Bill > HB2204

This bill creates two new sections in Missouri law that require transparency in public communications and protest activities. The first section mandates that any entity (called a "sponsoring entity") producing public communications advocating political, social, or ideological positions must clearly disclose their identity by including a "Paid for by" statement with the entity's name and location. This applies to various media formats like print, broadcast, digital, and outdoor advertising, with some exemptions for personal social media posts, news coverage, and internal communications. The bill also establishes that the Missouri Ethics Commission can investigate complaints, issue penalties, and enforce these disclosure requirements. The second section focuses on protest activities, requiring entities that compensate individuals to participate in protests to file detailed reports with the Ethics Commission, including information about expenditures, number of participants, date and location of the protest, and organizing entities. Reports must be filed within seven days or 48 hours for larger expenditures, and will be treated as public records. The bill emphasizes that these provisions are not intended to restrict First Amendment rights or regulate protest content, but rather to increase transparency about the financial backing of public communications and organized protests. Violations can result in civil penalties and potential misdemeanor charges for knowingly concealing compensation sources.

https://house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB2204&year=2026&code=R