Numerous Priority Bills Pass in the Final Hours of the 2025 Session

Unlike the previous three sessions, the Missouri Legislature worked steadfastly and found common ground on numerous issues throughout the session. Over the last nineteen weeks the House and Senate worked to pass a $52.8 billion state operating budget, 67 bills, and successfully confirmed numerous cabinet positions for recently elected Governor Mike Kehoe (R).  

For the 2025 session, 2,439 bills and 196 resolutions were filed between the House and Senate. Many would think that the passage of only 67 bills would not be considered a success, but those observing the process would disagree as many of the bills on the Governor's desk contain provisions from numerous bills and not just the sections filed initially by the bill sponsor.

Just like the past few years, the Senate adjourned ahead of schedule and thus we did not stay in session until the final hours on Friday May 16th at 6:00 pm.
The Missouri Senate reached an impasse in negotiations on two major priority bills as conversations broke down and differences could not be resolved between the House and Senate Democrat leadership on legislation dealing with two recently passed citizen initiatives on last November’s ballot. Those measures were Proposition A (minimum wage and paid sick leave) and Amendment 3 (abortion restrictions). The Senate Republican Majority elected to use a seldomly deployed cloture tactic to cut off a Senate filibuster of the abortion debate and immediately take up and pass HJR 73, which will place a differing question before the voters on abortion restrictions. Immediately after the vote on HJR 73, the Senate majority used the cloture motion again and passed House Bill 567, which rolled back Prop A's paid sick leave law and repealed the CPI inflator on the state minimum wage law for future years. Upon passage of these two bills, the Senate abruptly adjourned for the year and elected to forgo the final two remaining days of session.
It is unknown what lasting effects the use of the cloture motion will have on how the Senate operates in the near future, as many Senators left the Capitol extremely upset and holding contempt toward the decision to shut off debate.
The Legislature may not have much time to enjoy the adjournment of the 2025 session as Governor Mike Kehoe has mentioned in the media that he may be calling them back for a Special Session in the weeks ahead to address an issue left unresolved related to state assistance in the financing of new stadiums in the Kansas City region for the professional sports teams. Both the Kansas City Chiefs and the Kansas City Royals are looking at sites and plans for new stadiums and have received offers from differing locations including the state of Kansas. We expect the Governor to make his best effort to keep both teams in Missouri and this will be no easy task as many of the conservative members of the General Assembly are not excited about using public dollars on private sports teams.

As usual, you will find our detailed report below on all bills of interest that have passed and those that have failed. If you would like a copy of any of the bills that have reached the Governor’s desk, please let us know.

Unless the bill states otherwise, they will become effective on August 28, 2025. The Governor will receive most of the bills on May 31st as that is the official date of adjournment per the state constitution of the legislative session. From that point, the Governor has 45 days to act and thus all bills will be signed or vetoed by July 14, 2026.

Regarding state operating budget bills, the Governor must act by the end of June as the new fiscal year starts on July 1st. The Missouri constitution allows for the Governor to line item veto any part of the operating budget.

We truly appreciate the opportunity to work with you and don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions.

The General Assembly finished their work on the budget and sent a $52.8B budget to the Governor on May 9. The House failed to pass HB 19, a $513M capital improvements bill, indicating the House was more comfortable with a general revenue balance in reserve of $1.3B instead of $800M. HB 19 is comprised of several brick and mortar projects including $50M for the University of Missouri nuclear reactor project, upgrades to the Missouri State Fair grounds, several National Guard projects, a mental health hospital, railroad crossing projects, and flood plain planning. The budget now moves to Governor Kehoe for his review and implementation. The state’s fiscal year starts July 1.

The Governor has many decisions to make with his line-item veto authority in light of a proposed capital gains cut which impacts general revenue ($300-400M) in future years, the uncertainty of action at the federal level regarding Medicaid payments and a dwindling general revenue cash reserve (approximately $1.3B).

Items that highlight the budget include:

This bill allows for the closure of certain records under the Sunshine law.

