MO SB446

Department of Economic Development shall develop and implement rural regional development grants with an annual appropriation not to exceed $5 million per fiscal year.

Qualifying rural regional development groups must track job creation and investment using quantitative measures, maintain state-certified development sites, measure workforce skills, demonstrate private business and local government involvement through an organizational chart, and provide financial documentation.

Groups are ineligible for grants if their region includes counties or portions of other states outside Missouri, or if they maintain an operating budget exceeding $250,000.

Single grants cannot exceed $150,000, and each of the 19 state regions represented by regional planning commissions may receive no more than two grants per region; groups operating two or more years receive 3:1 state-to-local matching funds, while newer groups receive 1:1 matching funds.

Regional planning commissions created under Missouri law must submit grant applications on behalf of rural regional development groups and may charge application fees to defray administrative costs.