FIRSTREGULARSESSION
HOUSEBILLNO.1235
103RDGENERALASSEMBLY
INTRODUCEDBYREPRESENTATIVETERRY.
2566H.01I JOSEPHENGLER,ChiefClerk
ANACT
Toamendchapters78,79,and80,RSMo,byaddingtheretoninenewsectionsrelatingto
recallsofelectedcityofficials.
BeitenactedbytheGeneralAssemblyofthestateofMissouri,asfollows:
SectionA.Chapters78,79,and80,RSMo,areamendedbyaddingtheretoninenew
2sections,tobeknownassections78.650,78.655,78.660,79.650,79.655,79.660,80.562,
380.564,and80.566,toreadasfollows:
78.650.1.Theholderofanyelectiveofficeinacityofthethirdclassification
2withanoptionalformofgovernmentorganizedunderthischaptermayberemovedby
3thequalifiedvotersofsuchcitybyrecallpetitioninaccordancewiththeprocedureset
4outinsections78.650to78.660subjecttothefollowinglimitations:
5 (1)Theofficerhasheldofficeforatleastsixmonths;
6 (2)Morethanonerecallpetitionmaybefiledforeachofficerbutnotlessthan
7sixmonthsaftervoterdisapprovaloftheofficer'smostrecentrecallpetition;and
8 (3)Therecalledofficershallnotbeacandidateforaspecialelectionheldtofill
9thevacancycreatedbysuchofficer'srecall,norshallsuchrecalledofficerbeappointed
10bytheappointingauthoritytofillthevacancy.
11 2.(1)Apetitiondemandingtherecallofanindividualfromelectiveofficeshall
12besignedbyvotersentitledtovoteforasuccessortotheincumbentsoughttobe
13recalled,equalinnumbertoatleasttwenty-fivepercentofthetotalnumberof
14registeredvotersinsuchcityeligibletovoteforsuchsuccessor.Thesignaturestothe
15petitionneednotallbeappendedtoonepaperbuteachsignershallincludewiththe
16signaturethestreetandnumberofthesigner'splaceofresidenceandthedatesigned.
EXPLANATION—Matterenclosedinbold-facedbrackets[thus] intheabovebillisnotenactedandis
intendedtobeomittedfromthelaw.Matterinbold-facetypeintheabovebillisproposedlanguage. 17 (2)Suchpetitionforrecallshallbefiledwiththeelectionauthorityofthecounty
18inwhichthecityislocatedwithinsixtydaysafterthedateoftheearliestsignatureon
19thepetition.
20 (3)Oneofthesignersofeachsuchpetitionshallswearoraffirmbeforean
21officercompetenttoadministeroathsthatthestatementsmadeinthepetitionaretrue
22assuchsignerbelievesandthateachsignatureappendedtothepetitionisthegenuine
23signatureoftheindividualwhosenamesuchsignaturepurportstobe.
24 (4)Suchpetitionshallcontainastatementofthereasonsforwhichrecallis
25sought,whichshallnotbemorethantwohundredwordsinlength.Theauthorized
26reasonsforrecallaremisconductinoffice,incompetence,orfailuretoperformduties
27prescribedbylaw.
78.655.1.Withintendaysafterthedateoffilingsuchrecallpetition,theelection
2authorityofthecountyinwhichsuchcityislocatedshallexamineandascertainfrom
3thevoters'registerwhetherthepetitionissignedbytherequisitenumberofvoters.If
4necessary,theboardofaldersshallallowtheelectionauthorityextrahelpforsuch
5purpose.Theelectionauthorityshallattachtheelectionauthority'scertificateshowing
6theresultoftheexaminationtothepetition.
7 2.If,bytheelectionauthority'scertificate,thepetitionisshowntobe
8insufficient,thepetitionmaybeamendedwithintendaysafterthedateofthe
9certificate.Theelectionauthorityshall,withintendaysaftersuchamendment,conduct
10asimilarexaminationoftheamendedpetition.Iftheelectionauthoritycertifiesthatthe
11amendedpetitionisinsufficient,thepetitionshallbereturnedtotheindividualfilingthe
12petition,withoutprejudicetothefilingofanewpetitiontothesameeffect.
13 3.Ifthepetitionisdeemedtobesufficient,theelectionauthorityshallsubmitthe
14petitiontotheboardofalderswithoutdelayandtheboardofaldersshallorderthe
15questiontobesubmittedtothevotersofthecity.
78.660.1.Aspecialelectionshallbeheldontherecallpetitionassoonas
2practicableandasmaybedeterminedbytheelectionauthority.