This bill authorizes a public governmental body to close records that contain individually identifiable information of a minor 17 years of age and under held by a city, town, village, or park board, except when the records are requested by the Division of Labor Standards within the Department of Labor and Industrial Relations for the purpose of enforcing Chapter 294 RSMo, regarding child labor. It also authorizes the closing of records containing individually identifiable billing and usage records for customers of a utility operated by a political subdivision or customer information for visitors who make a camping, lodging, or shelter reservation for a Missouri state park, a county or municipal park, or a state historic site unless the records are requested by the visitor or authorized for release by the visitor. Records that protect the specific location of a plant or animal species that is considered endangered, threatened, imperiled, or vulnerable may also be closed under the provisions of this bill when the known location of the plant or animal can increase the risk to the specific species.

This bill also amends the Judicial Privacy Act to replace the definition for "judicial officer" with a definition for "court related officer", which includes various judges, prosecuting and circuit attorneys, circuit clerks, court administrators, deputy circuit clerks, division clerks, municipal clerks, and juvenile officers and chief deputy juvenile officers. The definition of "written request" is amended to exclude a court-related officer's personal information. The bill specifies that the prohibition on a government agency publicly posting or displaying publicly available content of a court-related officer does not apply to a court related officer's personal information that is included in any records of court proceedings of this State contained in any Statewide court automation system.

Currently, the payment of copying fees for public records can be requested before copies have been made. This changes that option to allow the payment of fees before the request is fulfilled, and provides that requests for public records to public governmental bodies are to be considered withdrawn if the individual requesting those records fails to remit fees within 90 days, or 150 days if the fees exceed $1,000, of a request for payment of fees by the public body prior to the fulfillment of the request. The governmental body is required to give notice to the individual requesting the records that the request will be considered withdrawn if payment is not received by the specified time frames.

Additionally, if the governmental body reaches out to obtain clarification on a request, and that request is not responded to following the same time frames as the payment of fees, the request must be considered withdrawn. If the same or a substantially similar request is made within six months following the expiration of the 90-day or 150-day time frames, and no fee had been remitted or no clarification offered during the previous request, the governmental body has the authority to request payment of fees for the original request as well as any allowable fees required to fulfill the subsequent request.

Any request for records to a public governmental body that is pending as of August 28, 2025, is to be considered withdrawn if the requester fails to remit payment for fees by January 1, 2026. However, these provisions do not apply if a lawsuit has been filed against the public governmental body regarding the records that are the subject of the relevant request.

PROXY VOTING AND FIDUCIARY INVESTMENT DUTIES FOR CERTAIN PUBLIC EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT AND PENSION SYSTEMS
Currently, an investment fiduciary has to discharge his or her duties relating to the investment, reinvestment, and management of the assets of the system for the participants, based upon certain specified standards. This bill includes additional standards and provides that the investment fiduciary:

The bill provides that all shares of common stock must be voted solely to further the economic interest of the plan participants and prohibits voting to further noneconomic environmental, social, political, ideological, or other goals. The bill also specifies the methods for voting by proxy.

HOUSE BILL 199 – POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS
PUBLISHING OF COUNTY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

This act changes the date counties shall prepare and publish their financial statements from the first Monday in March to June 30th of each year. Additionally, the county treasurer shall not pay the county commission until notice is received from the State Auditor that the county's financial statement has been published in a newspaper after the first day of July.

This act also requires second, third, and fourth class counties to produce and publish a county annual financial statement in the same manner as counties of the first classification. The financial statement shall include the name, office, and current gross annual salary of each elected or appointed county official.

The county clerk or other county officer preparing the financial statement shall provide an electronic copy of the data used to create the financial statement without charge to the newspaper requesting the data.

Finally, the newspaper publishing the financial statement shall charge and receive no more than its regular local classified advertising rate as published 30 days before the publication of the financial statement.

COUNTY FINANCIAL STATEMENT PENALTIES FOR FAILURE TO FILE

Under current law, any transportation development district having gross revenues of less than $5,000 in a fiscal year for which an annual financial statement was not timely filed to the State Auditor is not subject to a fine.

