HCSHB1749--INITIATIVEPETITIONSANDREFERENDUMS(Haffner)
COMMITTEEOFORIGIN:StandingCommitteeonElectionsandElected
Officials
Thisbillrequiresinitiativeandreferendumpetitionsignature
pagestobeprintedonaformasspecifiedbytheSecretaryof
State.Signaturepageformsshallbemadeavailableinelectronic
format.
Nomeasurecirculatingbypetitionshallclaimtonullifyoramend
Federallaw.
Thebillprovidesthatinitiativeandreferendumpetitions
submittedtotheSecretaryofStateshallnotbeconsideredopen
recordsundertheMissouriSunshineLaw.Noelectionauthority
shallknowinglyprovidecompletedpetitionpagestoanyentity
otherthantheSecretaryofState'soffice.Aviolationofthis
sectionshallbeaclassAmisdemeanor.
Signaturesshallberecordedusingblackordarkink.
Thisbillrequiresthatpetitioncirculatorsbecitizensofthe
UnitedStates,residentsofMissouriorphysicallypresentin
Missouriforatleast30consecutivedayspriortothecollection
ofsignatures,andprohibitsthemfrombeingcompensatedbasedon
thenumberofsignaturescollected.
Thebillrequiresfinaladjudicationrelatingtoachallengeofthe
officialballottitleorfiscalnotetooccurlessthaneightweeks
beforethedateoftheelection.
Currently,theSecretaryofStateandAttorneyGeneralreview
initiativeandreferendumpetitionsforsufficiencyastoformand
approveorrejectthemonthatbasis.Thisbillchangesthisto
requiretheseofficialstoreviewinitiativeandreferendum
petitionsforcompliancewithSection116.050,RSMoandwith
ArticleIIIoftheMissouriConstitution.
Currently,anycitizenmaychallengetheofficialballottitleor
fiscalnoteforaConstitutional amendment,initiativepetition,or
referendummeasure. Thisbillchangesthistoonlyallowany
Missouriregisteredvotertomakesuchachallenge.
Thisbillrequiresinitiativeandreferendumpetitionsamplesheets
tobesubmittedtotheSecretaryofStatesixmonthspriortothe
nextgeneralelection. Ifacourtordersachangethatsubstantiallyaltersthecontentof
theofficialballottitleofaninitiativeorreferendumpetition,
allsignaturesgatheredbeforesuchchangeoccurredshallbe
invalidated.
ThisbillrepealstherequirementthattheJointCommitteeon
LegislativeResearchholdahearingtotakepubliccommentona
proposedmeasurewithin30daysoftheSecretaryofStateissuing
certificationthatthepetitioncontainsasufficientnumberof
validsignatures.
ThisbillissimilartoHB703(2023).