Missouri 2023 2023 Regular Session

Missouri House Bill HJR33 Introduced / Fiscal Note

                    COMMITTEE ON LEGISLATIVE RESEARCH
OVERSIGHT DIVISION
FISCAL NOTE
L.R. No.:0831H.02I Bill No.:HJR 33  Subject:Taxation and Revenue - Property; Property, Real and Personal; Constitutional 
Amendments; Department of Revenue 
Type:Original  Date:February 12, 2023Bill Summary:This resolution proposes a constitutional amendment relating to real property 
tax assessments. 
FISCAL SUMMARY
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON GENERAL REVENUE FUNDFUND AFFECTEDFY 2024FY 2025FY 2026
General Revenue*
$0 or (More than 
$10,000,000)$0$0
Total Estimated Net 
Effect on General 
Revenue
$0 or (More than 
$10,000,000)$0$0
*$10,000,0000 cost would only be incurred if a special election was called.
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON OTHER STATE FUNDSFUND AFFECTEDFY 2024FY 2025FY 2026Blind Pension Fund*$0$0$0 or (Unknown)Total Estimated Net 
Effect on Other State 
Funds $0$0$0 or (Unknown)
* Oversight assumes the unknown fiscal impact to the Blind Pension Fund could exceed 
($250,000) relative to what it would have received under current law
Numbers within parentheses: () indicate costs or losses. L.R. No. 0831H.02I 
Bill No. HJR 33  
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February 12, 2023
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ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON FEDERAL FUNDSFUND AFFECTEDFY 2024FY 2025FY 2026Total Estimated Net 
Effect on All Federal 
Funds $0$0$0
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON FULL TIME EQUIVALENT (FTE)FUND AFFECTEDFY 2024FY 2025FY 2026Total 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 2024FY 2025FY 2026Local Government$0*$0$0 or (Unknown)
*Transfers and costs net to zero if the Governor calls a special election. L.R. No. 0831H.02I 
Bill No. HJR 33  
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February 12, 2023
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FISCAL ANALYSIS
ASSUMPTION
Officials from Office of the Secretary of State assume, 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 $10 million based on the cost of the 
2022 primary and general election reimbursements.
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 
FY 2014, the General Assembly changed the appropriation so that it was no longer an estimated 
appropriation. 
For the FY24 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, the SOS reserves the right to request funding to meet 
the cost of the 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 2024. 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 2024 and the next scheduled general election is in November 2024 
(both in FY 2025). 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).  L.R. No. 0831H.02I 
Bill No. HJR 33  
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February 12, 2023
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Therefore, Oversight will reflect a potential election cost reimbursement to local political 
subdivisions in FY 2024.
Officials from the State Tax Commission (STC) has determined that this bill proposes 
residential real property be valued at the most recent assessed value, or the fair market value for 
said property be determined at the most recent sale. This bill also proposes that the increase of 
real residential property is the Consumer Price Index percentage rate of increase or 2% 
whichever is less. This proposal has an unknown fiscal impact on the State Tax Commission, 
however the limitation on assessment growth may negatively impact revenues for school 
districts, counties, cities, fire districts and other local taxing jurisdictions supported by property 
tax revenues. Additionally, restrictions on assessment growth may create disparities and 
inequities over time among residential properties and categories of homeowners, potentially 
shifting a greater share of the tax burden from one class of homeowner to another. A newer 
home's true market value used for assessment may increase far more than an older home or vice 
versa depending on market conditions. An assessment limit may impact assessment growth and 
over time potentially create a large disparity.
Officials from the Office of Administration - Budget and Planning, Department of Social 
Services Office of the State Auditor 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.  
Officials from the City of Kansas City assume this legislation is projected to have a negative 
fiscal impact of an indeterminable amount.  Residential real property assessed valuation growth 
would be limited to the change in the consumer price index (CPI) of most recent previous 
assessment or 2% annual increase in assessed valuation whichever is less. Currently the 
permitted reassessment revenue growth is based on the lower of actual growth, the change in CPI 
or 5%.
Officials from the City of Springfield anticipate a fiscal impact from this bill, but does not have 
sufficient data to determine whether an impact would be negative or to estimate an amount.
Officials from the St Louis County Health Department assume any reduction to property taxes 
would negatively impact the health department's health fund. A reduction of revenue would 
mean a reduction in critical health services the department provides for our residents. The 
amount of revenue loss is unknown.
Officials from the Newton County Health Department and the Lincoln County Assessor each 
assume the proposal will have no fiscal impact on their respective organizations.
Oversight notes this proposal would set the true value of a property (that has been sold since its 
most recent assessment) at the total fair market value of the compensation received by the seller. 
