State liability for benefits limited, authority for application and repayment of federal advances
Missouri's unemployment fund can only pay out benefits if there is money available in it — the state is not on the hook for more than what's in the fund. The governor can ask the federal government for a loan to keep the fund going. A special five-person board made up of top state officials can also borrow money (called credit instruments) from other sources to keep unemployment benefits flowing, and that borrowed money is paid back using a special surcharge — not from the state's general budget. If the law ever stops working and there is leftover money, it gets held until the legislature decides what to do with it, and if the legislature does nothing, the money goes back to the people who paid into it.
*288.330. State for benefits limited, for and repayment of — of un financing created, duties, requirements, powers — of . — 1. Benefits shall be to be due and payable only to the extent that moneys are available to the of the and neither the state nor the shall be for any amount in excess of such sums. The governor is to apply for an advance to the state unemployment fund and to accept the responsibility for the repayment of such advance in to secure to this state and its citizens the advantages available under the of federal law.
2. (1) The purpose of this is to provide a method of providing funds for the payment of or maintaining an adequate fund balance in the unemployment compensation fund, and as an alternative to borrowing or obtaining advances from the federal or for refinancing those loans or advances.
(2) For the purposes of this subsection, "" means any type of borrowing obligation d under this section, including any s, commercial line of credit note, tax anticipation note or similar .
(3) (a) There is hereby created for the purposes of implementing the provisions of this subsection a to be known as the "Board of Unemployment Fund Financing". The powers of the board shall be in five board members who shall be the governor, lieutenant governor, , of the , and the . The board shall have all powers necessary to its purposes including, without limitation, the power to provide a seal, keep records of its proceedings, and provide for professional s. The governor shall serve as chair, the lieutenant governor shall serve as vice chair, and the commissioner of administration shall serve as . Staff support for the board shall be provided by the commissioner of administration.
(b) the provisions of any other law to the contrary:
a. No officer or employee of this state shall be deemed to have or shall his or her office or employment by reason of his or her acceptance of an appointment as a board member or for his or her service to the board;
b. Board members shall receive no for the performance of their duties under this subsection, but each shall be from the funds of the for his or her actual and necessary expenses incurred in carrying out his or her official duties under this subsection.
(c) In the event that any of the board members or officers of the board whose signatures or s appear on any credit instrument shall cease to be board members or officers before the of such credit instrument, their signatures or facsimile signatures shall be valid and sufficient for all purposes as if such board members or officers had remained in office until delivery of such credit instrument.
(d) Neither the board members executing the of the board nor any other board members shall be subject to any personal liability or accountability by reason of the of the credit instruments.
(4) The board is authorized, by offering for public negotiated sale, to issue, sell, and credit instruments, bearing interest at a or variable rate as shall be determined by the board, which shall mature no later than ten years after issuance, in the name of the board in an amount determined by the board. Such credit instruments may be issued, sold, and delivered for the purposes set forth in (1) of this subsection. Such credit instrument may only be issued upon the approval of a authorizing such issuance by a simple majority of the members of the board, with no other proceedings required.
(5) The board shall provide for the payment of the of the credit instruments, any redemption , the interest on the credit instruments, and the costs attributable to the credit instruments being issued or outstanding as provided in this chapter. Unless the board directs otherwise, the credit instrument shall be repaid in the same time frame and in the same amounts as would be required for loans issued 42 U.S.C. Section 1321; however, in no case shall credit instruments be outstanding for more than ten years.
(6) The board may irrevocably money received from the credit instrument and under subsection 3 of section 288.128, and other money legally available to it, which is deposited in an account authorized for credit instrument repayment in the special fund, provided that the has first moneys received from such and other moneys deposited in such account for the payment of credit instruments.
(7) Credit instruments issued under this section shall not constitute debts of this state or of the board or any agency, political , or of this state and are not a pledge of the faith and credit of this state, the board or of any of those governmental entities and shall not constitute an within the meaning of any constitutional or statutory limitation upon the incurring of indebtedness. The credit instruments are payable only from revenue provided for under this chapter. The credit instruments shall contain a statement to the effect that:
(a) Neither the state nor the board nor any agency, political corporation, or political subdivision of the state shall be to pay the principal or interest on the credit instruments except as provided by this section; and
(b) Neither the nor the taxing power of the state nor the board nor any agency, political corporation, or political subdivision of the state is pledged to the payment of the principal, , if any, or interest on the credit instruments.