This act provides that any political subdivision that has gross revenues of less than $5,000 or that has not levied or collected sales or use taxes in the fiscal year for which the annual financial statement was not timely filed shall not be subject to a fine.

Additionally, if failure to timely submit the annual financial statement is the result of fraud or other illegal conduct by an employee or officer of the political subdivision, the political subdivision shall not be subject to a fine if the statement is filed within 30 days of discovery of the fraud or illegal conduct.

If the political subdivision has an outstanding balance for fines at the time it files its first annual financial statement after August 28, 2025, the Director of Revenue shall make a one-time downward adjustment to such outstanding balance in an amount that reduces the outstanding balance by no less than 90%. If the Director of Revenue determines a fine is uncollectable, the Director shall have the authority to make a one-time downward adjustment to any outstanding penalty.

COUNTY PLANNING BOARD HEARING NOTICES

Requires that notices of county planning board hearings be posted on the county's website and repeals the requirement that the notices be posted at least 15 days in advance of the hearing in at least two places in each township.

SPORTS COMPLEX AUTHORITY FOR CLAY COUNTY

Authorizes Clay County to establish a county sports complex authority for the purpose of developing, maintaining, or maintaining sports, convention, exhibition, or trade facilities. The authority shall consist of five commissioners to be appointed by the Governor from a panel of nine candidates submitted by the county commission. Commissioners shall serve five-year terms, as described in the act. The authority shall have the same powers as other county sports complex authorities as provided in current law.

The county is authorized to establish a Convention and Sports Complex Fund, which shall be separate from the general funds of the county. The General Assembly may annually appropriate an amount not to exceed $3 million into the fund, provided that the county or the authority has entered a contract or lease with a professional sports team on or after January 1, 2026. To receive appropriations of state money pursuant to the act, the county shall enact ordinances for the purchase of goods and services and for construction of capital improvements administered by the authority, and shall commence paying into the fund an amount sufficient for the county to contribute at lease $3 million per calendar year. In no case shall appropriations of state money exceed the amounts contributed by the county into the fund.

The county shall submit an annual report to the General Assembly, as provided in the act.

CONSTRUCTION BY POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS

This act repeals the September 1, 2026, expiration dates of the authority for political subdivisions to use the construction manager-at-risk and design-build methods for certain construction projects.

COUNTY FINANCIAL STATEMENT PENALTIES FOR FAILURE TO FILE

Under current law, any transportation development district having gross revenues of less than $5,000 in a fiscal year for which an annual financial statement was not timely filed to the State Auditor is not subject to a fine.

This act provides that any political subdivision that has gross revenues of less than $5,000 or that has not levied or collected sales or use taxes in the fiscal year for which the annual financial statement was not timely filed shall not be subject to a fine.

Additionally, if failure to timely submit the annual financial statement is the result of fraud or other illegal conduct by an employee or officer of the political subdivision, the political subdivision shall not be subject to a fine if the statement is filed within 30 days of discovery of the fraud or illegal conduct.

If the political subdivision has an outstanding balance for fines at the time it files its first annual financial statement after August 28, 2025, the Director of Revenue shall make a one-time downward adjustment to such outstanding balance in an amount that reduces the outstanding balance by no less than 90%. If the Director of Revenue determines a fine is uncollectable, the Director shall have the authority to make a one-time downward adjustment to any outstanding penalty.

This bill modifies the schedule of minimum wage increases or decreases by terminating such schedule as of December 31, 2024. Currently, the minimum wage is set to be increased or decreased on January 1, 2027, and on January 1 of successive years, based on increases or decreases of the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. This bill repeals that scheduled adjustment.

Currently, these provisions do not apply to public employers, as that term is defined in the bill. This bill applies the minimum wage law to public employers beginning on the effective date of this bill.

The bill repeals provisions relating to paid sick leave requirements, including, but not limited to, under what conditions paid sick leave must be provided by employers, prohibited actions for employers and violations thereof, recordkeeping requirements, complaint and investigative procedures, a right to a cause of action for retaliation, and confidentiality of information.