Oversight assumes if the compensation received by the seller is substantially different from the 
value as determined by the county assessor, this proposal could impact property tax revenues for  L.R. No. 0831H.02I 
Bill No. HJR 33  
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February 12, 2023
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the Blind Pension Fund and local political subdivisions. Oversight notes the STC conducts a 
biennial ratio study
recent sale price or value estimated by an independent appraisal. Most county ratios studies 
indicate the assessed values are below (in some cases substantially below) the market value 
proxy. 
For purposes of this fiscal note, Oversight assumes this provision could cause an increase in 
assessed values. Oversight will show a range of impact for this provision from $0 (the joint 
resolution is not passed or tax levies are able to be adjusted) to an unknown gain in revenue. 
Additionally, for properties that have not sold since their most recent assessment, Oversight 
assumes this proposal would limit increases in the assessed values of individual residential 
property to the change in CPI per year (estimated at 6.5% for 2022) or 2% whichever is lower.  
Oversight used a two property example to demonstrate the potential changes to the assessed 
values as a result of this proposal.
Table I: Assessed Values Prior Year 
Market 
Value
Prior Year 
Assessed Value 
(19%)
Current Year 
Market Value 
(Assumed)
Assessed 
Value Current 
(19%)
Assessed 
Value 
Proposed*
Property 
1
$100,000 $19,000 $105,000 $19,950 $19,380 Property 
2
$100,000 $19,000 $100,000 $19,000 $19,000 Total$200,000 $38,000 $205,000 $38,950 $38,380 
*For purposes of this example, Oversight assumed a 5% increase in the market value of property 
1 and no change in the market value of property 2.
**Oversight assumed the assessed value would be either the market value times 19% or the prior 
year assessed value plus a 2% increase whichever is lower.
Table II: Tax Rates
Assessed 
Values
Growth 
Factor
Maximum 
Allowed Revenue
(Prior Year 
Revenue plus 
Growth Factor)
Tax Rate 
Ceiling
(Maximum 
Revenue/ 
Assessed 
Value)*100
Prior Year (Assumed)$38,000 N/A$1,900 5.00Current Year Current Law $38,950 2.50%$1,948 5.00 L.R. No. 0831H.02I 
Bill No. HJR 33  
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February 12, 2023
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Current Year Proposed Law $38,380 1.00%$1,919 5.00
*The growth factor used in the tax levy calculation is either actual growth in assessed valuation, 
inflation based on CPI (6.5%) or 5% whichever is lower. In this example under the proposed 
law, actual growth is below inflation, therefore the growth factor used in the tax levy calculation 
is the actual growth rate of assessed values or 1% ((($38,380-$38,000)/$38,000)*100). 
Currently, growth in assessed values allows the tax rate to fall over time. In this example under 
the proposed legislation, the tax rate would fall at a slower rate than under the current law. 
Oversight notes some taxing entities have tax rate ceilings that are at their statutory or voter 
approved maximum. For these taxing entities, any decrease in the assessed values would not be 
offset by a higher tax rate (relative to current law) rather it would result in a loss of revenue.
In the example above, the growth in total assessed value as capped by this proposal was less than 
inflation (the most recent certification provided by STC). Oversight notes if the growth in total 
assessed values is less than inflation this proposal would result in a reduction of the maximum 
allowed revenue which would impact all taxing entities. Inflation as of December of 2022 was 
6.5% (all items per BLS).
Based on information provided by the Office of the State Auditor, Oversight notes, in 2020, 
there were over 2,500 tax entities with 4,000 different tax rates. Of those entities, 2,980 tax rate 
ceilings were below the entities’ statutory or voter approved maximum tax rate and 1,098 tax rate 
ceilings were at the entities’ statutory or voter approved maximum rate. (These numbers do not 
include entities which use a multi-rate method and calculate a separate tax rate for each subclass 
of property.) The distribution of tax on individual property owners would change as noted below 
in Table III. 
Table III: Distribution of Individual Property Tax
Prior Year
Tax 
Burden
Assessed Value 
Current (Table I)
Tax Burden 
Current 
Assessed Value 
Proposed (Table I)
Tax Burden 
Proposed 
Property 1$950.00 $19,950 $998 $19,380 $969 Property 2 $950.00 $19,000 $950 $19,000 $950 Total$1,900.00 $38,950 $1,948 $38,380 $1,919 
Oversight notes the Blind Pension Fund (0621) is calculated as an annual tax of three cents on 
each one hundred dollars valuation of taxable property ((Total Assessed Value/100)*.03). 
Because this proposal reduces the assessed value portion of this equation, the Blind Pension 
Fund will experience a decrease in revenue relative to what it would have received under current 
law. Below is an example of how this proposal would impact the Blind Pension Fund using the 
two property example. L.R. No. 0831H.02I 
Bill No. HJR 33  
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February 12, 2023
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Table IV: Blind Pension Trust Fund
Assessed ValueBlind Pension Trust Fund 
(Assessed Value/100)*0.03
Prior Year$38,000$11.40Current Year Current Law $38,950$11.69Current Year Proposed Law$38,380 $11.51 
Oversight assumes the magnitude of the impact to the Blind Pension Fund would depend on 
prevailing market conditions. 
