With just a little more than a week before the constitutional deadline to approve a state operating budget, key members of the House and Senate are now headed to conference to work out the final details for the spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year.

It was on March 30 that the House gave its stamp of approval to the appropriations bills that make up the state budget. The plan as approved by the House checked in with a funding total of $45.6 billion. The Senate then took the House plan and spent the last few weeks making several key changes. The version of the budget approved by the Senate increases state spending by more than $4 billion. As it returned to the House the Senate-approved plan checked in at a total of approximately $50 billion.

Budget leaders from the House and Senate will now meet in conference committees to iron out the differences in the two spending plans. One of the key differences in the two plans is funding for the expansion of Interstate 70. The House opted not to include funding for the plan in the state operating budget, but instead placed the $859 million requested by the governor in a separate capital improvements project bill that also included another $180 million for other road projects. The Senate plan allocates more than $2.8 billion for the Interstate 70 project and utilizes bond debt to provide $1.4 billion of that funding. The two chambers will now need to work to reach an agreement on the total amount allocated to the project and whether to issue bonds to provide a portion of the funding.

The Senate made several other changes to the House budget that members from both chambers will discuss. Among other items, the Senate added nearly $462 million to raise rates paid to agencies that care for individuals with developmental disabilities, as well as $300 million to build a new psychiatric hospital in Kansas City. Additionally, the Senate authorized $29 million to boost the minimum school teacher salary to $38,000. The members of the Senate also added $43 million to build a new veterinary hospital and $25 million to construct a research slaughterhouse at the University of Missouri.

House and Senate members will conference on the budget next week to iron out the final version of the state spending plan. The two chambers have until Friday, May 5 to give final approval to the bills that make up the state operating budget.

Legislation to Provide Direct Access to Physical Therapy Signed into Law (SB 51)

Governor Mike Parson has signed Senate Bill 51 into law. The legislation allows Missourians more direct access to physical therapy services. A signing ceremony was held in Governor Parson’s office at the State Capitol this week where he was joined by the sponsors of the bill.

“We are all about streamlining processes and making it easier for Missourians to receive the services they need without unnecessary government burdens,” Parson said. “SB 51 will make access to physical therapy care easier for more Missourians, while reducing patient costs and protecting their quality of care. We are proud to sign this good piece of legislation into law and look forward to more being sent to my desk soon.”

Under the provisions of SB 51:

Qualified physical therapists may treat patients without a prescription or referral from a physician;

Qualified physical therapists may provide certain educational information, fitness or wellness programs, screenings, and consultations without a prescription or referral from a physician; and

Physical therapists are required to consult with an approved health care provider after every 10 visits or 30 days, whichever occurs first, before continuing therapy.