INCOME TAX DEDUCTION FOR CAPITAL GAINS

For all tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, a taxpayer can deduct 100% of all income reported as a capital gain for Federal income tax purposes by an individual subject to individual income tax.

For all tax years beginning on January 1 of the tax year immediately following the tax year in which the top rate of income tax is equal to or less than 4.5%, this bill authorizes an income tax deduction for one hundred percent of all income reported as a capital gain for Federal income tax purposes by entities subject to corporate income tax.

Currently, all charters of charter counties are required to provide for the election of a county assessor, except for the charter of Jackson County

Upon voter approval, this Constitutional amendment requires the Jackson County assessor to be elected as well.
The amendment would also require assessors of charter counties to comply with training required by general law.

HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 73 – REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE
Upon voter approval, this Constitutional amendment would repeal the Right to Reproductive Freedom Initiative, which establishes the right to reproductive freedom, including the right to make and carry out decisions about birth control and abortion care. Any statute found by a court to be unenforceable due to the Right to Reproductive Freed Initiative will once again be enforceable.

This Constitutional amendment allows for abortions in cases of medical emergencies, fetal anomalies, rape, or incest. In the case of abortions performed or induced because of rape or incest, the abortion can only be performed or induced up to 12 weeks.

The amendment allows the General Assembly to enact laws to regulate abortions, abortion facilities, and abortion providers to ensure the health and safety of the pregnant mother, as specified.

No abortion can be performed or induced based on a prenatal diagnosis, test, or screening indicating a disability in an unborn child, except in cases of fetal anomaly. Fetal organ harvesting after an abortion is also prohibited. No public funds can be used to pay for abortions, except in cases of medical emergency, rape, or incest. No abortion can be performed or induced upon a woman without her voluntary and informed consent, except in cases of medical emergencies in which consent cannot be obtained. The amendment further specifies how the consent of a minor must be obtained.

This amendment prohibits gender transition surgeries and the prescription of cross-sex hormones or puberty-blocking drugs to minors.

This amendment requires that all actions challenging any State law relating to reproductive health care will need to be brought in the Circuit Court of Cole County and makes other specified requirements for the pleadings of such actions.

Under this Constitutional amendment, a woman's right to access health care in cases of miscarriages, ectopic pregnancies, and other medical emergencies cannot be infringed by the State.

The General Assembly will have the authority to enact laws to carry out these provisions.

This act amends the sections of law which were declared unconstitutional in Byrd, et al. v. State of Missouri, et al.

PUBLISHING OF COUNTY FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
This act changes the date counties shall prepare and publish their financial statements from the first Monday in March to June 30th of each year. Additionally, the county treasurer shall not pay the county commission until notice is received from the State Auditor that the county's financial statement has been published in a newspaper after the first day of July.

This act also requires second, third, and fourth class counties to produce and publish a county annual financial statement in the same manner as counties of the first classification. The financial statement shall include the name, office, and current gross annual salary of each elected or appointed county official.

The county clerk or other county officer preparing the financial statement shall provide an electronic copy of the data used to create the financial statement without charge to the newspaper requesting the data.

Finally, the newspaper publishing the financial statement shall charge and receive no more than its regular local classified advertising rate as published 30 days before the publication of the financial statement.

COUNTY FINANCIAL STATEMENT PENALTIES FOR FAILURE TO FILE

Under current law, any transportation development district having gross revenues of less than $5,000 in a fiscal year for which an annual financial statement was not timely filed to the State Auditor is not subject to a fine.

This act provides that any political subdivision that has gross revenues of less than $5,000 or that has not levied or collected sales or use taxes in the fiscal year for which the annual financial statement was not timely filed shall not be subject to a fine.

Additionally, if failure to timely submit the annual financial statement is the result of fraud or other illegal conduct by an employee or officer of the political subdivision, the political subdivision shall not be subject to a fine if the statement is filed within 30 days of discovery of the fraud or illegal conduct.