Oversight assumes the impact from setting the assessed value at the compensation the seller 
would receive would be smaller than the impact from the cap on assessed values given that it 
would affect a smaller subset of properties. However, if this assumption is incorrect, this could 
alter the fiscal impact as presented in this fiscal note.
Oversight notes this proposal is contingent on a voter approved amendment to the Constitution. 
Oversight will show the impact as either $0 (Constitutional amendment is not approved by 
voters) to an unknown loss in revenue to the Blind Pension Fund and local political subdivisions 
beginning in FY 2026.
Oversight assumes there could be costs for implementation and computer programming. 
Oversight will show an unknown cost to county assessors to implement this proposal beginning 
in FY 2026. 
FISCAL IMPACT – State GovernmentFY 2024
(10 Mo.)
FY 2025FY 2026GENERAL REVENUETransfer Out - SOS - reimbursement of 
local election authority election costs if 
a special election is called by the 
Governor
$0 or  (More 
than 
$10,000,000)$0$0
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON 
GENERAL REVENUE
$0 or (More 
than 
$10,000,000)$0$0 L.R. No. 0831H.02I 
Bill No. HJR 33  
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February 12, 2023
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BLIND PENSION FUND Revenue Gain - from an unknown 
impact on assessed values if 
assessments are based on compensation 
received$0$0$0 to Unknown
Revenue Loss - loss of property tax on 
property that appreciates more than the 
change in CPI or 2%$0$0
$0 or 
(Unknown)
ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON 
THE BLIND PENSION FUND$0$0
$0 or 
(Unknown)
FISCAL IMPACT – Local GovernmentFY 2024
(10 Mo.)
FY 2025FY 2026LOCAL POLITICAL 
SUBDIVISIONS
Transfer In -  Local Election 
Authorities - reimbursement of election 
costs by the State for a special election
$0 or More 
than 
$10,000,000
$0$0
Costs -  Local Election Authorities - 
cost of a special election if called for by 
the Governor
$0 or (More 
than 
$10,000,000)$0$0
Costs - County Assessors - computer 
programing and administrative costs $0$0
$0 or 
(Unknown)
Revenue Gain - from an unknown 
impact on assessed values if 
assessments are based on compensation 
received
$0$0$0 to Unknown
Revenue Loss - loss of property tax on 
property that appreciates more than the 
change in CPI or 2%$0$0
$0 or 
(Unknown) L.R. No. 0831H.02I 
Bill No. HJR 33  
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February 12, 2023
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ESTIMATED NET EFFECT ON 
LOCAL POLITICAL 
SUBDIVISIONS$0$0
$0 or 
(Unknown)
FISCAL IMPACT – Small Business
Oversight assumes there could be a fiscal impact to small businesses if the change in assessed 
value of residential property resulted in an adjustment in the tax rate for commercial property.
FISCAL DESCRIPTION
Upon voter approval, beginning January 1, 2025, this proposed Constitutional amendment 
provides that for all residential real property, the true value of such property will be deemed to be 
the same value determined at the most recent previous assessment of the property, or if the 
property has been sold since its most recent assessment, the true value of such property will be 
deemed to be the total fair market value of the compensation received by the seller for the sale of 
such property.
A new assessment or reassessment of residential real property, the assessed valuation of such 
property may be increased from the assessed valuation of such property determined at its most 
recent previous assessment but only to the extent that such an increase:
(1) Incorporates the change in the Consumer Price Index since the most recent previous 
assessment or up to a 2% annual increase in the assessed valuation of the property, 
whichever is less; or
(2) Reflects the value added to the property as a result of new construction or 
improvements made to the property.
In the event that residential real property is sold, the title company of the purchaser of any such 
property must send to the assessor, as soon as reasonably practicable after the purchase,  a 
notarized copy of the sales contract of the property, and such document shall be considered a 
closed record under state law.
In the event that new construction or improvements are made residential real property, such 
value will be the actual cost of the new construction or improvements made to the property. 
Documentation of actual costs must be sent to the assessor as soon as reasonably practicable 
after the completion of the new construction or improvements. Such documentation of costs or 
other documents will not be made available to any entity and will be used only by the assessor 
for the sole purpose of establishing the true value of the property.
This legislation is not federally mandated, would not duplicate any other program and would not 
require additional capital improvements or rental space. L.R. No. 0831H.02I 
Bill No. HJR 33  
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February 12, 2023
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SOURCES OF INFORMATION
Department of Revenue
State Tax Commission
Office of Administration - Budget and Planning
Department of Social Services
Office of the Secretary of State
Office of the State Auditor 
City of Kansas City 
City of Springfield 
St Louis County Health Department 
Newton County Health Department
Lincoln County Assessor
Julie MorffRoss StropeDirectorAssistant DirectorFebruary 12, 2023February 12, 2023