HB575--INITIATIVEANDREFERENDUMPETITIONS
SPONSOR: Banderman
Thisbillrequiresinitiativeandreferendumpetitionsignature
pagestobeprintedonaformasspecifiedbytheSecretaryof
State.Signaturepageformswillbemadeavailableinelectronic
format.
Nomeasurecirculatingbypetitioncanclaimtonullifyoramend
FederallaworaccomplishanyactthattheUnitedStates
ConstitutionrequirestobeaccomplishedbytheGeneralAssembly.
Thisbillrequirespetitioncirculatorstobecitizensofthe
UnitedStates,residentsofMissouriorphysicallypresentin
Missouriforatleast30consecutivedayspriortothecollection
ofsignatures,andprohibitsthemfrombeingcompensatedbasedon
thenumberofsignaturescollected.
Thebillprovidesthatinitiativeandreferendumpetitions
submittedtotheSecretaryofStatecannotbeconsideredopen
recordsundertheMissouriSunshineLaw.Anelectionauthoritycan
notknowinglyprovidecompletedpetitionpagestoanyentityother
thantheSecretaryofState'soffice.Aviolationofthissection
isaclassAmisdemeanor.
Signatureswillberecordedusingblackordarkink.
Currently,anycitizencanchallengetheofficialballottitleor
fiscalnoteforaConstitutional amendment,initiativepetition,or
referendummeasure. Thisbillchangesthistoonlyallowany
Missouriregisteredvotertomakeachallenge.
Thebillrequiresfinaladjudicationrelatingtoachallengeofthe
officialballottitleorfiscalnotetooccuratleasteightweeks
beforethedateoftheelection.
Currently,theSecretaryofStateandAttorneyGeneralreview
initiativeandreferendumpetitionsforsufficiencyastoformand
approveorrejectthemonthatbasis.Thisbillchangesthisto
requiretheseofficialstoreviewinitiativeandreferendum
petitionsforcompliancewithSection116.050,RSMoandwith
ArticleIIIoftheMissouriConstitution.
Thebillrequiresinitiativeandreferendumpetitionsamplesheets
tobesubmittedtotheSecretaryofStatesixmonthspriortothe
nextgeneralelection. Ifacourtordersachangethat
substantiallyaltersthecontentoftheofficialballottitleofan initiativeorreferendumpetition,allsignaturesgatheredbefore
thechangeoccurredareinvalidated.
ThisbillrepealstherequirementthattheJointCommitteeon
LegislativeResearchholdahearingtotakepubliccommentona
proposedmeasurewithin30daysoftheSecretaryofStateissuing
certificationthatthepetitioncontainsasufficientnumberof
validsignatures.
ThisbillissimilartoHB1749(2024)andHB703(2023).