Legislation Allowing Tax Credits for Contributions to Crisis Pregnancy Centers Signed into Law

July 20, 2006, JEFFERSON CITY, MO – On July 11, 2006, at various locations around the state, Governor Matt Blunt signed into law HB 1485, sponsored by Representative Allen Icet (R-Wildwood), that provides tax credits for contributions to crisis pregnancy centers. This legislation has been introduced each year since 1999, but had never passed both houses of the General Assembly in the same legislative session until this year.

The bill provides a tax credit (not a deduction) in the amount of 50% of contributions made to "pregnancy resource centers". A pregnancy resource center is a tax-exempt nonresidential facility that provides direct client services at its facility at no cost to women with crisis or unplanned pregnancies and does not provide abortions or referrals for abortion services. A pregnancy resource center must be a "facility", and must operate from a fixed physical site. The facility must be established and operating primarily to provide assistance to women with crisis or unplanned pregnancies, and this assistance cannot be a sideline to some other primary purpose. Direct client services must be provided at the facility, as opposed to merely providing counseling or referral services by telephone.

The maximum credit a taxpayer can claim is $50,000 per year, and the minimum contribution must be at least $100. The maximum amount of tax credits that can be taken in any one year by all taxpayers statewide is $2 million. The Department of Social Services is to identify pregnancy resource centers operating in Missouri and apportion the credits among pregnancy resource centers when the applications exceed the statewide cap.

“The policy of the state of Missouri is to favor childbirth over abortion,” said Deacon Larry Weber, Executive Director and General Counsel of the Missouri Catholic Conference. Deacon Weber attended the bill signing ceremony for this legislation at Open Arms Crisis Pregnancy Center in Columbia. “HB1485 provides limited state support for this policy. HB 1485 helps promote the culture of life in Missouri by assisting the efforts of those who help women in crisis pregnancies carry their unborn children to term.

“This legislation reinforces Missouri’s commitment to be a pro-life state,” said Mr. Sam Lee, Director of Campaign Life Missouri. Mr. Lee attended the bill signing ceremony for this legislation at the headquarters of the Greater St. Louis Pregnancy Resource Centers in St. Louis.

The new tax credit is available for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2007. Under current state policy, the program expires after six years. However, as that date approaches, the Missouri Catholic Conference intends to seek an extension for this program.