(8) The board pledges and agrees with the owners of any credit instruments issued under this section that the state will not limit or alter the rights vested in the board to fulfill the terms of any agreements made with the owners or in any way impair the rights and of the owners until the credit instruments are fully .
(9) The board may the form, details, and incidents of the credit instruments and make such covenants that in its are advisable or necessary to properly secure the payment thereof. If such credit instruments shall be by the bank or trust company acting as registrar for such by the manual signature of a officer or employee thereof, the duly authorized officers of the board executing and attesting such credit instruments may all do so by facsimile signature provided such signatures have been duly filed as provided in the facsimile signature of public officials law, sections 105.273 to 105.278, when duly authorized by resolution of the board, and the provisions of section 108.175 shall not apply to such credit instruments. The board may provide for the flow of funds and the and of separate accounts within the special employment security fund, including the interest and sinking account, the account, and other necessary accounts, and may make additional covenants with respect to the credit instruments in the documents authorizing the issuance of credit instruments including . The resolutions authorizing the issuance of credit instruments may also prohibit the further issuance of credit instruments or other obligations payable from appropriated moneys or may reserve the right to issue additional credit instruments to be payable from appropriated moneys on a with or to the and pledge in support of the credit instruments being issued and may contain other provisions and covenants as determined by the board, provided that any terms, provisions or covenants provided in any resolution of the board shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this section.
(10) The board may issue credit instruments to refund all or any part of the outstanding credit instruments issued under this section including matured but unpaid interest. As with other credit instruments issued under this section, such refunding credit instruments may bear interest at a fixed or variable rate as determined by the board.
(11) The credit instruments issued by the board, any transaction relating to the credit instruments, and profits made from the sale of the credit instruments are free from taxation by the state or by any , court, special , or other political subdivision of the state.
(12) As determined necessary by the board the of the credit instruments less the cost of issuance shall be placed in the state's unemployment compensation fund and may be used for the purposes for which that fund may otherwise be used. If those net proceeds are not placed immediately in the unemployment compensation fund they shall be held in the special employment security fund in an account for that purpose until they are transferred to the unemployment compensation fund provided that the proceeds of refunding credit instruments may be placed in an or such other account or instrument as determined necessary by the board.
(13) The board may enter into any contract or agreement deemed necessary or desirable to effectuate cost-effective financing hereunder. Such agreements may include credit enhancement, credit support, or interest rate agreements including, but not limited to, arrangements such as bond insurance; ; tax anticipation notes; liquidity facilities; forward agreements; agreements; remarketing agreements; option agreements; , exchange, cap, lock or floor agreements; letters of credit; and purchase agreements. Any fees or costs associated with such agreements shall be deemed for the purposes of calculating the credit instrument and financing agreement repayment surcharge under subsection 3 of section 288.128. The board, with of all other costs being equal, shall give preference to Missouri-headquartered financial institutions, or those out-of-state-based financial institutions with at least one hundred Missouri employees.
(14) To the extent this section conflicts with other laws the provisions of this section . This section shall not be subject to the provisions of sections 23.250 to 23.298.
(15) If the United States holds that a of this subsection or of any provision related to the or use of the credit instrument and financial agreement repayment surcharge does not with a federal statute or would result in the loss to the state of any federal funds otherwise available to it the board, in cooperation with the department of labor and industrial relations, may this subsection, and other provisions related to the credit instrument and financial agreement repayment surcharge, to conform with the federal statute until the general assembly meets in its next regular session and has an opportunity to amend this subsection or other sections, as applicable.
(16) Nothing in this chapter shall be to prohibit the officials of the state from borrowing from the government of the United States in order to pay unemployment benefits under subsection 1 of this section or otherwise.
