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HB1624 • 2026

Requires an applicant for a seed permit or renewal of a seed permit to include an affidavit that prohibits the sale of certain nonnative invasive plants

Requires an applicant for a seed permit or renewal of a seed permit to include an affidavit that prohibits the sale of certain nonnative invasive plants

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Sassmann, Bruce (061)
Last action
2026-05-07
Official status
05/07/2026 - Placed Back on Formal Perfection Calendar (H)
Effective date
2026-08-28

Plain English Breakdown

The official bill text does not provide a complete list of prohibited plants or specify penalties for violations. The exact enforcement mechanisms are also unclear from the provided source material.

Seed Permit Rules for Nonnative Invasive Plants

This law requires people applying for or renewing a seed permit to sign a statement promising not to sell certain non-native plants that can harm the environment.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires applicants for a seed permit or renewal of one to include an affidavit in their application stating they will not knowingly and intentionally import, export, buy, sell, transport, distribute, or propagate certain nonnative invasive plants after specific dates.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who apply for or renew a seed permit in Missouri.

Terms To Know

Affidavit
A written statement that is sworn to be true, often used as evidence in legal matters.
Nonnative invasive plants
Plants introduced from other regions or countries that can harm the environment by outcompeting native species and disrupting ecosystems.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The law does not specify penalties for violating this requirement.
  • It is unclear how enforcement of these rules will be carried out.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-07 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Placed Back on Formal Perfection Calendar (H)

  2. 2026-04-28 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Placed on the Informal Perfection Calendar (H)

  3. 2026-04-20 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Placed Back on Formal Perfection Calendar (H)

  4. 2026-03-31 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Placed on the Informal Perfection Calendar (H)

  5. 2026-03-11 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Reported Do Pass (H) - AYES: 8 NOES: 1 PRESENT: 0

  6. 2026-03-10 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Executive Session Completed (H)

  7. 2026-03-10 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Voted Do Pass (H)

  8. 2026-02-18 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Referred: Rules - Legislative(H)

  9. 2026-02-04 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Reported Do Pass (H) - AYES: 12 NOES: 0 PRESENT: 0

  10. 2026-02-03 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Executive Session Completed (H)

  11. 2026-02-03 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Voted Do Pass (H)

  12. 2026-02-02 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Public Hearing Completed (H)

  13. 2026-01-29 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Public Hearing Scheduled, Bill not Heard (H)

  14. 2026-01-15 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Referred: Conservation and Natural Resources(H)

  15. 2026-01-08 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Read Second Time (H)

  16. 2026-01-07 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Read First Time (H)

  17. 2025-12-01 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate

    Prefiled (H)

Official Summary Text

Requires an applicant for a seed permit or renewal of a seed permit to include an affidavit that prohibits the sale of certain nonnative invasive plants