3 2.Thequestiontobesubmittedtothevotersatsuchelectionshallbein
4substantiallythefollowingform:
☐5 FORtheremovalof______(nameofofficer)fromthe
6 officeof______(titleofoffice)
☐7 AGAINSTtheremovalof______(nameofofficer)from
8 theofficeof______(titleofoffice)
9 3.Ifamajorityofthequalifiedelectorsvotingonthequestionatsuchelection
10votefortheremovalofsuchofficer,avacancyshallexistinsuchoffice.Ifamajorityof
HB1235 2 11thequalifiedelectorsvotingonthequestionatsuchelectionvoteagainsttheremovalof
12suchofficer,suchofficershallcontinuetoserveduringthetermforwhichelected.
79.650.1.Theholderofanyelectiveofficeinacityofthefourthclassification
2mayberemovedbythequalifiedvotersofsuchcitybyrecallpetitioninaccordancewith
3theproceduresetoutinsections79.650to79.660subjecttothefollowinglimitations:
4 (1)Theofficerhasheldofficeforatleastsixmonths;
5 (2)Inthecaseofanofficeforatermoftwoyearsonly,onerecallpetitionmaybe
6filedduringsuchterm;
7 (3)Foratermofofficemorethantwoyears,additionalrecallpetitionsmaybe
8filedbutnotlessthansixmonthsaftervoterdisapprovaloftheofficer'smostrecent
9recallpetition;and
10 (4)Therecalledofficershallnotbeacandidateforaspecialelectionheldtofill
11thevacancycreatedbysuchofficer'srecall,norshallsuchrecalledofficerbeappointed
12bytheappointingauthoritytofillthevacancy.
13 2.(1)Apetitiondemandingtherecallofanindividualfromelectiveofficeshall
14besignedbyvotersentitledtovoteforasuccessortotheincumbentsoughttobe
15recalled,equalinnumbertoatleasttwenty-fivepercentofthetotalnumberof
16registeredvotersinsuchcityeligibletovoteforsuchsuccessor.Thesignaturestothe
17petitionneednotallbeappendedtoonepaperbuteachsignershallincludewiththe
18signaturethestreetandnumberofthesigner'splaceofresidenceandthedatesigned.
19 (2)Suchpetitionforrecallshallbefiledwiththeelectionauthorityofthecounty
20inwhichthecityislocatedwithinsixtydaysafterthedateoftheearliestsignatureon
21thepetition.
22 (3)Oneofthesignersofeachsuchpetitionshallswearoraffirmbeforean
23officercompetenttoadministeroathsthatthestatementsmadeinthepetitionaretrue
24assuchsignerbelievesandthateachsignatureappendedtothepetitionisthegenuine
25signatureoftheindividualwhosenamesuchsignaturepurportstobe.
26 (4)Suchpetitionshallcontainastatementofthereasonsforwhichrecallis
27sought,whichshallnotbemorethantwohundredwordsinlength.Theauthorized
28reasonsforrecallaremisconductinoffice,incompetence,orfailuretoperformduties
29prescribedbylaw.
79.655.1.Withintendaysafterthedateoffilingsuchrecallpetition,theelection
2authorityofthecountyinwhichsuchcityislocatedshallexamineandascertainfrom
3thevoters'registerwhetherthepetitionissignedbytherequisitenumberofvoters.If
4necessary,theboardofaldersshallallowtheelectionauthorityextrahelpforsuch
5purpose.Theelectionauthorityshallattachtheelectionauthority'scertificateshowing
6theresultoftheexaminationtothepetition.
HB1235 3 7 2.If,bytheelectionauthority'scertificate,thepetitionisshowntobe
8insufficient,thepetitionmaybeamendedwithintendaysafterthedateofthe
9certificate.Theelectionauthorityshall,withintendaysaftersuchamendment,conduct
10asimilarexaminationoftheamendedpetition.Iftheelectionauthoritycertifiesthatthe
11amendedpetitionisinsufficient,thepetitionshallbereturnedtotheindividualfilingthe
12petition,withoutprejudicetothefilingofanewpetitiontothesameeffect.
13 3.Ifthepetitionisdeemedtobesufficient,theelectionauthorityshallsubmitthe
14petitiontotheboardofalderswithoutdelayandtheboardofaldersshallorderthe
15questiontobesubmittedtothevotersofthecity.
79.660.1.Aspecialelectionshallbeheldontherecallpetitionassoonas
2practicableandasmaybedeterminedbytheelectionauthority.
3 2.Thequestiontobesubmittedtothevotersatsuchelectionshallbein
4substantiallythefollowingform:
☐5 FORtheremovalof______(nameofofficer)fromthe
6 officeof______(titleofoffice)
☐7 AGAINSTtheremovalof______(nameofofficer)from
8 theofficeof______(titleofoffice)
9 3.Ifamajorityofthequalifiedelectorsvotingonthequestionatsuchelection
10votefortheremovalofsuchofficer,avacancyshallexistinsuchoffice.Ifamajorityof
11thequalifiedelectorsvotingonthequestionatsuchelectionvoteagainsttheremovalof
12suchofficer,suchofficershallcontinuetoserveduringthetermforwhichelected.
