation under Missouri’s Reciprocity Laws. The bill’s sponsor said the bill will allow military men and women to use the training they received while serving to come home and get skilled jobs, and to continue utilizing the skills they have worked so hard to obtain.

Other Bills Truly Agreed to and Finally Passed

SB 120 modifies provisions relating to military affairs, including state designations, hiring preferences and classifications for state employment, state agency services, school designations, military protections for motor vehicle insurance, and qualified military projects in the Missouri Works Program.

HB 362 modifies provisions regarding the Sunshine Law. A public governmental body is authorized to close records and meetings related to evacuation and lockdown procedures on property owned or leased by the body. Information submitted by software or surveillance companies that secure access to buildings of the body may also be closed. A public governmental body is authorized to close records that are related to email addresses and telephone numbers submitted to a public governmental body by individuals or entities for the sole purpose of receiving electronic or other communications. The public body may also close records of utility usage and bill records for customers of public utilities unless the customer requests them or authorizes their release. The bill also enacts the Government Lending Transparency Act that creates new reporting requirements for the state auditor relating to state lending and credit support programs.

HB 685 lowers the minimum age requirement to 21 years for holding various county offices and special district board memberships. Included in the offices and districts affected are: county clerk; county auditor; county coroner; county surveyor; seven-director school board; ambulance district board; sewer district trustee; public water supply district board; emergency telephone services board; hospital district board; fire protection district board; court clerk; and mayor for third or fourth class cities.

Working on your behalf,

Representative Chad Perkins
Proudly Serving the 40th House District
Lincoln, Monroe, Pike, & Ralls Counties
Missouri House of Representatives
573-751-4028