Missouri § 135.400 - Registration as a preneed agent required — application procedure — renewal of registration — expiration of registration.

§ 135.400. Registration as a preneed agent required — application procedure — renewal of registration — expiration of registration.

As used in sections 135.400 to 135.430, the following terms mean:

(1)  "Certificate", a tax credit certificate issued by the department of economic development in accordance with sections 135.400 to 135.430;

(2)  "Community bank", either a bank community development corporation or development bank, which are financial organizations which receive investments from commercial financial institutions regulated by the federal reserve, the office of the comptroller of the currency, the office of thrift supervision, or the Missouri division of finance.  Community banks, in addition to their other privileges, shall be allowed to make loans to businesses or equity investments in businesses or in real estate provided that such transactions have associated public benefits;

(3)  "Community development corporation", a not-for-profit corporation whose board of directors is composed of businesses, civic and community leaders, and whose primary purpose is to encourage and promote the industrial, economic, entrepreneurial, commercial, and civic development or redevelopment of a community or area, including the provision of housing and community development projects that benefit low-income individuals and communities;

(4)  "Department", the Missouri department of economic development;

(5)  "Director", the director of the department of economic development, or a person acting under the supervision of the director;

(6)  "Investment", a transaction in which a Missouri small business or a community bank receives a monetary benefit from an investor pursuant to the provisions of sections 135.403 to 135.414;

(7)  "Investor", an individual, partnership, financial institution, trust or corporation meeting the eligibility requirements of sections 135.403 to 135.414.  In the case of partnerships and nontaxable trusts, the individual partners or beneficiaries shall be treated as the investors;

(8)  "Missouri small business", an independently owned and operated business as defined in Title 15 U.S.C. Section 632(a) and as described by Title 13 CFR Part 121, which is headquartered in Missouri and which employs at least eighty percent of its employees in Missouri, except that no such small business shall employ more than one hundred employees.  Such businesses must be involved in interstate or intrastate commerce for the purpose of manufacturing, processing or assembling products, conducting research and development, or providing services in interstate commerce, but excluding retail, real estate, insurance or professional services.  For the purpose of qualifying for the tax credit pursuant to sections 135.400 to 135.430, "Missouri small business" shall include cooperative marketing associations organized pursuant to chapter 274 which are engaged in the business of producing and marketing fuels derived from agriculture commodities, without regard for whether a cooperative marketing association has more than one hundred employees.  Cooperative marketing associations organized pursuant to chapter 274 shall not be required to comply with the requirements of section 135.414;

(9)  "Primary employment", work which pays at least the minimum wage and which is not seasonal or part-time;

(10)  "Principal owners", one or more persons who own an aggregate of fifty percent or more of the Missouri small business and who are involved in the operation of the business as a full-time professional activity;

(11)  "Project", any commercial or industrial business or other economic development activity undertaken in a target area, designed to reduce conditions of blight, unemployment or widespread reliance on public assistance which creates permanent primary employment opportunities;

(12)  "State tax liability", any liability incurred by a taxpayer pursuant to the provisions of chapter 143, chapter 147, chapter 148, section 375.916, and chapter 153, exclusive of the provisions relating to the withholding of tax as provided for in sections 143.191 to 143.265 and related provisions;

(13)  "Target area", a group of blocks or a self-defined neighborhood where the rate of poverty in the area is greater than twice the national poverty rate and as defined by the department of social services in conjunction with the department of economic development.  Areas of the state satisfying the criteria of this subdivision may be designated as a "target area" following appropriate findings made and certified by the departments of economic development and social services.  In making such findings, the departments of economic development and social services may use any commonly recognized records and statistical indices published or made available by any agency or instrumentality of the federal or state government.  No area of the state shall be a target area until so certified by the department of social services and the revitalization plan submitted pursuant to section 208.335 has received approval.

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(L. 1992 S.B. 661 & 620 § 8, A.L. 1994 H.B. 1547 & 961, A.L. 1995 H.B. 414, S.B. 445, A.L. 1996 H.B. 1237, A.L. 1997 2d Ex. Sess. S.B. 1, A.L. 1998 S.B. 827, A.L. 2003 H.B. 289)