Senate adopts amendment and substitute to House Bill 495, then refers measure to fiscal oversight committee

Senators on the Missouri Senate floor adopted an amendment and a Senate substitute to House Bill 495 and then referred the measure to the Committee on Fiscal Oversight.

The Senate adopted Senate Amendment 1 — read into the record by the secretary — which replaces the phrase "included in" with "excluded from" (page 30, section 84.16, line 52). The chamber then adopted Senate Substitute No. 2 for Senate Committee Substitute for House Committee Substitute No. 2 for House Bill 495 after debate and voice votes; Senator from the second renewed the motion for final passage but Senator from Shelby asked that the substitute be sent to the Committee on Fiscal Oversight, and the presiding officer ordered that referral.

The substitute contains several substantive changes described on the floor. Sponsors said the bill’s overall length was unchanged but its substance was "tweaked." Key changes noted on the floor include: a modification to how immigration status is reported for certain persons arrested on offenses required to be reported; changing references to "private police" to "private security" in section 84.020; setting a minimum funding percentage for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police District at 22% with yearly increases until a ceiling of 25% in section 84.160; and repealing the offense of rioting in section 574.050. The secretary read the text of Senate Amendment 1 as offered by Senator Schroer: "By striking the words, quote, included in, end quote, and inserting in lieu thereof the following, quote, excluded from, end quote." The sponsor said an additional amendment was being drafted to change one word on page 30, line 52.

Senators on both sides were thanked by the sponsor for work on the measure; no roll-call vote tallies were recorded in the transcript, and all floor actions reported in the record were taken by voice vote. The presiding officer repeatedly announced that the "ayes appear to have it" after voice votes adopting the amendment and substitute.

After adopting the substitute, the senator from the second moved that the substitute be third read and finally passed. Before a recorded final passage, however, Senator from Shelby asked that the substituted bill be sent to the Committee on Fiscal Oversight; the presiding officer stated, "That bill will be so referred." The transcript does not record a separate roll-call tally on final passage following the referral.

Votes at a glance: - Senate Amendment 1 to Senate Substitute No. 2 for Senate Committee Substitute for House Committee Substitute No. 2 for House Bill 495 — offered by Senator Schroer — adopted by voice vote (tally not specified). - Senate Substitute No. 2 for Senate Committee Substitute for House Committee Substitute No. 2 for House Bill 495 — adopted by voice vote (tally not specified); subsequent referral to Committee on Fiscal Oversight.

The transcript shows floor consideration proceeded with waiver of reading and that an additional amendment was being drafted on the floor; no committee report text or fiscal analysis is included in the recorded exchange. Further action will occur when the Committee on Fiscal Oversight considers the referred substitute.