80.562.1.Theholderofanyelectiveofficeinavillagemayberemovedbythe
2qualifiedvotersofsuchvillagebyrecallpetitioninaccordancewiththeprocedureset
3outinsections80.562to80.566subjecttothefollowinglimitations:
4 (1)Theofficerhasheldofficeforatleastsixmonths;
5 (2)Morethanonerecallpetitionmaybefiledforeachofficerbutnotlessthan
6sixmonthsaftervoterdisapprovaloftheofficer'smostrecentrecallpetition;and
7 (3)Therecalledofficershallnotbeacandidateforaspecialelectionheldtofill
8thevacancycreatedbysuchofficer'srecall,norshallsuchrecalledofficerbeappointed
9bytheappointingauthoritytofillthevacancy.
10 2.(1)Apetitiondemandingtherecallofanindividualfromelectiveofficeshall
11besignedbyvotersentitledtovoteforasuccessortotheincumbentsoughttobe
12recalled,equalinnumbertoatleasttwenty-fivepercentofthetotalnumberof
13registeredvotersinsuchvillageeligibletovoteforsuchsuccessor.Thesignaturestothe
14petitionneednotallbeappendedtoonepaperbuteachsignershallincludewiththe
15signaturethestreetandnumberofthesigner'splaceofresidenceandthedatesigned.
HB1235 4 16 (2)Suchpetitionforrecallshallbefiledwiththeelectionauthorityofthecounty
17inwhichthevillageislocatedwithinsixtydaysafterthedateoftheearliestsignatureon
18thepetition.
19 (3)Oneofthesignersofeachsuchpetitionshallswearoraffirmbeforean
20officercompetenttoadministeroathsthatthestatementsmadeinthepetitionaretrue
21assuchsignerbelievesandthateachsignatureappendedtothepetitionisthegenuine
22signatureoftheindividualwhosenamesuchsignaturepurportstobe.
23 (4)Suchpetitionshallcontainastatementofthereasonsforwhichrecallis
24sought,whichshallnotbemorethantwohundredwordsinlength.Theauthorized
25reasonsforrecallaremisconductinoffice,incompetence,orfailuretoperformduties
26prescribedbylaw.
80.564.1.Withintendaysafterthedateoffilingsuchrecallpetition,theelection
2authorityofthecountyinwhichsuchvillageislocatedshallexamineandascertainfrom
3thevoters'registerwhetherthepetitionissignedbytherequisitenumberofvoters.If
4necessary,theboardoftrusteesshallallowtheelectionauthorityextrahelpforsuch
5purpose.Theelectionauthorityshallattachtheelectionauthority'scertificateshowing
6theresultoftheexaminationtothepetition.
7 2.If,bytheelectionauthority'scertificate,thepetitionisshowntobe
8insufficient,thepetitionmaybeamendedwithintendaysafterthedateofthe
9certificate.Theelectionauthorityshall,withintendaysaftersuchamendment,conduct
10asimilarexaminationoftheamendedpetition.Iftheelectionauthoritycertifiesthatthe
11amendedpetitionisinsufficient,thepetitionshallbereturnedtotheindividualfilingthe
12petition,withoutprejudicetothefilingofanewpetitiontothesameeffect.
13 3.Ifthepetitionisdeemedtobesufficient,theelectionauthorityshallsubmitthe
14petitiontotheboardoftrusteeswithoutdelayandtheboardoftrusteesshallorderthe
15questiontobesubmittedtothevotersofthevillage.
80.566.1.Aspecialelectionshallbeheldontherecallpetitionassoonas
2practicableandasmaybedeterminedbytheelectionauthority.
3 2.Thequestiontobesubmittedtothevotersatsuchelectionshallbein
4substantiallythefollowingform:
☐5 FORtheremovalof______(nameofofficer)fromthe
6 officeof______(titleofoffice)
☐7 AGAINSTtheremovalof______(nameofofficer)from
8 theofficeof______(titleofoffice)
9 3.Ifamajorityofthequalifiedelectorsvotingonthequestionatsuchelection
10votefortheremovalofsuchofficer,avacancyshallexistinsuchoffice.Ifamajorityof
HB1235 5 11thequalifiedelectorsvotingonthequestionatsuchelectionvoteagainsttheremovalof
12suchofficer,suchofficershallcontinuetoserveduringthetermforwhichelected.
✔
HB1235 6