The Missouri Merit-Based Credentialing Act (MO-ACSA)

Missouri state companion to ACSA. Extends Mo. Rev. Stat. Sec. 324.009 universal licensure recognition, Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development, and Mo. Rev. Stat. Ch. 143 income-tax credits.

THE MISSOURI MERIT-BASED CREDENTIALING ACT (MO-ACSA)

Vehicle: State passage. Missouri General Assembly, regular session. Primary referral to House / Senate Economic Development / Ways and Means.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE

This Act may be cited as the “Missouri Merit-Based Credentialing Act (MO-ACSA).”

SECTION 2. LEGISLATIVE FINDINGS AND INTENT

The General Assembly finds that Missouri enacted universal occupational-licensure recognition under Mo. Rev. Stat. Sec. 324.009; that the Missouri Division of Professional Registration operates under Mo. Rev. Stat. Title XXII; that the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development operates under Mo. Rev. Stat. Ch. 173; that the State Board of Education and Department of Elementary and Secondary Education operate under Mo. Rev. Stat. Ch. 161 and 162; that the Missouri Workforce Development Board operates under Mo. Rev. Stat. Sec. 620.511; and that Mo. Rev. Stat. Ch. 143 provides income-tax credits. This Act extends these frameworks.

TITLE I — DEFINITIONS & COORDINATION WITH MISSOURI LAW

Sec. 101. Definitions

(a) “Missouri Recognized Merit Credential” or “MORMC” means a competency-based credential designated by the Commissioner of Higher Education and Workforce Development in coordination with the Commissioner of Education under Sec. 201.
(b) “Federal FRAC” means a Federally Recognized Alternative Credential under Section 202 of the federal ACSA.
(c) “Covered State licensing authority” means an agency issuing an occupational license under Mo. Rev. Stat. Title XXII.

Sec. 102. Coordination with Existing Missouri Law

(a) Consistent with:

Mo. Rev. Stat. Sec. 324.009 (universal recognition).
Mo. Rev. Stat. Title XXII (occupational licensing).
Mo. Rev. Stat. Ch. 173 (Higher Education and Workforce Development).
Mo. Rev. Stat. Sec. 620.511 (Workforce Development Board).
Mo. Rev. Stat. Ch. 143 (income tax).

TITLE II — MISSOURI RECOGNIZED MERIT CREDENTIALS

Sec. 201. Designation Authority

(a) The Commissioner of Higher Education and Workforce Development, in coordination with the Commissioner of Education, shall maintain a Missouri Recognized Merit Credentials registry (“MORMC Registry”) in machine-readable form, updated at least annually, crosswalked to Federal FRAC.

Sec. 202. Degree-Optional State Employment

(a) Mo. Rev. Stat. Ch. 36 (Office of Administration, State Personnel Law) shall be applied so that a MORMC-holder satisfies any position qualification stated in terms of a college degree, unless expressly required by Missouri statute.

TITLE III — TAX INCENTIVE FOR SKILLS-BASED HIRING

Sec. 301. Missouri Skills-Based Hiring Income-Tax Credit

(a) A new credit is added to Mo. Rev. Stat. Ch. 143 equal to a percentage of qualified first-year wages paid to a Missouri-resident employee whose qualifying pathway is a MORMC or Federal FRAC.
(b) Coordinated with federal IRC Sec. 45AA; aggregate cap.
(c) Missouri Department of Revenue administers.

TITLE IV — OCCUPATIONAL LICENSURE PORTABILITY

Sec. 401. Licensure by Demonstrated Competency

(a) Demonstrated-competency pathway accepting MORMC, Federal FRAC, or examination-plus-supervised-experience.

Sec. 402. Interstate Recognition for Federal-Fund Recipients

(a) Recognition by federally-funded authorities, consistent with Section 401 of the federal ACSA and Mo. Rev. Stat. Sec. 324.009.

TITLE V — IMPLEMENTATION & GENERAL PROVISIONS

Sec. 501. Severability

If any provision is held invalid, the invalidity shall not affect the remainder.

Sec. 502. Effective Date

This Act shall take effect August 28 of the year following enactment, except that Sec. 301 shall apply to tax years beginning on or after January 1 of that year.

Canonical federal version: ACSA. Other Missouri bills: MO-MEWRA, MO-GT&P, MO-AI-Workforce.