Creates the offense of tampering with an election official

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Creates the offense of tampering with an election official

The following summaries of this bill are available: Print All Summaries Introduced Print SB 1738- This act creates the offense of tampering with an election official.

What This Bill Does

• The following summaries of this bill are available: Print All Summaries Introduced Print SB 1738- This act creates the offense of tampering with an election official.
• A person commits the offense of tampering with an election official if, with the purpose to harass or intimidate an election official in the performance of such official's official duties, such person: • Threatens or causes harm to such election official or members of such election official's family; • Uses force, threats, or deception against or toward such election official or members of such election official's family; • Attempts to induce, influence, or pressure an election official or members of an election official's family to violate Missouri election law; • Engages in conduct reasonably calculated to harass or alarm such election official or such election official's family, including stalking; • Disseminates through any means, including by posting on the internet, the personal information of an election official or any member of an election official's family.
• The offense of tampering with an election official shall be a class one election offense, punished by imprisonment of not more than five years or by fine of not less than two thousand five hundred dollars but not more than ten thousand dollars or by both such imprisonment and fine.
• If a violation of this provision results in death or bodily injury to an election official or a member of the official's family, the offense shall be a class B felony.

Limits and Unknowns

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Official Summary Text

The following summaries of this bill are available:

Print All Summaries

Introduced

Print

SB 1738- This act creates the offense of tampering with an election official. A person commits the offense of tampering with an election official if, with the purpose to harass or intimidate an election official in the performance of such official's official duties, such person:
• Threatens or causes harm to such election official or members of such election official's family;
• Uses force, threats, or deception against or toward such election official or members of such election official's family;
• Attempts to induce, influence, or pressure an election official or members of an election official's family to violate Missouri election law;
• Engages in conduct reasonably calculated to harass or alarm such election official or such election official's family, including stalking;
• Disseminates through any means, including by posting on the internet, the personal information of an election official or any member of an election official's family.

The offense of tampering with an election official shall be a class one election offense, punished by imprisonment of not more than five years or by fine of not less than two thousand five hundred dollars but not more than ten thousand dollars or by both such imprisonment and fine. If a violation of this provision results in death or bodily injury to an election official or a member of the official's family, the offense shall be a class B felony.

This act is identical to SB 84 (2025), a provision in SCS/SB 182 (2025), and SB 926 (2024), substantially similar to HB 480 (2025) and a provision in SCS/SB 346 (2023), and similar to a provision in HCS/HB 1525 (2024), a provision in HB 2052 (2024), a provision in HCS/HB 2140 (2024), a provision in HCS/HB 2895 (2024), and a provision in HCS/HB 2206 (2024).
SCOTT SVAGERA

Current Bill Text

SECOND REGULAR SESSION
SENATE BILL NO. 1738
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR WASHINGTON.
7364S.01I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
AN ACT
To amend chapter 115, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to the offense of
tampering with an election official, with penalty provisions.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 115, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto 1
one new section, to be known as section 115.638, to read as 2
follows:3
115.638. 1. A person commits the offense of tampering 1
with an election official if, with the purpose to harass or 2
intimidate an election official in the performance of such 3
official's official duties, such person: 4
(1) Threatens or causes harm to such election official 5
or members of such election official's family; 6
(2) Uses force, threats, or deception against or 7
toward such election official or members of such election 8
official's family; 9
(3) Attempts to induce, influence, or pressure an 10
election official or members of an election official's 11
family to violate this chapter; 12
(4) Engages in conduct reasonably calculated to harass 13
or alarm such election official or such election official's 14
family, including stalking pursuant to section 565.225 or 15
565.227; or 16
SB 1738 2
(5) Disseminates through any means, including by 17
posting on the internet, the personal information of an 18
election official or any member of an election official's 19
family. For purposes of this section, "personal 20
information" includes a home address, home telephone number, 21
mobile telephone number, personal email address, Social 22
Security number, federal tax identification number, checking 23
and savings account numbers, credit card numbers, marital 24
status, or identity of a child under eighteen years of age. 25
2. For the purposes of this section, the term 26
"election official" includes the election authority, 27
election judges, and other volunteers or employees of an 28
election authority. 29
3. The offense of tampering with an election official 30
is a class one election offense. If a violation of this 31
section results in death or bodily injury to an election 32
official or a member of the official's family, the offense 33
shall be a class B felony. 34
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