If the political subdivision has an outstanding balance for fines at the time it files its first annual financial statement after August 28, 2025, the Director of Revenue shall make a one-time downward adjustment to such outstanding balance in an amount that reduces the outstanding balance by no less than 90%. If the Director of Revenue determines a fine is uncollectable, the Director shall have the authority to make a one-time downward adjustment to any outstanding penalty.

This act modifies provisions relating to summary statements for statewide ballot measures.
This act requires challenges to summary statements to be brought in the Cole County circuit court not later than the 22nd Tuesday prior to the General Election. If the statement is found to be sufficient and fair, the court shall order the statement to be placed on the ballot. If the statement is found to be insufficient or unfair, the circuit court may make suggested revisions but shall order the Secretary of State (SOS) to prepare a new summary statement that is sufficient and fair. The SOS can be ordered to write up to 3 revised summary statements and the court shall determine if they are sufficient and fair. If any of the revised statements are determined to be sufficient and fair, that summary statement shall appear on the ballot, subject to any appeals. If, after submission of a third revised summary statement, the court still finds it to be insufficient and unfair, the court shall write its own summary statement that is sufficient and fair and shall order it to appear on the ballot, subject to any appeals.

In the case of summary statements for statewide ballot measures appearing on the ballot at an election called by the Governor, whether at the primary election or at a special election, or at a special election called by the General Assembly in the case of a referendum petition, the courts shall expedite the process to bring a resolution of the matter prior to the printing of ballots. The court may shorten any time frame under this act to achieve this purpose.

Current law requires all actions challenging the ballot titles for statewide ballot measures to be fully and finally adjudicated not less than 56 days prior to the election at which it will appear on the ballot. This act extends that period to 70 days prior to the election.

The act increases the total word limitation on summary statements for ballot measures proposed by the General Assembly from 50 words to 100 words.

The act stipulates that once the SOS certifies the official ballot title, signatures may be collected, even if the ballot title is subject to an action in court challenging the sufficiency and fairness of the ballot title. If a court orders a change that alters the content of the official ballot title, then all signatures gathered before such change occurred shall not be invalidated based upon the fact that one or more signatures were gathered prior to the alteration of the official ballot title, regardless of whether those signatures were gathered on petition pages that displayed what was previously the official ballot title as certified by the SOS. Nothing in this provision shall prohibit the invalidation of a signature for a reason otherwise allowed by law.

Finally this act allows the Attorney General to appeal a preliminary injunction in which the state or state official is preliminarily enjoined from implementing, enforcing, or otherwise effectuating any provision of the Missouri Constitution or of any Missouri statute or regulation. The attorney general may appeal any preliminary injunction that existed prior to August 28, 2025. This provision contains an emergency clause.

CONFIDENTIALITY OF CERTAIN MOTOR VEHICLE AND DRIVER REGISTRATION RECORDS
Under current law, the Department of Revenue is prohibited from releasing the home address or vehicle information of certain members of law enforcement or the judiciary. This act specifies that the prohibition also applies to these individuals once they have retired.

PARTICIPATION IN PUBLIC SCHOOL ACTIVITIES

The act provides that a school district or charter school shall not prohibit a student receiving instruction at an FPE school, home school, or full-time virtual school from participating, contingent upon the successful completion of a tryout if applicable, in any event or activity offered by the charter school or by the school district in which the student resides; nor shall such students be required to take any class in order to try out for and, contingent upon successful completion of a tryout if applicable, participate in an event or activity. Additionally, a school district or charter school shall not be a member of, or remit any funds to, any statewide activities association that would cause such school district or charter school to violate the act.
A school district or charter school may require students to participate in components of instruction that are required for participation in fine arts activities, career and technical student organizations, or integrated cocurricular activities. A school district or charter school may also establish an attendance policy for any required coursework, rehearsals, practice sessions, or training sessions that are directly related to and required for participation in an event or activity.

