FIRSTREGULARSESSION HOUSEBILLNO.403 103RDGENERALASSEMBLY INTRODUCEDBYREPRESENTATIVECLEMENS. 1424H.01I DANARADEMANMILLER,ChiefClerk ANACT Toamendchapter290,RSMo,byaddingtheretoonenewsectionrelatingtoresponsibilities ofemployers. BeitenactedbytheGeneralAssemblyofthestateofMissouri,asfollows: SectionA.Chapter290,RSMo,isamendedbyaddingtheretoonenewsection,tobe 2knownassection290.116,toreadasfollows: 290.116.1.Asusedinthissection,thefollowingtermsmean: 2 (1)"Director",thedirectorofthedepartmentoflaborandindustrialrelations 3orhisorherauthorizedrepresentative; 4 (2)"Employee",thesamemeaninggiventosuchtermundersection290.500; 5 (3)"Employer",anindividualorprivatebusinessentitythatemploysa 6workforceatanestablishment.Forpurposesofthissection,"employer"alsoincludes 7anyindividual,partnership,association,corporation,oranypersonorgroupofpersons 8actingdirectlyorindirectlyintheinterestofanemployerinrelationtoanemployeeand 9includesanypersonwho,directlyorindirectly,ownsandoperatesanominalemployer 10orwhoownsacorporatesubsidiarythat,directlyorindirectly,ownsandoperatesa 11nominalemployerormakesthedecisionresponsiblefortheemploymentactionthat 12givesrisetoamasslayoffsubjecttonotification; 13 (4)"Establishment",aplaceofemploymentthathasbeenoperatedbyan 14employerforaperiodlongerthanthreeyears,providedthat"establishment"shallnot 15includeatemporaryconstructionsite.Theterm"establishment"mayincludeasingle 16locationoragroupoflocations,includinganybuildinglocatedinthisstate; EXPLANATION—Matterenclosedinbold-facedbrackets[thus] intheabovebillisnotenactedandis intendedtobeomittedfromthelaw.Matterinbold-facetypeintheabovebillisproposedlanguage. 17 (5)"Masslayoff",areductioninthesizeofaworkforcethatisnottheresultofa 18transferorterminationofoperationsandthatresultsintheterminationofemployment 19atanestablishmentduringanythirty-dayperiodforfiftyormoreemployeesator 20reportingtotheestablishment; 21 (6)"Operatingunit",anorganizationallydistinctproduct,operation,orspecific 22workfunctionwithinoracrossfacilitiesatasingleestablishment; 23 (7)"Terminationofemployment",thelayoffofanemployeewithouta 24commitmenttoreinstatetheemployeetohisorherpreviousemploymentwithinsix 25monthsofthelayoff,exceptthat"terminationofemployment"shallnotmeana 26voluntarydepartureorretirementofanemployee,adischargeorsuspensionofan 27employeeformisconductoftheemployeeconnectedwiththeemployment,oranylayoff 28ofaseasonalemployee."Terminationofemployment"shallnotrefertoanysituationin 29whichanemployerofferstoanemployee,atalocationinthisstateandnomorethan 30fiftymilesfromthepreviousplaceofemployment,thesameemploymentoraposition 31withequivalentstatus,benefits,pay,andothertermsandconditionsofemployment.A 32layoffofmorethansixmonthsthat,atitsoutset,wasannouncedtobealayoffofsix 33monthsorless,shallnotbeconsidereda"terminationofemployment"iftheextension 34beyondsixmonthsiscausedbybusinesscircumstancesnotreasonablyforeseeableatthe 35timeoftheinitiallayoffandnoticeisgivenatthetimeitbecomesreasonablyforeseeable 36thattheextensionbeyondsixmonthswillberequired; 37 (8)"Terminationofoperations",thepermanentortemporaryshutdownofa 38singleestablishmentorofoneormorefacilitiesoroperatingunitswithinasingle 39establishment,exceptthat"terminationofoperations"shallnotincludeatermination 40ofoperationsmadenecessarybecauseofafire,flood,naturaldisaster,national 41emergency,actofwar,civildisorder,industrialsabotage,decertificationfrom 42participationintheMedicareandMedicaidprogramsasdescribedunder42U.S.C. 43Section1395etseq.,oranylicenserevocationunderthelawsofthisstate; 44 (9)"Transferofoperations",thepermanentortemporarytransferofasingle 45establishment,oroneormorefacilitiesoroperatingunitswithinasingleestablishment, 46toanotherlocation,insideoroutsideofthisstate. 