Modest Second Injury Fund bill passes Missouri House

Daily Record and the Kansas City Daily News-Press, May 14, 2008 by Scott Lauck

The Missouri House took one last stab on Tuesday at reforming the state's Second Injury Fund.

In an 83-69 vote, House members approved a bill previously passed by the Senate that would fix a flaw in state statute that allows people receiving payments from the fund to continue getting money after the original recipient dies. They also added an amendment that would exempt employers with fewer than 50 employees from contributing to the fund, so long as those employers carried disability insurance.

Democrats fought the changes during a lengthy debate.

"This will destroy the Second Injury Fund in this state," said Rep. John Burnett, D-Kansas City. An attempt failed to insert a clause that would make the law effective as soon as the governor signed it.

Although agreement is widespread to fix the statutory flaw, noted in a Missouri Supreme Court decision last year, some Republican lawmakers have pushed for a fix to the entire Second Injury Fund, which is expected to go bankrupt soon. A far-reaching reform bill failed in the House last week.

The more modest changes approved Tuesday must also get Senate approval. So far, the Senate has been unwilling to approve anything more than fixing the statute. The legislative session ends at 6 p.m. Friday.