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Committee considers bill letting state send deficiency notices by first-class mail or electronically to aid blind and rural residents
Summary
Representative Dave Griffith said HB 2,180 would allow certain state deficiency notices (Department of Revenue, Blind Pension Fund) to be sent first-class or electronically rather than certified mail, citing accessibility and fiscal savings; Department of Revenue backed the bill with fiscal data, while a state public advocate urged retaining certified-mail benchmarks for due process.
Representative Dave Griffith presented House Bill 2,180 to the Local Government Committee, saying the measure would allow certain state deficiency notices — including Department of Revenue and Blind Pension Fund notices — to be sent by first-class mail or electronically (with opt-in) as an alternative to certified mail. Griffith said the change would improve access for blind and rural residents who face transportation and reader-scheduling barriers and would reduce waste and costs associated with unclaimed certified mail.
Zach Wyatt, legislative director for the Missouri Department of Revenue, testified in support and provided fiscal context: certified-mail base rates have risen (sponsor and witness cited increases from $3.35 to $4.40 to $5.30 with further increases expected), and the department spends roughly $2.2 million annually sending about 411,000 notices; a sizeable share of certified mail is returned unclaimed. Wyatt said the department uses a platform (GovDelivery) that can record clicks/opens and provide read-receipt–style data for electronic notices.
Brian Wehkamp of the National Federation of the Blind in Missouri described concrete access challenges — transportation to post offices and needing reader assistance — and urged support, saying missed notices can affect benefits and deadlines.
Arnie C. Deanoff, who had earlier supported HB 2,394, testified in opposition to the blind-electronic provision here. He argued certified mail provides a reliable benchmark for proper notice and recommended agencies use a combination (first-class and certified) and stronger direct outreach; he also urged guarantees for electronic notices (large print, verbal compliance, clear processes) and cautioned about due-process risks. Committee members discussed adding read-notification or verification mechanisms and urged keeping the bill "clean" so it could proceed as consent legislation.
The committee concluded the hearing on HB 2,180 with no vote recorded that day. Next steps were not set during the session.
