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SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE JOINT
RESOLUTION NO. 181
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBL Y
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENT A TIVE YOUNG.
6348H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
JOINT RESOLUTION
Submitting to the qualified voters of Missouri an amendment repealing Section 23 of Article I
of the Constitution of Missouri, and adopting one new section in lieu thereof relating
to firearms, with penalty provisions.
Be it r esolved by the House of Repr esentatives, the Senate concurring ther ein:
That at the next general election to be held in the state of Missouri, on T uesday next
2 following the first Monday in November , 2026, or at a special election to be called by the
3 governor for that purpose, there is hereby submitted to the qualified voters of this state, for
4 adoption or rejection, the following amendment to Article I of the Constitution of the state of
5 Missouri:
Section A. Section 23, Article I, Constitution of Missouri, is repealed and one new
2 section adopted in lieu thereof, to be known as Section 23, to read as follows:
Section 23. [ That the right of every citizen to keep and bear arms, ammunition, and
2 accessories typical to the normal function of such arms, in defense of his home, person,
3 family and property , or when lawfully summoned in aid of the civil power , shall not be
4 questioned. The rights guaranteed by this section shall be unalienable. Any restriction on
5 these rights shall be subject to strict scrutiny and the state of Missouri shall be obligated to
6 uphold these rights and shall under no circumstances decline to protect against their
7 infringement. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the general assembly from
8 enacting general laws which limit the rights of convicted violent felons or those adjudicated
9 by a court to be a danger to self or others as result of a mental disorder or mental infirmity . ]
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.
10 In compliance with the Second Amendment of the Constitution of the United States and
11 limited by decisions of the United States Supr eme Court and federal law , any county , the
12 city of St. Louis, and the city of Kansas City may , by ordinance duly enacted, r egulate
13 the possession, carrying, or transfer of fir earms within the limits of the city or county
14 notwithstanding any other pr ovision of law , subject to the following:
15 (1) An ordinance authorizing the issuance of a permit or certificate may provi de
16 for the city or county to charge a fee that is sufficient to cover the costs of issuing
17 permits or certificates but that does not exceed the costs ther efor . Any permits or
18 certificates issued in accordance with such ordinance shall not be valid for mor e than
19 five years. The city or county may obtain backgrou nd check information fr om the
20 federal National Instant Criminal Background Check System or any other
2 1 governmental agency pr oviding such information service;
22 (2) Any ordinance adopted in accordance with this section may apply to
23 nonr esidents as well as r esidents of the city or county but shall recogni ze as valid any
24 permit or certificate authorizing the possession or carrying of fir earms issued by the
25 county of r esidence of the permit holder or certificate holder . Any such ordinance shall
26 also exempt any active duty or reti red law enforcem ent officer who is curren tly certified
27 as compliant with the peace officer standards and training r equir ed in this state, any
28 full-time judge, and any person who is requ ired to be armed as a condition of
29 employment during active employment as a licensed security guard or as a government
30 employee, including any member of the military; and
31 (3) Any ordinance adopted in accordance with this section may pr ovide penalties
32 for violation, but such penalties shall not exceed a fine of one thousand dollars or
33 imprisonment in the county jail for a term of up to one year , or both. Any such
34 ordinance may also authorize a law enfor cement officer , upon pr obable cause, to seize
35 any fir earm in the possession of a person who is ineligible by law to possess the fir earm.
✔
HJR 181 2