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 1624
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBL Y
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENT A TIVE SASSMANN.
4756H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
T o repeal sections 263.070 and 266.031, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof two new sections
relating to nonnative invasive plants.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Sections 263.070 and 266.031, RSMo, are repealed and two new sections
2 enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 263.070 and 266.031, to read as follows:
263.070. 1. A schedule of fees to defray the cost of inspecting greenhouses,
2 nurseries, nursery dealers, nursery stock, plants, plant products and other materials is hereby
3 established and shall be listed in the rules made pursuant to sections 263.010 to 263.180. This
4 fee schedule may be revised from time to time to more accurately reflect the actual cost of
5 these inspections.
6 2. Greenhouse inspection shall be optional and any grower of greenhouse plants who
7 may desire or find need for a certificate of greenhouse inspection may obtain semiannual
8 inspection of his greenhouse, premises and plants, by making application to the state
9 entomologist. This semiannual inspection and certification of greenhouses shall be
10 performed under the same general provisions as apply to the annual inspection of
11 nurseries. Greenhouse inspection certificates shall expire on November thirtieth of each year .
12 3. All nurseries in this state shall be inspected at least once each year to ascertain
13 whether they are infested or infected with plant pests and shall comply with the af fidavit
14 requirements under paragraph (d) of subdivision (1) of subsection 5 of this section. Upon full
15 payment of the fee and submission of the af fidavit each nurseryman shall receive a written
16 notice of the findings of such inspection along with a nursery inspection certificate; except
17 that, the state entomologist may withhold certification of a nursery pending eradication of
EXPLANA TION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is
intended to be omitted from the law . Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language.
18 extremely serious or abundant plant pests or weeds of such nature which would prevent the
19 adequate inspection of such nursery . This certificate shall be used in connection with the
20 shipment or movement of any nursery stock shown to be apparently free of harmful and
21 destructive plant pests or other nursery stock from which harmful and destructive plant pests
22 have been eliminated. All nursery inspection certificates shall expire on September thirtieth
23 of each year . Each nursery shall be allowed one retail sales outlet per certificate. Additional
24 outlets shall require separate nursery dealer registration-inspection certificates. When the
25 findings of the annual inspection of a nursery shall in the opinion of the state entomologist
26 warrant such action, additional inspections of the nursery may be made and the nursery may
27 be char ged a fee suff icient to cover the cost of such reinspection.
28 4. By notice in writing the state entomologist may require a nurseryman to hold any
29 variety or any amount of nursery stock for inspection or reinspection by quarantining such
30 nursery stock whenever such action is necessary to determine that it is free from pests or to
31 allow time to eradicate any such pests. The state entomologist may further order the removal
32 from sale and the treatment or destruction of any nursery stock infested or infected with
33 especially injurious pests or nursery stock which is not viable or is in such damaged or
34 desiccated condition as to be incapable of reasonable growth. No compensation shall be paid
35 for any stock ordered destroyed.
36 5. (1) Each nursery dealer , before selling or of fering for sale or otherwise distributing
37 nursery stock within this state, shall annually obtain a nursery dealers' registration-inspection
38 certificate for each individual location from which the dealer sells or of fers for sale nursery
39 stock. Each nursery dealer shall make application on forms to be provided by the state
40 entomologist for each individual location, which shall include:
41 (a) The name and complete address of the nursery dealer's place of business for which
42 such certificate is requested;
43 (b) A declaration that applicant will obtain and distribute only inspected and certified
44 nursery stock;
45 (c) An up-to-date listing of all sources from which the nursery dealer secures nursery
46 stock; and
47 (d) An affidavi t that the nursery dealer shall not knowingly and intentionally import,
48 export, buy , sell, transport, distribute, or propagate any viable plant portion or seeds of:
49 a. Climbing euonymus (Euonymus [ fortune ] fortunei variety Coloratus), all varieties
50 and cultivars of Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), or all varieties and cultivars of
51 Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata), or [ perilla ] Perilla mint ([ perilla ] Perilla frutescens)
52 on or after January 1, 2027; or
53 b. Burning bush (Euonymus alatus ' Compactus ' ) or all varieties and cultivars of
54 Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) on or after January 1, 2029.
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55 (2) Each nursery dealer shall pay , at the time of making application, the annual
56 registration-inspection fee as set forth in the rules made pursuant to sections 263.010 to
57 263.180.
58 (3) All nursery dealer registration-inspection certificates shall expire on September
59 thirtieth of each year .
60 (4) The state entomologist may inspect or cause to be inspected the premises of any
61 nursery dealer including any sales yard, packing shed, nursery stock on hand or equipment,
