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SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 3373
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBL Y
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENT A TIVE DOUGLAS.
7304H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
T o amend chapter 173, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to support for
homeless pupils through the department of higher education and workforce
development.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 173, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be
2 known as section 173.2541, to read as follows:
173.2541 . 1. As used in this section, the following terms mean:
2 (1) "Homeless pupils", includes any person who satisfies the definition of
3 "homeless children and youths" established in 42 U.S.C. Section 1 1434a(2) and any
4 person who satisfies the definition of "unaccompanied youth" established in 42 U.S.C.
5 Section 1 1434a(6);
6 (2) "Liaison", the liaison for postsecondary education for homeless pupils
7 established in this section.
8 2. Ther e is her eby established the liaison for postsecondary education for
9 homeless pupils within the department of higher education and workfor ce development.
10 3. Ther e is her eby cr eated in the state tr easury the "Liaison for Postsecondary
11 Education for Homeless Pupils Fund", which shall consist of moneys appr opriated by
12 the general assembly or any gifts, donations, or bequests for the purpose of
13 implementing the pr ovisions of this section. The state trea sur er shall be custodian of
14 the fund. In accordance with sections 30.170 and 30.180, the state tr easurer may
15 appr ove disbursements. The fund shall be a dedicated fund, and moneys in the fund
16 shall be used solely by the department of higher education and workforce development
EXPLANA TION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is
intended to be omitted from the law . Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language.
17 for the purposes of implementing the provi sions of this section. Notwithstanding the
18 pr ovisions of section 33.080 to the contrary , any moneys rem aining in the fund at the
19 end of the biennium shall not revert to the cred it of the general rev enue fund. The state
20 tr easur er shall invest moneys in the fund in the same manner as other funds are
21 invested. Any interes t and moneys earned on such investments shall be cred ited to the
22 fund.
23 4. The department of higher education and workforce development shall employ
24 a liaison for the purpose of implementing this section. The individual appointed:
25 (1) Shall be knowledgeable in the various issues r elating to homeless pupils
26 including, but not limited to, the McKinney-V ento Homeless Assistance Act of 1987, 42
27 U.S.C. Section 1 1431 et seq.; and
28 (2) Shall be independent of and have no pecuniary interes t in any other
29 organization or entity that pr ovides services to homeless pupils.
30 5. Subject to appr opriations, the liaison shall:
31 (1) Conduct an annual analysis of homeless pupils in this state to assess the needs
32 of such pupils;
33 (2) Develop a database to track, monitor , and analyze tren ds in the rates of
34 graduation and r etention of homeless pupils;
35 (3) Develop a model for college and car eer readi ness for homeless pupils;
36 (4) Collaborate with high school staff members res ponsible for assisting
37 homeless and unaccompanied pupils;
38 (5) Collaborate with high schools to identify homeless pupils to refer such pupils
39 to appr opriate support services after the admission of such pupils to an institution of
40 higher education within this state;
41 (6) Establish connections between and collaborate with financial aid offices,
42 student support services, and campus housing services of institutions of higher
43 education within this state;
44 (7) Identify and ref er homeless pupils to mentoring prog rams;
45 (8) Increa se awaren ess among teachers, instructors, profes sors, and other staff
46 members of institutions of higher education in this state who work with pupils on issues
47 r elating to homeless pupils including, without limitation, identifying such pupils and
48 r eferring such pupils to appr opriate res ources;
49 (9) Establish and maintain a database of food banks, clothing banks, and low-
50 cost health car e pro viders, to be pr ovided, without limitation, to financial aid offices and
51 student support services of institutions of higher education;
52 (10) Identify and coordinate with food banks and clothing banks within this state
53 to prov ide services to homeless pupils; and
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54 (1 1) Establish and publish a sear chable dir ectory of each institution of higher
55 education's designated homeless and foster student liaison, which shall be accessible to
56 the public and updated annually .
✔
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