Bill > HB575

This bill modifies Missouri's laws regarding initiative petitions and referendum processes, introducing several key changes. It updates the forms and requirements for both initiative and referendum petitions, including new specifications for petition page formatting, such as minimum font sizes and margins. The bill establishes more stringent requirements for petition circulators, mandating that they must be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years old, residents of Missouri or physically present in the state for 30 consecutive days before collecting signatures, and registered with the secretary of state. The legislation also introduces stricter penalties for petition signature fraud, making it a class A misdemeanor to forge signatures, sign petitions multiple times, or engage in other fraudulent petition-related activities. Additionally, the bill modifies the process for challenging ballot titles and fiscal notes, shortens the timeframe for legal challenges, and adds more detailed requirements for submitting and approving petition sample sheets. The changes aim to enhance the integrity of the initiative and referendum processes by adding more oversight, transparency, and legal accountability to petition circulation and signature collection.

Government Affairs

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB575&year=2025&code=R