COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH
OVERSIGHT DIVISION
FISCAL NOTE
L.R. No.:4143S.01I Bill No.:SJR 31 Subject:Constitutional Amendments; Elections Type:Original Date:January 28, 2022Bill Summary:This joint resolution modifies the initiative petition process.
FISCAL SUMMARY
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON GENERAL REVENUE FUNDFUND AFFECTEDFY 2023FY 2024FY 2025
General Revenue*
$0 or (More than
$7,000,000)
$0$0Total Estimated Net
Effect on General
Revenue
$0 or (More than
$7,000,000)$0$0
*The potential fiscal impact of “(More than $7,000,000)” would be realized only if a special
election were called by the Governor to submit this joint resolution to voters.
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON OTHER STATE FUNDSFUND AFFECTEDFY 2023FY 2024FY 2025Total Estimated Net
Effect on Other State
Funds $0$0$0
Numbers within parentheses: () indicate costs or losses. L.R. No. 4143S.01I
Bill No. SJR 31
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January 28, 2022
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ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON FEDERAL FUNDSFUND AFFECTEDFY 2023FY 2024FY 2025Total Estimated Net
Effect on All Federal
Funds $0$0$0
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON FULL TIME EQUIVALENT (FTE)FUND AFFECTEDFY 2023FY 2024FY 2025Total Estimated Net
Effect on FTE 000
☒ Estimated Net Effect (expenditures or reduced revenues) expected to exceed $250,000 in any
of the three fiscal years after implementation of the act or at full implementation of the act.
☐ Estimated Net Effect (savings or increased revenues) expected to exceed $250,000 in any of
the three fiscal years after implementation of the act or at full implementation of the act.
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON LOCAL FUNDSFUND AFFECTEDFY 2023FY 2024FY 2025Local Government$0*$0$0
*Transfer out and transfer in net to zero if the Governor calls a special election. L.R. No. 4143S.01I
Bill No. SJR 31
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January 28, 2022
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FISCAL ANALYSIS
ASSUMPTION
Officials from the Office of the Secretary of State (SOS) assume the proposal increases the
number of required signatures for a successful initiative petition. The current requirement of 8%
(constitutional) or 5% (statutory) of voters from the previous gubernatorial election in six out of
eight congressional districts is slightly over 171,000 or 107,000 signatures respectively. The
proposed change to 15% (constitutional) or 5% (statutory) in all eight congressional districts
would increase that minimum number to over 477,000 (constitutional) or 159,000 (statutory), an
increase of approximately 50% for statutory measures and up to 180% for constitutional
amendments. This increase in signatures would lead to an increase in pages submitted per
petition and therefore an increase in processing costs when signatures are submitted for
verification. The referendum petition submitted in 2017 contained over 250,000 valid signatures
and cost approximately $32,000 in state resources to process for sufficiency, which SOS does
with existing staff. A 180% increase in signatures could result in a processing cost of up to
$89,600 per petition, an increase of $57,600 per petition expended in FY 2024, which the agency
would absorb. Based on an average amount of five petitions submitted for verification per
election cycle, this would result in total increased costs of up to $288,000. This increase does not
include resources expended by local election authorities, nor does it include any additional costs
that the Secretary of State's Office could incur in order to continue to meet all statutory
processing deadlines.
Additionally, each year, a number of joint resolutions that would refer to a vote of the people a
constitutional amendment and bills that would refer to a vote of the people the statutory issue in
the legislation may be considered by the General Assembly.
Unless a special election is called for the purpose, Joint Resolutions proposing a constitutional
amendment are submitted to a vote of the people at the next general election. Article XII section
2(b) of the Missouri Constitution authorizes the Governor to order a special election for
constitutional amendments referred to the people. If a special election is called to submit a Joint
Resolution to a vote of the people, section 115.063.2 RSMo requires the state to pay the costs.
The cost of the special election has been estimated to be $7 million based on the cost of the 2020
Presidential Preference Primary.
