HCSHBs575&551--INITIATIVEANDREFERENDUMPETITIONS
(Banderman)
COMMITTEEOFORIGIN:StandingCommitteeonElections
ThefollowingisasummaryoftheHouseCommitteeSubstituteforHB
575.
Thisbillrequiresinitiativeandreferendumpetitionsignature
pagestobeprintedonaformasspecifiedbytheSecretaryof
State.Signaturepageformswillbemadeavailableinelectronic
format(Sections116.045and116.050,RSMo).
ThebillrequirespetitioncirculatorstobecitizensoftheUnited
States,residentsofMissouriorphysicallypresentinMissourifor
atleast30consecutivedayspriortothecollectionofsignatures,
andprohibitsthemfrombeingcompensatedbasedonthenumberof
signaturescollected. Circulatoraffidavitsareupdatedtoreflect
theserequirements (Sections116.030,116.040,116.080).
Signatureswillberecordedusingblackordarkink.(Section
116.130)
Currently,anycitizencanchallengetheofficialballottitleor
fiscalnoteforaConstitutional amendment,initiativepetition,or
referendummeasure. Thisbillchangesthistoonlyallowany
Missouriregisteredvotertomakeachallenge (Sections116.190
and116.200).
Thebillrequiresfinaladjudicationrelatingtoachallengeofthe
officialballottitleorfiscalnotetooccuratleasteightweeks
beforethedateoftheelection (Section116.190).
Currently,theSecretaryofStateandAttorneyGeneralreview
initiativeandreferendumpetitionsforsufficiencyastoformand
approveorrejectthemonthatbasis.Thisbillchangesthisto
requiretheseofficialstoreviewinitiativeandreferendum
petitionsforcompliancewithSection116.050andwithArticleIII
oftheMissouriConstitution (Section116.332).
ThebillrepealstherequirementthattheJointCommitteeon
LegislativeResearchholdahearingtotakepubliccommentona
proposedmeasurewithin30daysoftheSecretaryofStateissuing
certificationthatthepetitioncontainsasufficientnumberof
validsignatures (Section116.153).
ThisbillissimilartoHB1749(2024)andHB703(2023).