Bills aim to reduce business filing fees in Missouri

A pair of bills -- one in the House and one in the Senate -- seeking to reduce business filing fees are making their way through the Missouri Legislature, and supporters are hopeful these efforts will make the state's fees the lowest in the nation.

Sen. Wayne Wallingford, R-Cape Girardeau, teamed up with Secretary of State Jason Kander, a Democrat, for a bill seeking to reduce filing fees to $5. Businesses currently pay anywhere from $7 to $155 when filing with the secretary of state's office, depending on the type of business and paperwork needed.

The $5 charge was determined by Kander's office to be the amount necessary to cover processing expenses.

Wallingford's bill is still under consideration by the Small Business, Insurance and Industry Committee.

The identical bill filed in the House by Rep. Joh McCaherty, R-High Ridge, has progressed slightly further. It passed the first round of voting by the House but has not received the final approval necessary to move on to the Senate.

The Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been a vocal supporter of the efforts to reduce filing fees for businesses. Missouri Chamber president and CEO Dan Mehan called the fees a "regulatory burden on Missouri employers."

"Anything we can do to lower the barriers to entry for Missouri entrepreneurs welcomes these opportunities to our state," Mehan said in a news release. "This is also about Missouri's business image. We are sending an extremely strong message to existing employers and businesses that are looking to move or expand operations in our state: Missouri is doing what we can to lower your business costs and help your business grow."

Wallingford's bill is SB 157. McCaherty's is HB 513.