Missouri 2025 Regular Session

Missouri House Bill HB403 Latest Draft

Bill / Introduced Version Filed 12/05/2024

                            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