HB 1877 -- Funding for Schools

Co-Sponsors:  Foley, Graham, O'Toole

This bill changes various provisions of law to establish
additional funding for schools.  The bill:

(1)  Authorizes a tax amnesty program allowing taxpayers to pay
various back taxes owed prior to December 31, 2001, without
penalty, additions to tax, or interest if the tax liability is
paid in full during the period of August 1, 2002, through
September 30, 2002;

(2)  Reduces the timely filing allowance for certain retailers
who submit sales and use tax collections in a timely manner from
2% to one-half of 1%.  Only retailers who submit tax collections
on a quarterly, weekly, or quarter-monthly basis will be
affected;

(3)  Requires that any request for a refund of sales taxes by a
person who collects and remits the tax will only be granted if
the person making the request demonstrates to the satisfaction of
the Director of the Department of Revenue that the amount will be
refunded or credited to the person who originally paid the sales
tax.  The restriction will not apply if the person seeking the
refund shows to the director's satisfaction that he or she
originally paid the tax and that it was not collected from the
purchasers;

(4)  Removes the $500 loss limit per cruise per patron for
persons wagering on excursion gambling boats;

(5)  Increases the admission fee charged against an excursion
gambling boat for each patron entering an excursion gambling boat
from $2 to $3; and

(6)  Increases the adjusted gross receipts tax paid by excursion
gambling boats from 20% to 22%.

All revenues resulting from these changes will be deposited in
the Schools of the Future Fund, created in the bill.  All moneys
in the fund will be used solely for the purpose of fully funding
state aid to public schools.

The bill contains an emergency clause.

Missouri House of Representatives
Last Updated October 11, 2002 at 9:02 am