With the 2007 legislative session now complete, the following is a quick briefing on what did and did not pass this legislative session as it relates to transportation-related issues.

What Passed this Session?

• SB 22 - Exempts materials used in MoDOT construction projects from state sales taxes.
• SB 22 - A land conveyance proposal allowing the Governor to sell MoDOT property located at 4th and Cherry in Kansas City. (This legislation was supported by a delegation of Kansas City legislators who want to force MoDOT to sell this property for a land development project. MoDOT actively opposed this proposal throughout the session).
• SB 127 - Allows members to purchase prior creditable years of service for retirement purposes. Adds one additional member to the MPERS retirement board.
• HB 56 - Allows 9 different designations on state highways and bridges.
• HB 327 - This bill exempts school buses from paying fuel taxes; Exempts motor fuel from taxes for transit purposes (also found in SB 30); Exempts transoceanic flights from aviation fuel taxes.
• SB 30 - Allows common carriers authorized to transport household goods to file applications with the Highways and Transportation Commission for approval of rates to reflect increases and decreases in the carrier's costs (HB 28 passed with this same provision). The filing of the applications will be authorized upon the same terms and conditions as provided for rate adjustment requests by electrical, gas, or water companies.
• HB 732 - Adds emergency personnel to the list of those exempt from the memorial highway designation process.

What Didn't Pass this Session?
The following five bills failed to receive legislative approval this session, because all proposals were placed into one bill which did not pass.

• A Primary Safety Belt law.
• Unified Carrier Registration System (UCR)- would replace the current Single State Registration System (SSRS) that will sunset on 1/1/07 due to changes made in federal law.
• Annual Bid Bonds – allows the MHTC to receive annual bid bonds for any contract for construction, maintenance, repair, or improvement of any bridge or highway in the state highway system.
• Voiding Outdoor Advertising Permits – will give MoDOT the authority to void outdoor advertising permits under certain circumstances. (Missouri is currently out of federal compliance and could lose approximately $50 million dollars a year).
• Design-Build - this proposal would change existing design-build law relating to surety bonds associated with the 800 Bridge Improvement Program.

Other bills that failed:

• Highway Safety Name Change – clean up language needed for various statutes from when Highway Safety was transferred to MoDOT. This proposal was actively opposed by the Police Chief's Association and the Missouri Sheriff's Association because of misinformation floating around in the capitol about the actual intent of the proposal.
• HB 19 - $4 million in Capital Improvement funds for ports. $7.2 million in funding for a statewide radio interoperability system.
• An amendment that would allow the implementation of a life-cycle cost analysis for MoDOT projects.
• An amendment that would have legalized "Utility Vehicles" .
• The repeal of the state's current motorcycle helmet law.
• Provision that would increase driver license fees and deposit those fees into a driver's education fund for driver's education programs.