Bill > SB1397

This bill modifies water regulation provisions in Missouri by making two key changes. First, it allows the director of the Department of Natural Resources to conduct a comprehensive review of clean water fees, including mandatory stakeholder meetings with representatives from agriculture, industry, municipalities, wastewater facilities, and the development community. The bill removes a previous five-thousand-dollar fee cap and establishes a process where the Clean Water Commission can approve new fee structures with a two-thirds majority vote, which would then go through a rulemaking process. The commission's authority to revise these fee structures expires on August 28, 2030. Second, the bill introduces a new section establishing that individuals who have contracted for water storage rights in U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoirs will have exclusive rights to "return flows" (water discharged to the reservoir from a water reclamation facility), subject to state regulatory requirements and available storage capacity. This provision aims to clarify and protect water rights for entities storing water in these reservoirs.

Agriculture and Natural Resources

https://www.senate.mo.gov/26info/BTS_Web/Bill.aspx?SessionType=R&BillID=689