LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS IN THE STATE CAPITOL
Upon the start of the second half of the 2019 legislative session, the Missouri Senate has continued its process of reviewing and approving various pieces of legislation to be sent to the Missouri House of Representatives for further consideration.
Among them was Senate Bill 405, a proposal that dedicates Nov. 9, as Stars and Stripes Day in Missouri. Unbeknownst to many, the Stars and Stripes newspaper was created by soldiers for soldiers in 1861 right here in our great state. Since its inception, Bloomfield, Missouri, is the home of The Stars and Stripes Museum.
The Stars and Stripes Newspaper pre-dates access to the internet and social media applications, and it was used by soldiers who were station outside of the United States. For many soldiers, this newspaper was the only means of keeping up with news occurring back home during times of war. I believe this piece of legislation is very symbolic and emphasizes how important it is to recognize and honor members of the armed forces and veterans across our state.
The Missouri Senate also approved Senate Concurrent Resolution 17. This bill establishes the week of Sept. 8-14, as Resiliency Week. The proposal serves as a way to raise public awareness about the continuing need to plan for future disasters, as well as commemorate the events that took place on Sept. 11, 2001.
In addition, the Missouri Senate also approved Senate Bill 147, a proposal that specifies that fees for the renewal of noncommercial motor vehicle registrations would be payable no later than the last day of the month that follows the month a vehicle’s registration expires. The proposal states that no renewal penalty will be assessed until the second month that follows the registration period.
Senate Bill 179 was also approved by the Senate. This proposal repeals the current law that requires certain banks, trust companies and savings and loans associations to file multiple copies of various forms and documents with the Department of Insurance, Financial Institutions and Professional Registration. In addition, the proposal repeals a requirement that any savings and loan association pay a fee of $5 to the Department of Revenue for each resolution filed with the division amending its articles of incorporation.
Another piece of legislation that was approved this week was Senate Bill 267. This proposal specifies that certain statutes relating to direct payment of ambulance services and other health care providers apply to “ground ambulance service” rather than “ambulance service” generally. This legislation provides consumers more leverage in negotiating the costs of air ambulance service. The bill has been sent to the Missouri House of Representatives for further consideration.
The last proposal that was approved by the Missouri Senate that I want to discuss is Senate Bill 373.
This bill modifies the definition of “holocaust” as used in the Holocaust Education and Awareness Commission Act. Under current law, as used in the Holocaust Education and Awareness Commission Act, the term “holocaust” is defined as the period from 1933 through 1945 when 6 million Jews and millions of others were murdered in Nazi concentration camps as part of a structured, state-sanctioned program of genocide. This act removes “in Nazi concentration camps” from the definition of “holocaust.”
