S0064.01I

SB.27 - This act revises the initiative and petition process. Under current law, recently declared unconstitutional, the fiscal note for initiatives is prepared by the Joint Committee on Legislative Research.

This act requires the person submitting a proposed initiative to prepare and submit a fiscal impact statement. The statement must be prepared by a certified public accountant and must use the same format as that used by the General Assembly. The statement is reviewed by the State Auditor and the State Auditor and Secretary of State shall prepare a fiscal note summary. The summary would be of sufficient length to accurately describe the measure and need not be limited to thirty-five words or less, as is required in current law. The fiscal note summary shall be included on the circulating petition.

The process is similar when the General Assembly submits a measure to the voters, except that the State Auditor and Secretary of State must consult the records of the Oversight Division of the Joint Committee on Legislative Research, the sponsor of the bill and the Speaker or President pro tem, as the case may be, of the chamber that originated the measure.

The act also revises the petition review process. The Missouri Constitution and Chapter 116, RSMo, both require that a proposed initiative contain a full text but Section 116.040, which mandates the form of the petition, contains no such requirement. Consequently, the Secretary of State does not review a petition to ensure that it contains the full text. This act requires the Secretary of State to ensure that initiatives contain the complete text of the material to be revised.

DAVID VALENTINE