47 2.Ifanestablishmentissubjecttoatransferofoperationsoraterminationof 48operationsthatresults,duringanycontinuousperiodofnomorethanthirtydays,inthe 49terminationofemploymentoffiftyormoreemployees,orifanemployerconductsa 50masslayoff,theemployerwhooperatestheestablishmentorconductsthemasslayoff 51shall: 52 (1)Provide,inthecaseofanemployerwhoemploysonehundredormore 53employees,nolessthanninetydaysortheperiodoftimerequiredunderthefederal HB403 2 54WorkerAdjustmentandRetrainingNotificationAct,asamended,29U.S.C.Section 552101etseq.,whicheverislonger,beforethefirstterminationofemploymentoccursin 56connectionwiththeterminationortransferofoperationsormasslayoff,notificationof 57theterminationortransferofoperationsormasslayofftothedirector,thechiefelected 58officialofanymunicipalityinwhichtheestablishmentislocated,eachemployeewhose 59employmentistobeterminated,andanycollectivebargainingunitsofemployeesatthe 60establishment; 61 (2)Provide,toeachemployeewhoseemploymentisterminated,severancepay 62equaltooneweekofpayforeachfullyearofemployment.Iftheemployerprovidesany 63employeewithlessthanthenumberofdaysofnotificationrequiredundersubdivision 64(1)ofthissubsection,theemployershallprovidethatemployeewithanadditionalfour 65weeksofpay.Therateofseverancepayprovidedbytheemployerunderthis 66subdivisionshallbetheaverageregularrateofcompensationreceivedduringthe 67employee'slastthreeyearsofemploymentwiththeemployerorthefinalregularrateof 68compensationpaidtotheemployee,whicheverrateishigher.Severanceunderthis 69subsectionshallberegardedascompensationduetoanemployeeforbackpayand 70lossesassociatedwiththeterminationoftheemploymentrelationshipandearnedinfull 71upontheterminationoftheemploymentrelationship,notwithstandingthecalculationof 72theamountofthepaymentwithreferencetotheemployee’slengthofservice.An 73employershallprovideanemployeethegreaterof: 74 (a)Theseverancepayrequiredunderthissubdivision;or 75 (b)Anyseverancepayprovidedbytheemployerpursuanttoacollective 76bargainingagreementorforanyotherreason. 77 78AnybackpayprovidedbytheemployertotheemployeeundertheWorkerAdjustment 79andRetrainingNotificationAct,29U.S.C.Section2101etseq.,becauseofaviolationof 80thatact,shallbecreditedtowardmeetingtheseverancepayrequirementsofthis 81subdivision. 82 3.Nowaiveroftherighttoseveranceprovidedunderthissectionshallbe 83effectivewithoutapprovalofthewaiverbythedirectororbyacourtofcompetent 84jurisdiction. 85 4.Thedepartmentoflaborandindustrialrelationsmaypromulgateall 86necessaryrulesandregulationsfortheadministrationofthissection.Anyruleor 87portionofarule,asthattermisdefinedinsection536.010,thatiscreatedunderthe 88authoritydelegatedinthissectionshallbecomeeffectiveonlyifitcomplieswithandis 89subjecttoalloftheprovisionsofchapter536and,ifapplicable,section536.028.This 90sectionandchapter536arenonseverableandifanyofthepowersvestedwiththe HB403 3 91generalassemblypursuanttochapter536toreview,todelaytheeffectivedate,orto 92disapproveandannularulearesubsequentlyheldunconstitutional,thenthegrantof 93rulemakingauthorityandanyruleproposedoradoptedafterAugust28,2025,shallbe 94invalidandvoid. ✔ HB403 4