– During the first ten weeks of this year’s legislative session, the General Assembly has delivered just six bills to Gov. Jay Nixon’s desk.

Four of the six bills made up the telecommunications regulation package – expedited through the legislature by Sen. Brad Lager, R-Savannah. The package – sponsored by Lager who chairs the Senate Commerce, Consumer Protection, Energy & the Environment Committee – aims to weaken local control of telecommunication regulations and ease the regulatory process for communications companies hoping to expand their wireless services, particularly as more and more Missourians want increased amounts of data on their smartphones and other mobile devices.

SB 649: SB 649 specifies that only a Missouri court can review the denial of a public utility right-of-way user’s permit. Additionally, the bill specifies that no municipality may require a public utility to enter into any agreement or obtain a permit for access to remain in the right of way, and that any public utility that has been granted right-of-way access can remain in the right-of-way without entering into an agreement or obtaining a permit for access.

SB 650: The bill would modify the state’s ‘Uniform Wireless Communications Infrastructure Deployment Act’ by bringing broadcast and radio based communications under the law. The bill also contains one of the most controversial portions of the package – modifying the definition of “substantial modification” pertaining to adding additional wireless infrastructure to buildings and towers. The bill also requires any litigation about the issue to take place in Missouri. Additionally, the bill requires that the market rate for rental, license, or other fees for locating a wireless support structure on the authority’s property be determined by a state-certified general real estate appraiser mutually agreed upon by the company and the city, at the company’s cost.

SB 651: The bill specifies that no telecommunications company can be sued for any loss, damage, or injury resulting from a disruption or loss of communication services during an emergency, with the exception of cases of gross negligence, recklessness, or intentional misconduct.

SB 653: This bill includes the pole attachment provisions of the law. This bill would allow a municipal utility or municipality to deny access to the utility’s poles only if there is insufficient capacity, or safety and reliability concerns that the attaching entity cannot resolve. The bill still allows a municipality to require an attaching entity to enter into a pole attachment agreement, and allows municipalities to request an attaching entity to rearrange or relocate a pole attachment.

The legislature also passed a bill that would allow for use of oral and intravenously administered chemotherapy treatments. The bill, sponsored by Sen. Ryan Silvey, R-Kansas City, and Rep Sheila Solon‎, R-Kansas City. Nixon has not yet weighed in on the bill.

SB 668: The legislation requires health insurance plans to establish equal out-of-pocket costs for covered oral and intravenously administered chemotherapy medications. The bill requires that orally prescribed anticancer medications are offered at a rate that limits total out-of-pocket costs to $75 a month.

The legislature passed and Nixon has signed a bill sponsored by Rep. Tony Duggar, R-Hartville, that would ease the candidate filing process for veterans.

HB 1125: The legislation would allow a person with a physical disability or a member of the armed forces on active duty filing a declaration of candidacy by certified mail to designate a representative for the ballot order random drawing.

Resolutions

Sen. Gary Romine, R-Farmington, successfully passed a resolution through both chambers that would establish the Missouri Lead Industry Employment, Economic Development and Environmental Remediation Task Force to consider the lead mining industry in the state, including work being done by companies like Doe Run.

SCR 19: The legislature passed a resolution that would establish the Missouri Lead Industry Employment, Economic Development and Environmental Remediation Task Force “to make recommendations in a report to the General Assembly on prompt environmental settlements, ways to promote and develop a clean lead industry, clean lead industry legislative proposals, and the economic potential of implementing clean lead industry policies.” It requires no gubernatorial signature. The Task Force would consist of three members of both the House and the Senate, the governor, attorney general, the Director of Natural Resources, and two members of the mining industry appointed by the Speaker of the House and the Senate President Pro Tem.

The two chambers also passed resolutions allowing for the state of the judiciary and the state of the state addresses, totaling nine collective actions, in all.