SCS/HB 352 - This act modifies provisions relating to 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. (Sections 50.815, 50.820, 50.800, & 50.810)
These provisions are identical to provisions in SB 1362 (2024), the perfected HB 2571 (2024), HS/HCS/SB 1363 (2024), truly agreed to and finally passed CCS/SS/SCS/HB 1606 (2022), SB 845 (2022), and SB 1191 (2022) and substantially similar to SB 1541 (2022) and HB 381 (2021).
FIRE PROTECTION ORDINANCES
This act provides that any fire protection or fire prevention ordinance adopted by any county in this state shall not be exercised so as to impose regulations or to require permits with respect to the erection, maintenance, repair, alteration, or extension of farm buildings or farm structures. (Section 64.003)
Additionally, current law authorizes fire protection district boards to adopt and amend fire protection and fire prevention ordinances. This act provides that any fire protection and fire prevention ordinances adopted shall not be exercised so as to impose regulations or to require permits with respect to the erection, maintenance, repair, alteration, or extension of farm buildings or farm structures. (Section 321.220)
These provisions are identical to SCS/SB 271 (2025) and are substantially similar to SB 602 (2025) and HB 533 (2025).
NUISANCE ACTIONS
This act authorizes St. Louis County and any municipality located within St. Louis County to enact ordinances to provide for the building official of the county to petition the circuit court for the appointment of a receiver to rehabilitate, demolish, or sell a nuisance building or structure. (Section 67.399)
This act also allows the owner of a property located within one thousand two hundred feet of an alleged nuisance property located in St. Louis County or any municipality located within St. Louis County to bring a nuisance action against the offending property owner for damages caused by the nuisance. The property owner or a neighborhood organization may bring injunctive action to abate a nuisance, as described in the act. The act specifies notice requirements for the actions, provides for the proceedings to be expedited, details a prima facie showing for injunctive relief and prohibits jury trials in the actions, provides for attorneys' fees and expenses, specifies that these provisions do not abrogate other legal rights or remedies or grant standing to challenge zoning laws, and provides for an affirmative defense that the property is in compliance with an order of certain government entities specified in the act. (Section 67.452)
Additionally, current law provides for procedures for bringing a nuisance action in the cities of St. Louis and Kansas City. This act applies such provisions to the cities of Springfield and St. Joseph. The act also provides that such actions for injunctive relief shall be heard by the court without a jury.
Current law also provides for an award of attorney fees and expenses for property owners who prevail in a nuisance action against the owner of commercial or industrial property. This act allows for such award regardless of the type of property owner an action is brought against. (Sections 82.1025 to 82.1031)
This provision is identical to HB 739 (2025) and HB 1258 (2025), and to a provision in SCS/SB 388 (2025).
LOCAL GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES' RETIREMENT SYSTEM (LAGERS)
This act repeals the provision prohibiting membership in LAGERS for employees where continuous employment to the time of retirement eligibility will leave the employee with less than the minimum required number of years of credited service. Additionally, this act provides that in the event a member's membership terminates, any accumulated contributions unclaimed by the member within ten years, instead of three years, shall be transferred to the investment income fund of the system. (Sections 70.630 and 70.690)
This provision is identical to a provision in HB 559 (2025), HCS/HB 976 (2025), in HCS/SS/SB 898 (2024) and in SCS/HCS/HB 2431 (2024).
This act provides that cost of living adjustment for LAGERS shall be a measure of the Consumer Price Index as determined by the U.S. Department of Labor and adopted by the Board of LAGERS, instead of the Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers. (Section 70.655)
This provision is identical to a provision in HB 559 (2025), HCS/HB 976 (2025), in HCS/SS/SB 898 (2024) and in SCS/HCS/HB 2431 (2024).
This act repeals references to obsolete statutory provisions. (Section 70.680)
This provision is identical to a provision in HB 559 (2025), HCS/HB 976 (2025), in HCS/SS/SB 898 (2024) and in SCS/HCS/HB 2431 (2024).