A school district or charter school may establish a disciplinary or attendance policy for any required coursework, rehearsals, practice sessions, or training sessions that are directly related to and required for participating in an event or activity. Any school disciplinary policies and attendance policies shall be applied in the same manner to all students who participate in or try out for an event or activity. A school district or charter school shall not establish a separate disciplinary or attendance policy for students who receive instruction at an FPE school, a home school, or a full-time virtual school.

If a student whose academic performance or disciplinary status would preclude such student from eligibility to participate in extracurricular events or activities in the student's charter school or resident school district disenrolls from such charter school or school district in order to receive instruction at an FPE school, home school, or full-time virtual school, such student shall not be eligible to participate in charter school or public school events or activities in the charter school or school district of such student's disenrollment for 12 calendar months from the date of disenrollment.

The parent of a home school or FPE school student shall oversee any academic standards relating to such student's participation in a charter school or public school event or activity

The act outlines certain criteria that FPE school, home school, and virtual school students shall satisfy in order to be eligible to try out for and, contingent upon the successful completion of a tryout if applicable, participate in charter school or public school activities in their school district of residence. For example, such students shall provide proof of residency in the district or within the boundaries of the attendance center or charter school in which they wish to participate in charter school or public school activities. They shall also adhere to the same behavior, responsibility, performance, and code conduct standards directly related to the event or activity as do students who are enrolled in the charter school or school district.

Any records created or retained by a charter school, school district, or attendance center under this act shall not be disclosed except as required by law.

As used in the act, the term "event or activity" shall not be construed to include other extracurricular gatherings or special occasions sponsored, organized, or provided for students that are not athletics, fine arts activities, integrated cocurricular activities, or other occurrences directly related to athletics, fine arts activities, or integrated cocurricular activities. No charter school, school district, or attendance center shall be required to establish or prohibited from a establishing a policy that includes or excludes the participation of FPE school, home school, or full-time virtual school students from such other extracurricular gatherings.

SENATE BILL 68 – ELEMENTARY AND SECONDARY EDUCATION
This act creates, repeals, and modifies provisions relating to elementary and secondary education.

SCHOOL SAFETY INCIDENT REPORTS

This act requires all local educational agencies (LEAs), defined as including any school district and any charter school that has declared itself an LEA, to report to DESE all school safety incidents and credible school safety threats that occur at each attendance center of the LEA, including all actual incidents or credible threats of school shootings or other incidents or threats involving a firearm, explosive, knife, or other weapon, as provided in the act. DESE may require LEAs to report acts of school violence or violent behavior, as such terms are defined in current law, or crimes required to be reported to law enforcement under current law.
DESE shall establish procedures for LEAs to follow when reporting a school safety incident or credible threat. These procedures shall include, but shall not be limited to, criteria to assist LEAs in determining what constitutes a school safety incident or credible threat that is required to be reported; a time frame within which such incident or threat shall be reported; and any other information required by DESE.
DESE shall maintain and regularly update a database of all school safety incidents and credible school safety threats that are reported pursuant to the provisions of the act. No record in the database shall contain personally identifiable information of a student. A record in the database shall contain only aggregate data by charter school, school district, or attendance center thereof, and shall be a public record. DESE shall share data relating to school safety incidents and credible school safety threats with the Department of Public Safety.

ALL PUBLIC PENSION PLANS: INVESTMENT FIDUCIARY
This act prohibits fiduciaries for public employee retirement systems from being prohibited from closing records related to information in connection with investments in or financial transactions with business entities.

SENATE BILL 82 – WATER PRESERVATION IN THE STATE
The act creates provisions relating to water preservation in the state.
Under the act, it shall be unlawful for any person to export water resources outside the state unless the person holds a water exportation permit issued by the Department of Natural Resources, subject to certain exemptions as described in the act.

It shall be unlawful for any person to withdraw water for exportation by use of a pipeline facility, unless the withdrawal and ultimate end use of the water by a pipeline facility is within 30 miles of the state border. Any person who withdraws water for exportation shall annually report the water use volumes, withdrawal rates, and end use to the Department in a manner and on timelines determined by the Department. This provision has a severability clause.

