Rep. Perkins Looks Forward to a Productive Session

“I am excited and optimistic about the start of the 2024 legislative session,” said Rep. Perkins. “I believe we have an opportunity for meaningful progress on several key issues. We are already hard at work and have seen progress on two of my priorities. HB 1774, a workforce development bill that focuses on apprenticeships in the funeral home industry, was referred to committee and had a hearing this week. Rep. Pekins added, “I expect this bipartisan legislation to move quickly this session. Another priority of mine, HB 1769, known as the “Fire Fighters Procedural Bill of Rights” has also been referred to committee and I’m looking forward to presenting that bill next week.” Rep. Perkins is also anticipating many of his other priorities to be referred soon and looks forward to continuing this early momentum.
Legislation Seeking to Make Missouri an Open Enrollment State Gets Rolling

The House is once again moving forward with open enrollment legislation that passed the finish line in the previous legislative session before failing to navigate through the Missouri Senate.

The Missouri House Committee on Elementary and Secondary Education heard testimony on HB 1989, a bill that seeks to allow K-12 public schools to choose whether to let students from neighboring school districts enroll in their district. The Public School Open Enrollment Act, as it has been named, aims to enhance educational quality, increase parental involvement, provide access to programs and classes, and align curriculum options with personal beliefs.
Under this proposal, any student beginning kindergarten or already enrolled in a public school may attend a public school in a nonresident district that has opted to participate in the program. The program requires districts to declare participation by December 1st for the following school year, with no obligation to increase resources for transfer applicants.

“This bill allows the 899,000 students in the state of Missouri in the public school system the opportunity to have choice within the very system that their parents pay taxes to,” the bill sponsor told the committee.
Special education provisions are outlined, and districts may establish standards for transfers. Students must meet admission requirements to transfer, and will be subject to restrictions on varsity sports participation for the first year. The program initiates in the 2025-26 school year, and districts may limit outgoing transfers based on enrollment percentages. The bill also establishes the Parent Public School Choice Fund with an $80 million appropriation to support transportation and special needs education for qualifying students.

Preventing Veteran Suicide

The Missouri House Veterans Committee heard testimony on a proposed bill that would task the Missouri Veterans Commission with expanding its work to prevent veteran suicide.
Under HB 1495, the commission would be required to team up with the Missouri Department of Mental Health to provide recommendations and implement measures, programs, treatment options, additional aid, or any necessary assistance to prevent veteran suicide, contingent on available funding. “We have a lot more veterans committing suicide than the general public,” the bill sponsor said while presenting his bill to the committee. “Every Missourian can make a difference. It does not really matter what the number is. Just one is too many.”

MOBUCK$ bill primed to move forward

The Missouri House Committee on Financial Institutions is reviewing legislation advocating for increased funding for the highly valuable MOBUCK$ program, designed to assist local lenders in reducing interest rates for eligible buyers in the state. Through MOBUCK$, lenders can lower interest rates by 2-3 percent, with over 140 lenders in the state participating, enabling qualified borrowers to enjoy these savings.

House Bill 1803 proposes increasing the program’s annual budget from the current $800 million to $1.2 billion, responding to the overwhelming popularity of the program. The program, which reopened on January 2 after a pause in May of the previous year, garnered significant attention. State Treasurer Vivek Malek reported receiving 142 applications totaling more than $119 million within six hours of reopening. The bill sponsor highlighted that borrowers, initially facing a 10 percent interest rate, could see their loan rates reduced to as much as 6.5 or 7 percent by utilizing this program.

Working on your behalf,