HB 352 -- STATE PURCHASING AND PRINTING

SPONSOR:  Hobbs

COMMITTEE ACTION:  Voted "do pass" by the Special Committee on
General Laws by a vote of 8 to 0.

This bill increases the current five-point bonus bidding
preference given by the Commissioner of the Office of
Administration to a 10-point bonus for products and services
manufactured, purchased, or assembled in qualified nonprofit
organizations for the blind and in sheltered workshops if the
nonprofit organization provides the greater of 2% or $5,000 of
the total contract for purchases not exceeding $10 million.

For Fiscal Year 2008, the Department of Elementary and Secondary
Education will pay each sheltered workshop $65 per standard work
week worked by a handicapped employee and $13 per standard work
day for work performed by handicapped employees in excess of the
standard work week.  For Fiscal Year 2009, the weekly per-worker
amount is increased to $75 and the daily per-worker amount to
$15; for Fiscal Year 2010, $85 per week and $17 per day; and for
Fiscal Year 2011 and thereafter, $90 per week and $18 per day.

FISCAL NOTE:  Estimated Effect on General Revenue Fund of an
income of $9,945 in FY 2008, a cost of $2,854,980 in FY 2009, and
a cost of $5,709,960 in FY 2010.  Estimated Cost on Other State
Funds of $9,945 in FY 2008, $0 in FY 2009, and $0 in FY 2010.

PROPONENTS:  Supporters say that the bill allows sheltered
workshops to bid contracts under the minority bidding process.
The weekend per-diem will reduce the budgetary stress on
sheltered workshops since 15%-25% of rural workshop budgets pay
by per-diems.  The bill creates opportunities for the workshops
to meet financial challenges and maintain their staffing levels.

Testifying for the bill were Representative Hobbs; Missouri
Association of Sheltered Workshop Managers; Department of
Elementary and Secondary Education; Bellefontaine Parent
Association; Greater St. Louis Parent Association; Missouri Voice
of the Retarded; and Mental Retardation Association of Missouri.

OPPONENTS:  There was no opposition voiced to the committee.

Missouri House of Representatives
94th General Assembly, 1st Regular Session
Last Updated July 25, 2007 at 11:18 am