The Director of the Department shall review each water exportation permit application and all supporting documents to ensure the required conditions have been met prior to accepting a water exportation application for public comment and review by the State Soil and Water Districts Commission. The required conditions are described in the act.

Within 120 days after receipt of a complete application, the Director shall determine whether the applicant complied with the conditions under the act. After making such a determination, the Director shall hold a 30-day public comment period regarding the determination. Within 60 days after the comment period, the Director shall recommend approval or denial of the permit. Such recommendation and public comments shall be submitted to the Commission. The Commission shall make the final decision as to the approval or denial of the permit as described in the act.

To renew a water exportation permit, an applicant shall file a renewal application with the Department as described in the act. The process for reviewing the renewal application is described in the act.

In the absence of an appeal, the decision of the Commission shall be final.

A water exportation permit shall be in effect for three years after the date of issuance. The permit holder shall annually report the water use volumes, withdrawal rates, and end use to the Department. Such report shall be made available to the public on the Department's website.

The water exportation permit application shall include all water exportation requested by the applicant. The water exportation permit may be approved by the Director or the Commission. An applicant may include multiple water withdrawals for exportation from various locations within one water exportation permit application.

A water exportation permit application shall include a designee or agent in the state for service of process and to receive other notices.

A major water user may request the Department to reevaluate any existing water exportation permit using the criteria under the act. The Department shall create a mechanism for a major water user to submit a request for reevaluation of the permit as described in the act.

The act shall not preclude a person from bringing any claim to defend the person's water rights. A permit shall not serve as a defense to any claim brought against a water permit holder for the infringement of water rights. Any person harmed by the issuance of a permit may bring appropriate action as described in the act.

If the Attorney General receives a complaint for violations of the act, or at the request of the Department, the Attorney General shall bring a civil action. Suit may be brought in any county where the defendant's principal place of business is located or where the withdrawal of water occurred in violation of the act. Any member of the Commission deemed to have violated provisions of this act shall forfeit their office upon such finding of a violation.

Whenever a state of emergency is declared by the Governor in any part of the state based on drought conditions, the Department shall reevaluate any existing water exportation permit as described in the act.

PUBLICATION OF FINANCIAL REPORTS
A provision requiring certain financial reports of a bank or trust company to be published in a newspaper is repealed and a provision is created in its place requiring a bank or trust company to provide a paper or electronic copy of any regular periodic report required to be filed with the Director of Finance to each customer that requests it.

This act creates new provisions governing foreign spending in state ballot measure campaigns. This act is incorporated into the campaign finance chapter (130) and is subject to already existing campaign finance definitions, except as otherwise provided in the act.

Upon creating, forming, or registering a committee, other than a candidate committee, the treasurer of the committee is required to file an accompanying certificate declaring that no preliminary activity, as that term is defined in the act, was funded, directly or indirectly, by prohibited sources, defined as any contribution from or expenditure made by a foreign national made with the intent to use such funds to influence an election on a ballot measure. Furthermore, after such a committee has been created, formed, or registered, the committee may not knowingly or willfully receive, solicit, or accept contributions or expenditures from a prohibited source, whether directly or indirectly.

For all contributions in excess of $2,000, donors to committees, other than candidate committees, must affirm that the donor is not a foreign national and that the donor has not knowingly or willfully accepted funds, directly or indirectly, aggregating in excess of $10,000 from one or more prohibited sources within the two-year period immediately preceding the date the contribution is made, in the case of individuals, or within the four-year period immediately preceding the date the contribution is made, in the case of any other entity. Receipt of an affirmation by a committee pursuant to this provision shall create a rebuttable presumption of compliance with this provision on the part of the committee, provided that nothing in this provision shall prohibit the Attorney General from pursuing any action allowed by this act if the Attorney General has found a willful violation.

