HCS SCS SB 1202 -- MOTOR CARRIER SERVICES UNIT (ONE-STOP SHOP)

SPONSOR:  Westfall (Koller)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass by consent" by the Committee on
Transportation by a vote of 19 to 0.

This substitute transfers various agencies and powers to a newly
created Motor Carrier Services Unit within the Department of
Transportation.  The substitute is created to implement the
Governor's Executive Order 02-03 (February 7, 2002) which
transferred these agencies to the Department of Transportation so
that commercial truck drivers can obtain licenses and other
services from one department.  The concept is often referred to
as a "One-Stop Shop."

The substitute transfers the motor carrier and railroad functions
of the Division of Motor Carrier Services, Highway Reciprocity,
and the Department of Natural Resources to the Motor Carrier
Services Division in the Department of Transportation.  The
Division of Motor Carrier and Railroad Safety and the Highway
Reciprocity Commission are abolished.  The personnel of those
respective entities are transferred to the Department of
Transportation.  The substitute also transfers the Motor Carrier
administrative law judge to the Administrative Hearing Commission
and extends jurisdiction to the commission to conduct hearings on
motor carrier and railroad matters.

The substitute also allows employees transferred to the
Department of Transportation who are currently under the Missouri
State Employees Retirement System (MOSERS) to elect into the
Highway and Transportation Employees and Highway Patrol
Retirement System.  Election must occur within 90 days of the
effective date of the substitute.  Any election to choose the
highways retirement plan will result in the forfeiture of any
rights or benefits in the MOSERS plan.  If the employees choose
not to elect this option, the employees will remain in the MOSERS
plan.  MOSERS must pay to the highways retirement plan an amount
actuarially determined to equal the liability transferred from
the MOSERS plan.  No employee will receive service credit for the
same period of service under more than one retirement system.

The substitute has an emergency clause and will be effective upon
passage and approval, or July 1, 2002, whichever occurs later.

FISCAL NOTE:  Estimated Net Effect on Highway Fund of $0 in FY
2003, FY 2004, and FY 2005.  Estimated Net Effect on Railroad
Expense Fund of $0 in FY 2003, FY 2004, and FY 2005.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that the substitute implements
Governor's Executive Order 02-03 (February 7, 2002) in statute.

Testifying for the bill were Senator Westfall; Department of
Transportation; Missouri Motor Carriers Association; Missouri
Railroad Association; United Transportation Union; and Missouri
Dump Truck Association.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Robert Triplett, Legislative Analyst

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated October 11, 2002 at 9:04 am