(17) (a) As used in this subdivision the term "lender" means any state or .
(b) The board is authorized to enter financial agreements with any lender for the purposes set forth in subdivision (1) of this subsection, or to refinance other financial agreements in whole or in part, upon the approval of the simple majority of the members of the board of a resolution authorizing such financial agreements, with no other proceedings required. In no instance shall the under any financial agreement continue for more than ten years. Repayment of obligations to lenders shall be made from the special employment security fund, section 288.310, subject to by the general assembly.
(c) Financial agreements entered into under this subdivision shall not constitute debts of this state or of the board or any agency, political corporation, or political subdivision of this state and are not a pledge of the faith and credit of this state, the board or of any of those governmental entities and shall not constitute an indebtedness within the meaning of any constitutional or statutory limitation upon the incurring of indebtedness. The financial agreements are payable only from revenue provided for under this chapter. The financial agreements shall contain a statement to the effect that:
a. Neither the state nor the board nor any agency, political corporation, or political subdivision of the state shall be obligated to pay the principal or interest on the financial agreements except as provided by this section; and
b. Neither the full faith and credit nor the taxing power of the state nor the board nor any agency, political corporation, or political subdivision of the state is pledged to the payment of the principal, premium, if any, or interest on the financial agreements.
(d) Neither the board members executing the financial agreements nor any other board members shall be subject to any personal liability or accountability by reason of the of such financial agreements.
(e) The board may prescribe the form, details and incidents of the financing agreements and make such covenants that in its judgment are advisable or necessary to properly secure the payment thereof provided that any terms, provisions or covenants provided in any such financing agreement shall not be inconsistent with the provisions of this section. If such financing agreements shall be authenticated by the bank or trust company acting as registrar for such by the manual signature of a duly authorized officer or employee thereof, the duly authorized officers of the board executing and attesting such financing agreements may all do so by facsimile signature provided such signatures have been duly filed as provided in the uniform facsimile signature of public officials law, sections 105.273 to 105.278, when duly authorized by resolution of the board and the provisions of section 108.175 shall not apply to such financing agreements.
(18) The commission may issue credit instruments to refund all or any part of the outstanding borrowing issued under this section including matured but unpaid interest.
(19) The credit instruments issued by the commission, any transaction relating to the credit instruments, and profits made from the issuance of credit are free from taxation by the state or by any municipality, court, special district, or other political subdivision of the state.
3. In event of the of this law, any unobligated funds in the unemployment compensation fund, and returned by the United States Treasurer because such is , shall be held in by the treasurer and under supervision of the division until the shall provide for the disposition thereof. In event no disposition is made by the legislature at the next regular meeting subsequent to suspension of said law, then all unobligated funds shall be returned to those who contributed .
4. Notwithstanding any other law to the contrary, in the event that the amount of moneys owed by the fund for total by the federal government exceeds three hundred million dollars, the board shall be required to meet to consider authorizing the issuance, sale, and delivery of credit instruments pursuant to this section for the entire amount of the debt owed.
5. If credit instruments are issued under subsection 4 of this section, the interest required under section 288.128 shall continue to be paid and used to fully finance such instruments and shall be paid at the same rate applicable at the time of issuance for all subsequent years until the credit instruments are fully financed.
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Source & history notes
(L. 1951 p. 564 § 288.210, A.L. 1982 H.B. 1521, A.L. 2004 H.B. 1268 & 1211 and S.B. 966 § 1, A.L. 2006 H.B. 1456, A.L. 2009 H.B. 1075, A.L. 2015 H.B. 150) *Effective 10-16-15, see § 21.250. H.B. 150 was vetoed on May 5, 2015. The veto was overridden by the House on May 12, 2015, and by the Senate on September 16, 2015. *Revisor's Note: This section was declared unconstitutional in Pestka et al. v. State, see 2016 annotation below. (2016) Only bills returned by the Governor on or after the fifth day before the end of the regular legislative session can be taken up during September veto session, thus Senate veto session vote to override the Governor's veto of HB 150 was untimely. Pestka et al. v. State, No. SC95369 (Mo.).
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