HCS HB 2262 & 2264 -- MISSOURI YOUTH CHALLENGE ACADEMY

SPONSOR:  Day (Hoskins, 121)

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Committee on Veterans
by a vote of 9 to 0.

This substitute requires the Adjutant General to establish the
Missouri Youth Challenge Academy for at-risk high school age
youth.  The residential military-based academy will provide work
experience and training in life skills, citizenship, life-coping
and academic skills, among others.  The Missouri Youth Challenge
Foundation Fund is created consisting of gifts, donations,
appropriations, transfers, and bequests.  The Adjutant General is
authorized to make grants from the fund to support the academy.

The substitute contains an emergency clause.

FISCAL NOTE:  No impact on state funds in FY 2011, FY 2012, and
FY 2013.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that the bill re-establishes the
youth academy, which is a second-chance program for troubled
teens that was discontinued in 2004 due to budget cuts.
Thirty-six states currently have similar programs, and there have
been 90,000 graduates nationwide.  The funding source for this
program will be from the federal government and private donations
with no funding being provided by the state.

Testifying for the bills were Representatives Day and Largent;
Missouri National Guard; Missouri National Guard Association;
Dewey Rhein, Missouri Association of Veterans Organizations and
Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, Missouri
Department; Bruce Perry; and Department of Public Safety.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Missouri House of Representatives
95th General Assembly, 2nd Regular Session
Last Updated September 14, 2010 at 3:13 pm