( KTRS ) Missouri could soon pay testing fees for residents taking a high school equivalency test, for the first time, under a proposal that has won initial approval in the state Senate.

It needs another vote before going to the House, which passed similar legislation last month.

The measure would cover students regardless of income or age. Bill sponsor Gary Romine said his mother was in her 40s when she took her equivalency test. Each test costs $95.

Legislative researchers estimate that subsidizing first-time exam takers would cost the state about $1.4 million a year.