Within 48 hours of making one or more expenditures supporting or opposing a ballot measure, an entity making such an expenditure shall affirm to the Missouri Ethics Commission (MEC) that it has not knowingly or willfully accepted funds, directly or indirectly, aggregating in excess of $10,000 from one or more prohibited sources within the four-year period immediately preceding the date the expenditure is made and that it will not do so through the remainder of the calendar year in which the ballot measure will appear on the ballot. Receipt by an entity making an expenditure of an affirmation from a donor that it is not a foreign national shall create a rebuttable presumption that the entity has not knowingly or willingly accepted funds, directly or indirectly, aggregating in excess of $10,000 from one or more prohibited sources, provided that nothing in this provision shall prohibit the Attorney General from pursuing any action allowed by this act if the Attorney General has found a willful violation.

The act prohibits committees, other than candidate committees, from accepting an in-kind contribution from any foreign national or from any individual or entity that has knowingly or willfully accepted funds, directly or indirectly, aggregating in excess of $10,000 from one or more foreign nationals within the four year period immediately preceding the date the in-kind contribution is made. Moreover, a foreign national may not make an in-kind expenditure for the purpose of supporting or opposing any ballot measure.

The act specifically prohibits foreign nationals from:

Additionally, collection of information pursuant to this act shall be done so in accordance with the Personal Privacy Protection Act and any public disclosure shall be considered a violation of the Personal Privacy Protection Act subject to civil action and penalties, as provided in that act.

The act creates a new enforcement mechanism for this act that is separate and distinct from the process that the MEC uses to investigate complaints of campaign finance law currently. Specifically, the Attorney General is allowed to issue civil investigative demands in the same manner as provided for under the Missouri Merchandising Practices Act and may bring a civil action to enforce this act, as described in detail in the act. If, after the hearing, the court determines that probable cause exists to believe that a violation of this act has occurred, the court shall enter an order to that effect and the case should proceed to trial on an expedited basis.

Within 30 days of a finding that a committee has violated this act, the committee shall refund the contribution to the original contributor. In the event of an appeal, the contribution shall be placed in escrow, after which the funds shall be disbursed in accordance with the final order. If the campaign committee is unable to return the funds, the directors, officers or executive members of the campaign committee shall be liable in their personal capacity, jointly and severally, for the refund of said funds.

Within 30 days of a finding that a committee, person, or other entity making an expenditure has violated this act, the entity making the expenditure shall disgorge to the Attorney General funds in an amount equal to the reported cost of the expenditure. If the funds cannot be disgorged, the person or directors, officers or executive members of the committee or other entity shall be liable in their personal capacities, jointly and severally, for the payment of the amount due. In the event of an appeal, the funds subject to disgorgement shall be placed in escrow, after which they shall be disbursed in accordance with the final order.

If any lobbyist violates any of the provisions of this act, the lobbyist's registration may be revoked or suspended and the lobbyist may be enjoined from receiving compensation or making expenditures for lobbying.

If the Attorney General prevails in an action brought under this act, the court shall award:

In addition to other penalties provided in this act, if the court finds a knowing or willful violation of this act, the court may assess a penalty of up to three times the statutory damages.

JUDICIAL PRIVACY ACT

This act modifies the Judicial Privacy Act by providing for the regulation of the use of personal information of certain court-related officers, including circuit clerks, court administrators, deputy circuit clerks, division clerks, municipal clerks, juvenile officers, and chief deputy juvenile officers.

The act provides that the Judicial Privacy Act shall not apply to personal information present in records of court proceedings on the statewide court automation system (Missouri Case.net). Additionally, under this act, no person, business, or association shall publicly post or display on the internet a judicial officer's personal information if such person, business, or association has received a written request, rather than if the judicial officer has provided written consent or made a written request.

This act modifies the standard for review for a state agency's interpretation of statutes, rules, regulations, and other subregulatory documents. Specifically, a court or administrative hearing officer shall interpret the meaning and effect of such statutes, rules, regulations, and documents de novo, rather than de novo upon motion by a party if the action only involves the agency's application of the law to the facts and does not involve administrative discretion. Further, after applying customary tools of interpretation, the court or officer shall decide any remaining doubt in favor of a reasonable interpretation that limits agency power and maximizes individual liberty.