The Secretary of State’s office is required to pay for publishing in local newspapers the full text
of each statewide ballot measure as directed by Article XII, Section 2(b) of the Missouri
Constitution and Section 116.230-116.290, RSMo. Funding for this item is adjusted each year
depending upon the election cycle. A new decision item is requested in odd numbered fiscal
years and the amount requested is dependent upon the estimated number of ballot measures that
will be approved by the General Assembly and the initiative petitions certified for the ballot. In L.R. No. 4143S.01I
Bill No. SJR 31
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FY 2014, the General Assembly changed the appropriation so that it was no longer an estimated
appropriation.
For the FY22 petitions cycle, the SOS estimates publication costs at $70,000 per page. This
amount is subject to change based on number of petitions received, length of those petitions and
rates charged by newspaper publishers.
The Secretary of State’s office will continue to assume, for the purposes of this fiscal note, that it
should have the full appropriation authority it needs to meet the publishing requirements.
Because these requirements are mandatory, they reserve the right to request funding to meet the
cost of their publishing requirements if the Governor and the General Assembly again change the
amount or continue to not designate it as an estimated appropriation.
Oversight has reflected, in this fiscal note, the state potentially reimbursing local political
subdivisions the cost of having this joint resolution voted on during a special election in fiscal
year 2023. This reflects the decision made by the Joint Committee on Legislative Research that
the cost of the elections should be shown in the fiscal note. The next scheduled statewide
primary election is in August 2022 and the next scheduled general election is in November 2022
(both in FY 2023). It is assumed the subject within this proposal could be on one of these ballots;
however, it could also be on a special election called for by the Governor (a different date).
Therefore, Oversight will reflect a potential election cost reimbursement to local political
subdivisions in FY 2023.
Officials from the Missouri Senate, Missouri House of RepresentativesPlatte County Board
of Elections, Jackson County Board of Elections, and St. Louis County Board of Elections
each assume the proposal will have no fiscal impact on their respective organizations. Oversight
does not have any information to the contrary. Therefore, Oversight will reflect a zero impact in
the fiscal note for these agencies. Oversight assumes the higher threshold of signatures to verify
for local election agencies would be offset by a fewer number of petitions that can meet the now
higher signature thresholds.
Oversight only reflects the responses that we have received from state agencies and political
subdivisions; however, other local election authorities and county clerks were requested to
respond to this proposed legislation but did not. A general listing of political subdivisions
included in our database is available upon request. L.R. No. 4143S.01I
Bill No. SJR 31
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FISCAL IMPACT – State GovernmentFY 2023
(10 Mo.)
FY 2024FY 2025GENERAL REVENUE FUNDTransfer Out – SOS – reimbursement of
Local Election Authorities election
costs if special election is called for by
the Governor
$0 or (More than
$7,000,000)$0$0
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON
GENERAL REVENUE FUND
$0 or (More
than $7,000,000)$0$0
FISCAL IMPACT – Local GovernmentFY 2023
(10 Mo.)
FY 2024FY 2025LOCAL POLITICAL
SUBDIVISIONS
Transfer In - Local Election Authorities
reimbursement of election costs by
State for a special election
$0 or More than
$7,000,000$0$0
Costs - Local Election Authorities
cost of a special election if called for by
the Governor
$0 or (More than
$7,000,000)$0$0
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON
LOCAL POLITICAL
SUBDIVISIONS$0$0$0
FISCAL IMPACT – Small Business
No direct fiscal impact to small businesses would be expected as a result of this proposal. L.R. No. 4143S.01I
Bill No. SJR 31
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FISCAL DESCRIPTION
Under current law, initiative petitions proposing constitutional amendments must be signed by
8% of the legal voters in each of two-thirds of the congressional districts. This constitutional
amendment, if approved by the voters, requires such petitions to be signed by 15% of the legal
voters in each of the congressional districts.
Current law additionally provides that initiative petitions proposing constitutional amendments
shall take effect when approved by a simple majority of the votes cast thereon prior to taking
effect. This constitutional amendment requires such initiatives to be approved by at least two-
thirds of the votes cast thereon.
This legislation is not federally mandated, would not duplicate any other program and would not
require additional capital improvements or rental space.
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Office of the Secretary of State
Missouri House of Representatives
Missouri Senate
Jackson County Board of Elections
Platte County Board of Elections
St. Louis County Board of Elections
Julie MorffRoss StropeDirectorAssistant DirectorJanuary 28, 2022January 28, 2022