62 for the presence of dangerous and destructive plant pests which may be disseminated on
63 nursery stock.
64 6. By notice in writing the state entomologist may require a nursery dealer to hold any
65 variety or any amount of nursery stock by quarantining such nursery stock whenever such
66 action is necessary to determine that it is free from pests or to allow time to eradicate any such
67 pests. The state entomologist may further order the removal from sale and the treatment or
68 destruction of any nursery stock infested or infected with especially injurious pests, or nursery
69 stock which is not viable or is in such damaged or desiccated condition as to be incapable of
70 reasonable growth. No compensation shall be paid for any stock ordered destroyed.
71 7. Any person in need of a special inspection and certification of nursery stock, other
72 plants or plant products may upon request to the state entomologist have same inspected for
73 plant pests. A fee suf ficient to cover the cost of such inspection or certificate, or both, may be
74 char ged. Upon completion of the inspection and payment of the fee, a certificate of
75 inspection shall be issued provided the plants or plant products are free of harmful plant pests.
76 The state entomologist may enter into agreements with various persons or companies, to carry
77 out the requirements of this state and importing states or countries.
78 8. All moneys received for any inspection fee or other receipts under this law shall be
79 deposited in the state treasury and shall be subject to appropriation by the general assembly .
266.031. 1. Any person who sells, distributes, of fers or exposes for sale any
2 agricultural or vegetable seed in the state of Missouri shall obtain a seed permit from the
3 director of agriculture unless exempted as in section 266.080. Seed dealers must purchase
4 permits for each seed sales classification performed, selling or taking orders for seed from
5 other than an established place of business, selling seed from a retail place of business, selling
6 seed from a wholesale place of business, or negotiating sales as a broker . A separate permit
7 shall be required for each place of business from which seed regulated by this law is sold. A
8 separate permit shall also be required of each person selling or taking orders for seed from
9 other than an established place of business. Seed permit fees will be assessed as follows:
(1)10 Place of business selling vegetable seed packets
11 of one pound or less or lawn seed packages to the
12 end user $20.00
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(2)13 Person that sells only labeled seed grown on their
14 own property $20.00
(3)15 Retail place of business or person not otherwise
16 identified that sells or offer s for sale agricultural
17 seed or of fers for sale agricultural seed or bulk
18 vegetable seed to the end user and which does not
19 provide storage facilities $20.00
(4)20 Retail place of business or person not otherwise
21 identified that sells or offer s for sale agricultural
22 seed or of fers for sale agricultural seed or bulk
23 vegetable seed to the end user and which
24 provides storage facilities. A permit to sell
25 agricultural or bulk vegetable seed will suf fice
26 for selling seed as listed in (1) and (2) $60.00
(5)27 Wholesale place of business selling labeled seed
28 for resale, or negotiating sales as a seed broker $400.00
29 2. An application for a seed permit or an application for ren ewal of any seed
30 permit shall include an affidavit that the person who sells, distributes, offers, or exposes
31 for sale any agricultural or vegetable seed in the state of Missouri shall not knowingly
32 and intentionally import, export, buy , sell, transport, distribute, or pr opagate any viable
33 plant portion or seeds of:
34 (1) Climbing euonymus (Euonymus fortunei variety Coloratus), all varieties and
35 cultivars of Japanese honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), or all varieties and cultivars of
36 Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata), or Perilla mint (Perilla frutescens) on or after
37 January 1, 2027; or
38 (2) Burning bush (Euonymus alatus 'Compactus') or all varieties and cultivars
39 of Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) on or after January 1, 2029.
40 3. Farmers and seed producers shall be classed as seedsmen and must comply with all
41 the provisions of sections 266.01 1 to 266.1 1 1 when the farmers or seed producers:
42 (1) Offer , sell or expose for sale seed not of their own production;
43 (2) Sell and deliver seed to a purchaser by way of common carrier;
44 (3) Sell seed by any public sales service;
45 (4) Advertise or label seed referring to the purity or germination.
46 [ 3. ] 4. No permit is transferable. All persons holding a Missouri seed permit shall
47 post the permit in a conspicuous place in the place of business to which it applies. The
48 licensing year shall be twelve months, or any fraction thereof, beginning on January first and
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49 ending December thirty-first. All permit fees shall be paid to the Missouri department of
50 agriculture and shall be deposited in the state treasury to the credit of the agriculture
51 protection fund created in section 261.200.
52 [ 4. ] 5. If the application for renewal of any seed permit is not filed prior to expiration
53 date in any year , a penalty of fifty percent shall be assessed and added to the original fee and
54 shall be paid by the applicant before that renewal license shall be issued; provided, that such
55 penalty shall not apply if the applicant furnishes an affidav it certifying that he or she has not
56 engaged in selling, distributing, of fering or exposing seed for sale, subsequent to the
57 expiration date of his or her license.
✔
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