Commerce Committee advances four bills, approving committee substitutes for HB 3308, HB 3080, HB 2366 and HB 2511

The Missouri House Commerce Committee, meeting in executive session, adopted committee substitutes and voted to advance four bills to the House floor.

Chairman Castillo opened the session and moved that House Bill 3308 be voted 'do pass.' Vice Chair Wilson offered a committee substitute (ending in 0.02c) and later an amendment (ending in 0.01h) to clarify language about ownership of approved development plans. "We changed the word 'deeded' to 'owned,'" Vice Chair Wilson said, pointing the committee to House Bill 3308, page 5, section 144.054, line 100. The committee adopted the amendment, rolled it into a new house committee substitute, and voted unanimously to advance that substitute.

On House Bill 3080, the committee adopted a house committee substitute (ending in 0.03c) aimed at restoring historic tax credits for projects that began while the tax credit was briefly available before a Supreme Court ruling changed the law. Chairman Castillo said leadership and the sponsor discussed a proposal to increase the credit to 35 percent from 25 percent but concluded that doing so now "would jeopardize the passage of the bill given the fiscal situation we're all facing." The substitute instead narrows relief to projects already underway. The committee voted to advance the substitute; the roll call recorded eight ayes and one present.

Chairman Castillo summarized substantive changes to House Bill 2366 — described in committee as the contractor/unauthorized-worker measure — and said the substitute replaces a "should have known" standard with a requirement that contractors cooperate with the attorney general, adds a sworn affidavit and perjury for alleged suspicion, creates an affirmative defense for general contractors, limits suspension after an injunction to state licenses and permits (not local or municipal), increases monetary penalties from two times to ten times, and gives the attorney general fuller authority to suspend and punish if a court finds guilt. Castillo also said the substitute adds immunity for contractors who report an illegal operator when their evidence is genuine. The committee adopted the substitute and, by unanimous vote, advanced the measures for both HB 2366 and HB 2511.

What happens next: Each committee substitute will be scheduled for floor consideration by the full House. The committee concluded its executive session and adjourned.

Votes at a glance: - HB 3308 (House Committee substitute adopted) — committee vote: unanimous, do pass. - HB 3080 (House Committee substitute adopted) — committee vote: 8 ayes, 1 present, do pass. - HB 2366 (House Committee substitute adopted) — committee vote: unanimous, do pass. - HB 2511 (House Committee substitute adopted) — committee vote: unanimous, do pass.