Legislation Update

Tax Amnesty

Legislation designed to bring millions of unpaid tax dollars into the state’s coffers passed both the House and Senate last week. House Bill 384, sponsored by Representative Tom Flanigan (R-Carthage), authorizes a period of tax amnesty for individuals who owe state taxes. If their taxes are paid in full between July and September 2015, they will not be subject to penalties and interest. The period of amnesty only applies to taxes that were due but unpaid before December 31, 2014. Budget officials expect that the amnesty period will generate $60 million for our state.

The money collected would be used to increase payment rates for healthcare providers serving Medicaid patients and to provide dental care to adult Medicaid recipients. Improving the dental services available to Missourians is a wise investment of state funds. Access to dental care is linked to improvements in overall wellness and decreased emergency room visits, since oral pain can be treated more effectively and cost efficiently in a dentist’s office.

The tax amnesty legislation also requires accountability from the benefitting taxpayers. Everyone who receives amnesty must comply with Missouri’s tax laws for the following eight years. If they fail to do so, all penalties and interest that were waived will come due immediately.

HB 384 will now be sent to the Governor for his signature. I hope Governor Nixon recognizes the value of funding improvements to our Medicaid system and signs this bill quickly.

Welfare Reform

Senate Bill 24, a welfare reform package that will help break the cycle of poverty in our state, has been passed by both the House and Senate. The reforms found in SB 24 will shift the focus of Missouri’s welfare programs toward targeted assistance that supports families as they achieve self-sufficiency.

Since the two Chambers passed different versions of the bill, a conference committee has been tasked with working out a compromise. I was pleased to be named to this conference committee in order to continue working with my colleagues on this essential bill. The House and Senate will vote on the conference committee’s report to send the bill to the Governor.

SB 24, as passed by the House, requires individuals applying for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) benefits to participate in work activities, which can include employment, job training, or community service. It also restores the work requirements for food stamp recipients that are found in federal law. Helping individuals develop skills and gain work experience will enable them to find permanent employment and escape the vicious trap of government dependence.

This bill also lowers the cap on the amount of time an individual can remain on TANF and sets aside TANF funds for alternatives to abortion, healthy marriage promotion, and activities encouraging responsible fatherhood. Current eligibility rules can discourage recipients from marrying in fear of losing benefits, but under SB 24, income from a new spouse would not be counted toward their eligibility limit for the first six months of marriage.

Any savings from these reforms would be reinvested in child care, education, job training, and transportation assistance for low-income families. These programs, unlike traditional welfare, will give families a boost toward long-term independence by helping them find and maintain employment.

Anti-Bullying

The anti-bullying bill I sponsored, House Bill 458, was heard in the Senate Education Committee last week. This legislation defines cyberbullying in law and requires schools to develop more comprehensive anti-bullying policies.

Earlier this year a 12-year-old boy from Liberty, Missouri was hospitalized after being brutally beaten by a much older and larger student. His family had documented previous bullying incidents, but despite the school’s anti-bullying policy, this child still fell through the cracks.

HB 458 will offer more substantial protection to all students by requiring district employees to report any bullying they have reason to believe occurred, ensuring that schools have procedures to promptly investigate bullying, and allowing districts to discipline students who cyberbully at school or using school technology.

The Senate committee plans to vote on HB 458 this Wednesday. Schools should be places of safe learning for our children, and we must do everything possible to protect them from the physical and emotional suffering caused by bullying.