This act provides that the Board of LAGERS may deliberate or make decisions on investments or other financial matters in a closed meeting if the disclosure of such deliberations or decisions would jeopardize the ability to implement a decision or to achieve investment objectives. Furthermore, this act repeals the provision providing that the investment counselor of the Board be registered as an investment advisor with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Lastly, this act repeals the limitation that no more than 1/10th of the funds of the system be invested in real estate. (Sections 70.745, 70.746, and 70.747)
These provisions are similar to provisions in HB 559 (2025), HCS/HB 976 (2025), in HCS/SS/SB 898 (2024) and in SCS/HCS/HB 2431 (2024).
This act provides that the Board may establish and maintain a local government employee retirement systems of Missouri investment fund account in which investments of LAGERS may be placed and be available for investment purposes. The funds may be combined with funds of any retirement plan administered by LAGERS and any retirement plan established for providing benefits to employees of LAGERS, but such funds shall be accounted for separately. (Section 70.748)
This provision is similar to provisions in HB 559 (2025), HCS/HB 976 (2025), in HCS/SS/SB 898 (2024) and in SCS/HCS/HB 2431 (2024).
These provisions are identical to provisions in SCS/SB 514 (2025).
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. (Section 105.145)
These provisions are identical to provisions in SB 1362 (2024), the perfected HB 2571 (2024), HS/HCS/SB 1363 (2024), the truly agreed to and finally passed CCS/SS/SCS/HB 1606 (2022) and the truly agreed to and finally passed SS/SCS/SB 724 (2022) and substantially similar to HB 441 (2021), HB 826 (2021), and to provisions in SCS/SB 527 (2021).
LAND BANKS
This act repeals a provision that prohibits land bank agencies from purchasing certain properties unless they are adjacent to real property already owned by the land bank agency. (Section 140.984)
This provision is identical to a provision in SCS/SB 388 (2025).
LIBRARY DISTRICT FISCAL YEARS
This act authorizes the board of trustees of a consolidated public library district to change the dates of the fiscal year. (Section 182.645)
This provision is identical to SB 396 (2025), SB 1124 (2024), SB 412 (2023), HB 437 (2023), and to provisions in SCS/HB 2084 (2024), HB 1512 (2024), HCS/HB 2206 (2024), HCS/SB 155 (2023), HCS/SS/SB 222 (2023), and HCS/HB 986 (2023).
REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSIONS
Under current law, state funds for the East-West Gateway Coordinating Council and for the Mid-America Regional Council are not to exceed $65,000 and state funds for other regional planning commissions shall not exceed $25,000. This act changes the sums to $130,000 and $50,000.
Additionally, this act removes the regional planning commissions of Show-Me, Missouri Valley, Ozark Gateway, ABCD, and Lakes County and adds Harry S. Truman, MO-Kan, Pioneer Trails, and Southwest Mo.
Finally, this act provides that beginning July 1, 2026, the maximum grant amount for each regional planning commission shall be adjusted with the consumer price index. (Section 251.034)
This provision is identical to SB 240 (2025) and HB 2151 (2024), and is substantially similar to SB 939 (2024), SB 1112 (2024), SB 634 (2023), and to a provision in SCS/HCS/HB 1564 (2024) and HCS/SB 155 (2023).
COMPENSATION OF CIRCUIT CLERKS
Currently, circuit clerks receive compensation in an amount based on the county or city in which the circuit clerk serves. Beginning September 1, 2025, this act modifies such compensation as follows:
(1) First Class Counties: $94,130 modified from the starting statutory compensation of $36,145 that has been adjusted to $89,330 in FY 2025;
(2) Second or Fourth Class Counties: $90,573 modified from the starting statutory compensation of $31,978 that has been adjusted to $80,573 in FY 2025; and
(3) Third Class Counties: $85,565 from the starting statutory compensation of $27,218 that has been adjusted to $70,565 in FY 2025.
This act repeals the separate salaries for circuit clerks in those counties where court is held in two cities, in Marion County, and in the City of St. Louis. Additionally, this act repeals the provision regarding the Marion County circuit clerk charging $10 per year to each person obligated to make child support payments through the clerk. Finally, this act provides that the annual compensation of any circuit clerk shall not be less than the previous yearly compensation. (Section 483.083)
This provision is identical to SB 530 (2025).
JOSH NORBERG