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Missouri committee hears bill to require annual reports on unused special funds
Summary
Representative Wendy Hausman told the Committee on Legislative Review that House Bill 3090 would require the state treasurer (via Secretary of State reporting) to publish yearly lists of special funds that have had no expenditures for five years and indicate whether unused balances were transferred to general revenue, a transparency measure the sponsor said would help lawmakers in a budget crunch.
Representative Wendy Hausman (District 65) presented House Bill 3090 to the Committee on Legislative Review as a transparency measure requiring annual reports on inactive special funds.
"This bill would require the state treasurer to make yearly reports listing any funds that haven't had money spent from them in 5 years," Hausman told the committee, saying the report would indicate whether unused balances were moved into the state's general revenue. She described the measure as a cleanup that does not create a new tax but would give lawmakers better visibility into accounts that have remained untouched.
During questioning, members asked whether any equivalent reports already exist and what aggregate dollar amounts currently sit in inactive accounts. Hausman said the Secretary of State would provide the reports under the bill text and acknowledged she did not have a current total amount available during the hearing. Committee members pressed for clarity on how long accounts must be inactive (Hausman said five years) and how transfers to general revenue would operate.
Committee members expressed support for transparency but noted that the bill's practical effect on specific programs would depend on the details of how transfers are implemented and whether agencies had notice and opportunity to spend held funds. No public witnesses testified for or against the bill during the committee hearing.
The committee concluded the hearing without taking final action on House Bill 3090; the bill was presented for further consideration in the legislative process.
