§ 135.953 RSMo — Enhanced enterprise zone criteria — zone may be established in certain areas — additional criteria

1. For purposes of sections 135.950 to 135.970 , an area shall meet the following criteria in order to qualify as an enhanced enterprise zone:

(1) The area shall be a blighted area, have pervasive poverty, unemployment and general distress; and

(2) At least sixty percent of the residents living in the area have incomes below ninety percent of the median income of all residents:

(a) Within the state of Missouri, according to the last decennial census or other appropriate source as approved by the director; or

(b) Within the county or city not within a county in which the area is located, according to the last decennial census or other appropriate source as approved by the director; and

(3) The resident population of the area shall be at least five hundred but not more than one hundred thousand at the time of designation as an enhanced enterprise zone if the area lies within a metropolitan statistical area, as established by the United States Census Bureau, or if the area does not lie within a metropolitan statistical area, the resident population of the area at the time of designation shall be at least five hundred but not more than forty thousand inhabitants. If the population of the jurisdiction of the governing authority does not meet the minimum population requirements set forth in this subdivision, the population of the area must be at least fifty percent of the population of the jurisdiction. However, no enhanced enterprise zone shall be created which consists of the total area within the political boundaries of a county;

(4) The level of unemployment of persons, according to the most recent data available from the United States Bureau of Census and approved by the director, within the area is equal to or exceeds the average rate of unemployment for:

(a) The state of Missouri over the previous twelve months; or

(b) The county or city not within a county over the previous twelve months; and

(5) No finding of blight under this chapter shall be used to meet the conditions for blight under any other statute of this state.

2. Notwithstanding the requirements of subsection 1 of this section to the contrary, an enhanced enterprise zone may be established in an area located within a county for which public and individual assistance has been requested by the governor pursuant to Section 401 of the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act, 42 U.S.C. 5121, et seq., for an emergency proclaimed by the governor pursuant to section 44.100 due to a natural disaster of major proportions, if the area to be designated is blighted and sustained severe damage as a result of such natural disaster, as determined by the state emergency management agency. An application for designation as an enhanced enterprise zone pursuant to this subsection shall be made before the expiration of one year from the date the governor requested federal relief for the area sought to be designated.

3. Notwithstanding the requirements of subsection 1 of this section to the contrary, an enhanced enterprise zone may be designated in a county of declining population if it meets the requirements of subdivisions (1), (3) and either (2) or (4) of subsection 1 of this section. For the purposes of this subsection, a "county of declining population" is one that has lost one percent or more of its population as demonstrated by comparing the most recent decennial census population to the next most recent decennial census population for the county.

4. In addition to meeting the requirements of subsection 1, 2, or 3 of this section, an area, to qualify as an enhanced enterprise zone, shall be demonstrated by the governing authority to have either:

(1) The potential to create sustainable jobs in a targeted industry; or

(2) A demonstrated impact on local industry cluster development.

5. Notwithstanding the requirements of subsections 1 and 4 of this section to the contrary, a renewable energy generation zone may be designated as an enhanced enterprise zone if the renewable energy generation zone meets the criteria set forth in subdivision (25) of section 135.950 .