Bill > HB73

This bill modifies residency requirements for appointments to nonelected boards and commissions in small cities (fourth-classification cities with fewer than 3,000 inhabitants). For such cities, the bill allows mayoral appointees to a board or commission to satisfy residency requirements by owning real property or a business in the city, even if they do not actually live within the city limits. For nonelected boards managing municipal utilities specifically, additional conditions must be met: the appointee must reside within five miles of the city, own property or a business in the city, be a customer of the utility, and have no financial interest in competing utilities. The bill explicitly excludes cities located in counties with over one million inhabitants from these new provisions, which suggests the legislation is targeted at helping smaller, rural municipalities overcome challenges in finding qualified board members when strict residency rules might limit their candidate pool. The bill aims to provide more flexibility in board appointments while maintaining some connection to the local community through property ownership and utility use.

Agriculture and Natural Resources, Government Affairs

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB73&year=2025&code=R