Help America Vote Act
Missouri's State Plan

Section 7

SEC. 254. (a) In General.--The State plan shall contain a description of each
of the following:

(7) How the State, in using the requirements payment, will maintain the expenditures of the State for activities funded by the payment at a level that is not less than the level of such expenditures maintained by the State for the fiscal year ending prior to November 2000.

Under current law, Missouri has a "State Election Subsidy Fund" in the state treasury that is funded by appropriations from the General Assembly for the purpose of the State making advance payments of election costs to local election authorities. House Bill No. 511, passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by the Governor, would expand this fund to meet the State's funding obligation to maintain expenditures pursuant to HAVA. The proposed legislation requires the commissioner of administration to transfer annually to the State Election Subsidy Fund an amount not less than the amount expended in the fiscal year that ended June 30, 2000. At the end of each fiscal year, any amounts in the State Election Subsidy Fund not expended or obligated to meet the State's obligation for election costs to local election authorities shall be transferred to the Election Administration Improvements Fund and used to meet the maintenance of effort funding requirement of HAVA.

Missouri also will meet the maintenance of effort requirement by maintaining expenditures for the Elections Division of the Office of the Secretary of State at the same level or greater than for the state fiscal year ending June 30, 2000.