JEFFERSON CITY (AP) The Missouri Senate has passed a bill that would create statewide regulations for app-based transportation companies such as Uber and Lyft.
The legislation would require that companies pay a licensing fee and adhere to a nondiscrimination policy. It also would exempt companies from local and municipal taxes and require drivers to submit to background checks and purchase vehicle liability insurance.
The Senate’s 31-1 vote Tuesday sends the bill to the House, which previously passed a different version.
Uber and Lyft have said the legislation would allow them to expand statewide.
The bill garnered bipartisan support in the Senate this year after lawmakers in the past had voiced concerns about passenger safety and discrepancies between the proposed state law and existing city regulations.