Missouri Revised Statutes § 590.1070 - Tuition reimbursement program established

590.1070. Tuition reimbursement program established — POST commission duties — eligibility for reimbursement — rulemaking authority. — 1. There is hereby established within the department of public safety the "Peace Officer Basic Training Tuition Reimbursement Program". Any moneys appropriated by the general assembly for this program shall be used to provide tuition reimbursement for: (1) Qualifying Missouri residents who have paid tuition at a state-licensed basic law enforcement training center for the basic law enforcement training required for a peace officer license in this state and who have been employed as full-time peace officers in this state for a specified period; and (2) Qualifying government entities that have paid tuition for an employee to receive the basic law enforcement training required for a peace officer license in this state at a licensed basic law enforcement training center when such employee has been employed as a full-time peace officer for a specified period. 2. The Missouri POST Commission shall be the administrative agency for the implementation of the tuition reimbursement program established under this section, and shall: (1) Prescribe the form and the time and method of awarding tuition reimbursement under this section and shall supervise the processing thereof; and (2) Select qualifying recipients to receive reimbursement under this section and determine the manner and method of payment to the recipient. 3. To be eligible to receive tuition reimbursement under subdivision (1) of subsection 1 of this section, a person shall: (1) Be initially employed as a peace officer on or after September 1, 2023; (2) Submit to the commission an initial application for tuition reimbursement, and annually thereafter for each year of qualifying employment, in the manner and on a form prescribed by the commission that requires: (a) Employer verification of the person's employment as a full-time peace officer in this state for at least one year and the person's current employment as a peace officer in this state as of the date of the application; (b) A transcript containing the person's basic police training coursework and his or her date of graduation; and (c) A statement of the total amount of tuition the applicant paid to the basic training center for his or her basic training; (3) Be currently employed, and have completed at least one year of employment, as a full-time peace officer in this state; and (4) Comply with any other requirements adopted by the commission under this section. 4. To be eligible to receive tuition reimbursement under subdivision (2) of subsection 1 of this section, a government entity shall: (1) Be the employer of a peace officer who was initially employed on or after September 1, 2023; (2) Submit to the commission an initial application for tuition reimbursement, and annually thereafter for each year of the employee's qualifying employment, up to four years, in the manner and on a form prescribed by the commission that requires: (a) Verification of the employee's full-time employment as a peace officer in this state for at least one year and the employee's current employment as a peace officer in this state as of the date of the application; (b) A transcript containing the employee's basic police training coursework and his or her date of graduation; and (c) A statement of the total amount of tuition and fees the employer paid to the basic training center for the employee's basic training; (3) Certify that the employee is currently employed, and has completed at least one year of employment, as a full-time peace officer in this state; and (4) Comply with any other requirements adopted by the commission under this section. 5. Tuition reimbursement granted under this section, subject to the availability of funds, shall be reimbursed as follows: (1) At the end of one year of continuous employment as a full-time peace officer, an applicant or his or her employer, whichever applies, shall be eligible to receive reimbursement for twenty-five percent of the total tuition paid to a licensed basic training center; (2) At the end of two, three, and four years of continuous qualifying employment as a full-time peace officer, and submission of documents verifying continued full-time employment as a peace officer, an applicant or his or her employer, whichever applies, shall be eligible to receive reimbursement each year for twenty-five percent of the total tuition paid to a licensed basic training center. A government entity may qualify for tuition reimbursement under this subdivision for tuition paid for an employee even if such person is no longer employed by the government entity as long as the person for whom tuition was paid is still continuously employed as a full-time peace officer. 6. Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, the total amount of tuition reimbursement provided under this section to an eligible person, or to a government entity with respect to an employee, shall not exceed six thousand dollars per person or employee. 7. The department of public safety shall promulgate all necessary rules and regulations for the administration of the program. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in section 536.010, that is created under the authority delegated in this section shall become effective only if it complies with and is subject to all of the provisions of chapter 536 and, if applicable, section 536.028. This section and chapter 536 are nonseverable and if any of the powers vested with the general assembly pursuant to chapter 536 to review, to delay the effective date, or to disapprove and annul a rule are subsequently held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking authority and any rule proposed or adopted after August 28, 2023, shall be invalid and void. (L. 2023 S.B. 186)