FIRST REGULAR SESSION

HOUSE BILL NO. 576

91ST GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES WILLOUGHBY, MAYS (50), JOHNSON (90), HARDING,

SKAGGS (Co-sponsors) AND KREIDER.

Read 1st time January 29, 2001, and 1000 copies ordered printed.

TED WEDEL, Chief Clerk

1546L.01I

AN ACT

To repeal section 660.135, RSMo 2000, relating to funding utilicare, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to the same subject, with an emergency clause.



Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:

Section A. Section 660.135, RSMo 2000, is repealed and one new section enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 660.135, to read as follows:

660.135. 1. Not more than five million dollars from state general revenue shall be appropriated by the general assembly to the utilicare stabilization fund established pursuant to section 660.136 for the support of the utilicare program established by sections 660.100 to 660.136 for any fiscal year, except in succeeding years the amount of state funds may be increased by a percentage which reflects the national cost-of-living index or seven percent, whichever is lower, and except as provided in subsection 2 of this section.

2. No later than March 1, 2001, or as soon as practicable thereafter upon passage of this section a one-time transfer of not more than five million dollars shall be made to the utilicare stabilization fund pursuant to subsection 1 of this section. This action shall be taken in recognition of the substantial increases in utility costs faced by Missourians from October 2000 to April 2001 that will bring additional sales taxes into the state during fiscal year 2001.

3. The department of social services may, in coordination with the department of natural resources, apply a portion of the funds appropriated annually by the general assembly to the utilicare stabilization fund established pursuant to section 660.136 to the low income weatherization assistance program of the department of natural resources; provided that any project financed with such funds shall have a full energy savings payback period of no greater than ten years.

Section B. Because immediate action is necessary to assist low-income households in meeting rapidly rising utility costs section A of this act is deemed necessary for the immediate preservation of the public health, welfare, peace and safety, and is hereby declared to be an emergency act within the meaning of the constitution, and section A of this act shall be in full force and effect upon its passage and approval.


Missouri House of Representatives