State Rep. Dane Diehl 125th District

I had the beginning farmer legislation HB 1023 pass out of committee this week. Some changes were made in the house committee substitute. For example, the lease language in the bill will limit the tax savings for leasing to ten years, we added qualified family members who would be able to utilize this program, included subtraction brackets for different levels of capital gains, and established a review mechanism for the program.   

Other legislation that are specified below spent time on the house floor including personal property tax, and foreign land ownership.

As always don’t hesitate to contact my office if you have any questions or concerns I thank you for your support and am honored to be your representative in Jefferson City.

Missouri House Approves Legislation Limiting Foreign Ownership of Farmland (HBs 903, 465, 430 & 499)

Members of the Missouri House this week approved a critical national security bill that would protect fair competition and limit foreign ownership of Missouri farmland by defined enemies of the United States of America. By a vote of 130-3, the House approved HBs 903, 465, 430 & 499 and sent the legislation to the Senate.

The bill sponsor said, “This legislation puts Missouri and Missourians first by balancing the concept of protecting important investments in our state and protecting our national security interests from our enemies.”

The bill approved by the House would limit foreign ownership of Missouri farmland to 0.5%, from the current restriction in statute of 1%. The legislation would require foreign entities to report sales, acquisitions, or transfers of land to the Missouri Attorney General and Secretary of State. It would also require a report at sale or transfer of land, every five years thereafter, or if the use of the land changes.

The bill also would prohibit a foreign business from certain countries from purchasing any land in the state. Nations on the “Restrictive Country” list in the bill are defined as China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and Venezuela. The bill encourages friends and allies of the United States to continue cooperating with Missouri-based companies, especially in agriculture research and development.

House Approves Legislation to Provide Property Tax Relief for Vehicle Owners (HB 713)

Missourians struggling with higher property tax rates on their vehicles may have some relief in sight under a legislative proposal approved by the Missouri House of Representatives. House members approved HB 713 by a vote of 150-0 and sent the legislation to the Senate for consideration.

The bill sponsor said the legislation is “a fix to a real problem in our state.” He noted that in 2021 and 2022 “due to used car values going up, our constituents and citizens had higher tax assessments and therefore paid higher taxes.”

HB 713 would change current state law that requires assessors to determine vehicle values by using the National Automobile Dealers’ Association Official Used Car Guide. The bill would repeal that requirement and instead have assessors use the manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) for all vehicles for the original value of all motor vehicle assessment valuations. The bill establishes a 15-year depreciation schedule that would be applied to the MSRP to develop the annual and historical valuation guide for all motor vehicles.

House Approves Legislation to Prohibit Eviction Moratoriums (HB 730)

The Missouri House has advanced legislation to prohibit government entities from infringing on the rights of property owners. By a vote of 104-42, the House approved HB 730 to prevent the enactment of a moratorium on eviction proceedings.

The sponsor of the bill noted the COVID-19 pandemic led to the federal government instituting a moratorium on evictions. He noted that during the moratorium a landlord could not evict a tenant even for non-payment of rent.

“The eviction moratorium amounts to an arbitrary seizure of property because it appropriates private property for public use. Look at what happened, we had a crisis, we had a pandemic, and then the powers that be instituted a policy where your private property is basically taken over,” said the sponsor.

Other Bills Sent to the Senate

HBs 575 & 910 specifies that any health carrier or health benefit plan that offers or issues health benefit plans that provide coverage for diagnostic breast examinations, coverage for supplemental breast examinations, low-dose mammography screenings, breast magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasounds, or any combination of such coverages cannot impose any deductible, coinsurance, co-payment, or similar out-of-pocket expense with respect to such coverage. This bill further provides that a mammography facility certified by the US FDA shall not require a person to obtain a referral from a primary care provider or other physician in order to receive a screening mammogram at the facility, so long as the facility is consistent with the recommendations in the most current breast cancer screening guidelines established by the US Preventive Services Task Force.

“If we do not offer diagnostic testing without a copay, we will not receive the benefits of early cancer diagnosis. Diagnosing breast cancer early benefits us all. First and foremost it saves the lives of women that we care about and the mothers of our children. It reduces overall cost of healthcare,” said the sponsor of the bill, who noted a study found the national cost savings with early diagnosis would be $26 billion each year. She added, “It keeps women from becoming medically bankrupt and having to go on Medicaid and it keeps women in the workforce paying taxes and contributing to the economy.”

The bill sponsor also noted Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Illinois, and Colorado have already passed similar legislation. “It’s time for Missouri to be included on this list. In Missouri it’s estimated that 5,700 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year. Eight hundred and twenty of those women will die. I believe that 820 is way too many.”

HB 415 requires every licensed motor vehicle dealer to collect and remit sales tax on all motor vehicles sold. The director of the Department of Revenue may promulgate rules and regulations for the administration of this bill.

Supporters say other states have already experienced success using this system of collecting sales tax at the point-of-sale. Such collection would relieve consumers from having to fill out paperwork or from going to a separate office to pay their sales tax.

HB 186 specifies that the election authority for a political subdivision or special district must label taxation-related ballot measures submitted by the political subdivision or special district numerically or alphabetically, and the ballot measures cannot be labeled in any other descriptive manner. The bill also requires any ballot measure seeking approval to add, change, or modify a tax on real property to express the effect of the proposed change within the ballot language in terms of the change in real dollars owed per $100,000 of a property’s market valuation. The bill specifies that, if the voters in a political subdivision approve a temporary levy increase prior to the expiration of a previously approved temporary levy increase, the new tax rate ceiling will remain in effect only until the temporary levy increase expires under the terms originally approved by a vote of the people.

Supporters say it is the responsibility of the government to ensure that voters are as informed as possible. The changes initiated by the bill aim to inform voters and allay any concerns that voters are being tricked into approving ballot measures without fully understanding the measures.

HB 655 specifies when lender-placed insurance will become effective, terminate, and when mortgagors may be charged for the policies. Lender-placed insurance will become effective based on the lapse of insurance for the mortgaged property and subject to the terms of the mortgage agreement or state or federal law. Termination of lender-placed insurance is specified in the bill and includes when the mortgagor provides proof of acceptable insurance.

Supporters say that there is a needed protection for lenders and the bill solves that. The legislation helps protect the lender’s financial interest if the borrower fails to maintain insurance on a property.

State Representative

Please contact me at:

201 West Capitol Avenue, Room 114B

Jefferson City, MO 65101-6806

Phone: 573-751-4065

Email: Dane.Diehl@house.mo.gov