Missouri § 208.755 - Family development account program established — proposals, content — department — duties — rulemaking authority.

§ 208.755. Family development account program established — proposals, content — department — duties — rulemaking authority.

1.  There is hereby established within the department of economic development a program to be known as the "Family Development Account Program".  The program shall provide eligible families and individuals with an opportunity to establish special savings accounts for moneys which may be used by such families and individuals for education, home ownership or small business capitalization.

2.  The department shall solicit proposals from community-based organizations seeking to administer the accounts on a not-for-profit basis.  Community-based organization proposals shall include:

(1)  A requirement that the individual account holder or the family of an account holder match the contributions of a community-based organization member by contributing cash;

(2)  A process for including account holders in decision making regarding the investment of funds in the accounts;

(3)  Specifications of the population or populations targeted for priority participation in the program;

(4)  A requirement that the individual account holder or the family of an account holder attend economic literacy seminars;

(5)  A process for including economic literacy seminars in the family development account program; and

(6)  A process for regular evaluation and review of family development accounts to ensure program compliance by account holders.

3.  In reviewing the proposals of community-based organizations, the department shall consider the following factors:

(1)  The not-for-profit status of such organization;

(2)  The fiscal accountability of the community-based organization;

(3)  The ability of the community-based organization to provide or raise moneys for matching contributions;

(4)  The ability of the community-based organization to establish and administer a reserve fund account which shall receive all contributions from program contributors; and

(5)  The significance and quality of proposed auxiliary services, including economic literacy seminars, and their relationship to the goals of the family development account program.

4.  No more than twenty percent of all funds in the reserve fund account may be used for administrative costs of the program in each of the first two years of the program, and no more than fifteen percent of such funds may be used for administrative costs for any subsequent year.  Funds deposited by account holders shall not be used for administrative costs.

5.  The department shall promulgate rules and regulations to implement and administer the provisions of sections 208.750 to 208.775.  No rule or portion of a rule promulgated pursuant to the authority of sections 208.750 to 208.775 shall become effective unless it has been promulgated pursuant to the provisions of chapter 536.

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(L. 1999 S.B. 387, et al. § 10)