Bill > HB414

This bill modifies the process for creating ballot summary language for constitutional amendments and bills in Missouri. Currently, when the General Assembly passes a resolution or bill to be voted on by the people, the secretary of state must forward it to the state auditor and prepare a summary statement within twenty days. The attorney general then has ten days to approve the summary's legal content and form. The key changes introduced by this bill are twofold: first, it stipulates that if the General Assembly includes an official summary statement with a proposed constitutional amendment or statutory measure, that statement must appear on the ballot and cannot be rewritten by courts. Second, if a court finds the summary statement legally flawed, the responsibility for revising the language shifts depending on whether the General Assembly is in session - if in session, they will rewrite the language, and if not, the secretary of state will handle the revision. The bill maintains the existing requirement that summary statements be no more than fifty words, excluding articles, and must be a true, impartial statement of the measure's purposes without being argumentative or creating prejudice.

Government Affairs

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB414&year=2025&code=R