135.903. Rural empowerment zone criteria--application, zone created, reapplication--limitation. - Missouri Statutes

Rural empowerment zone criteria--application, zone created,reapplication--limitation.

135.903. 1. To qualify as a rural empowerment zone, an area shallmeet all the following criteria:

(1) The area is one of pervasive poverty, unemployment, and generaldistress;

(2) At least sixty-five percent of the population has earned incomebelow eighty percent of the median income of all residents within the stateaccording to the last decennial census or other appropriate source asapproved by the director;

(3) The population of the area is at least four hundred but not morethan three thousand five hundred at the time of designation as a ruralempowerment zone;

(4) The level of unemployment of persons, according to the mostrecent data available from the division of employment security or from theUnited States Bureau of Census and approved by the director, within thearea exceeds one and one-half times the average rate of unemployment forthe state of Missouri over the previous twelve months, or the percentage ofarea residents employed on a full-time basis is less than fifty percent ofthe statewide percentage of residents employed on a full-time basis;

(5) The area is situated more than ten miles from any existing ruralempowerment zone;

(6) The area is situated in a county of the third classificationwithout a township form of government and with more than eight thousandnine hundred twenty-five but less than nine thousand twenty-fiveinhabitants; and

(7) The area is not situated in an existing enterprise zone.

2. The governing body of any county in which an area may bedesignated a rural empowerment zone shall submit to the department anapplication showing that the area complies with the requirements ofsubsection 1 of this section. The department shall declare the area arural empowerment zone if upon investigation the department finds that thearea meets the requirements of subsection 1 of this section. If the areais found not to meet the requirements, the governing body shall have theopportunity to submit another application for designation as a ruralempowerment zone and the department shall designate the area a ruralempowerment zone if upon investigation the department finds that the areameets the requirements of subsection 1 of this section.

3. There shall be no more than two rural empowerment zones as createdunder sections 135.900 to 135.906 in existence at any time.

(L. 2004 S.B. 1155)

Expires 8-28-14