Enpowering those Living with Disabihties and Encouraging Professional Education

Greetings Friends of the 144th Legislative District! It's that time of year when students are beginning to return to school. It is an exciting time for them as they get ready to see old friends again and meet new ones. Their excitement, often times, causes them to not be as cautious as they should be. So please, please, please be on the lookout out for these children crossing the streets and waiting for the bus near the busy roadways especially during this time of year.

Helping People off State Assistance and Empowering Those Living with Disabilities SB 106 and SBs 45 & 90 authorizes a transitional program meant to help people get off state assistance gradually as their income increases. The state's assistance programs for low-income Missourians trap people in poverty because if they accept a raise that puts them above a program's limits, they could lose more in state benefits than they gain from a raise.

These new laws also allow individuals with disabilities to finally have the chance to advance in their careers without worry of losing state assistance. These changes to statute authorize the state's Ticket to Work health insurance program to increase the limit to how much a person can earn before they lose benefits, and would not ;ount up to $50, 000 of a spouse's income toward that limit. The legislation would also direct state agencies to have policies to recruit and keep employees with disabilities and create competitive ways to integrate them into workforces.

Encouraging Professional Education Several of the bills set to become law on August 28th will go a long way in helping to advance the skills and careers of professionals in Missouri.

SB 157 would create a loan forgiveness program for health, mental health and public health professionals who work in underserved areas for at least two years. The new program would replace one that applied specifically to doctors and placed caps on the number of loans available, meaning the access to the program is more ready to serve the wide array of medical professionals working in our state. There is a large shortage of healthcare professionals which make it difficult for Missourians to access the healthcare they need in a timely manner.

A similar loan forgiveness program for large animal veterinary students would expand under SB 138, doubling the number of recipients from six to 12 and increasing the maximum award amount. SB 186 creates a tuition reimbursement fund for police officers who take required training to receive their license and are then employed in Missouri for at least one year. Bringing Back Transparency for Missouri Donor Privacy Law As part of an omnibus bill passed by the legislature this session, Missourians will once again be able to publicly view state contract information. The legislative fix to the issues stemming from the passage of the Personal Privacy Protection Act received bipartisan support this past session. Thanks to this fix, Missouri citizens will once again be able to access information on state contracts through the Office of Administration, which oversees those contracts. It also ensures that reviews and audits of tax credit programs can continue efficiently, while making sure the Act does not conflict with records requests, investigations, and other existing laws. Always Available I do my best to make sure I am always accessible to my constituents. If you or someone you know has an issue they need assistance with, please feel free to reach out to my office at 573-751-2112 or write me an email chris.dinkins@house.mo.gov