A successful bipartisan effort was made in the final days of the Missouri General Assembly session with the final passage of SB 894. The bill creates a package of proposals that aims to create more businesses and stimulate economic growth in Missouri by easing regulatory pressures in an effort to allow businesses to flourish.
Rep. Brian Seitz’s "Protecting Missouri's Small Businesses Act” was included as an amendment to SB 894 and served as a central component of the bill. HB 2874, the original bill offered as an amendment by Seitz, provides such provisions such as:
Mandating political subdivisions to consider the economic impact of shutdown orders on small businesses
Waiving business license fees during shutdown periods or for up to six months, whichever is longer
Providing property tax reductions based on the duration of shutdowns
Seitz addressed the importance of HB 2874 being added to the overall legislative package, saying, “This legislation protects small businesses in Missouri in case there should ever be future government shutdown orders. It seems very appropriate to me that the government has something to lose if they decide to shut down a business through no fault of the business owner. It is critically important to support and protect Missouri’s small businesses and business owners.”
"Missouri's small businesses allow our economy to thrive, and the owners deserve our unwavering support,” House Speaker Dean Plocher, R-Des Peres, said. “The addition of HB 2874 to the package demonstrates our commitment to standing with these businesses during challenging times and ensuring they have the resources they need in order to succeed."
SB 894, having been truly agreed to and finally passed by the Missouri General Assembly, now awaits approval from Gov. Mike Parson.
Rep. Brian Seitz, a Republican, represents Taney County (District 156) in the Missouri House of Representatives. He was elected to his first two-year term in November 2020.
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