SJR65 • 2026

Modifies provisions relating to initiative petitions

Elections

Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor: Cierpiot, Mike; House handler: N/A
Last action: 2026-01-27
Official status: Second Read and Referred S Local Government, Elections and Pensions Committee
Effective date: Upon voter

Plain English Breakdown

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

Modifies provisions relating to initiative petitions

The following summaries of this bill are available: Print All Summaries Introduced Print SJR 65 - Under current law, an initiative petition proposing a constitutional amendment must contain a single subject and matters properly connected therewith.

What This Bill Does

The following summaries of this bill are available: Print All Summaries Introduced Print SJR 65 - Under current law, an initiative petition proposing a constitutional amendment must contain a single subject and matters properly connected therewith.
This constitutional amendment, if approved by the voters, would additionally stipulate that an initiative petition proposing a constitutional amendment contains a single subject only if it does not extend beyond one sole purpose and only contains additions or changes that are necessary to effectuate a single legislative change.
This provision is identical to SJR 56 (2024) and SJR 12 (2023).
The amendment additionally provides that each initiative petition that has been approved to be circulated for signature gathering shall have a summary statement of the measure prepared.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-01-27 S245
Second Read and Referred S Local Government, Elections and Pensions Committee
2026-01-07 S99
S First Read
2025-12-01 Missouri House of Representatives and Missouri Senate
Prefiled

Official Summary Text

The following summaries of this bill are available:

Print All Summaries

Introduced

Print

SJR 65 - Under current law, an initiative petition proposing a constitutional amendment must contain a single subject and matters properly connected therewith. This constitutional amendment, if approved by the voters, would additionally stipulate that an initiative petition proposing a constitutional amendment contains a single subject only if it does not extend beyond one sole purpose and only contains additions or changes that are necessary to effectuate a single legislative change.

This provision is identical to SJR 56 (2024) and SJR 12 (2023).

The amendment additionally provides that each initiative petition that has been approved to be circulated for signature gathering shall have a summary statement of the measure prepared. The summary statement shall not exceed 100 words and shall be a complete, concise, clear, and accurate statement of the measure. If a court of competent jurisdiction finds that a summary statement is not a complete, concise, clear, and accurate statement of the measure and that a complete, concise, clear, and accurate statement cannot possibly be written in one hundred or less words, the court shall prohibit the measure from being circulated for further signatures or, in the event that the measure has been certified to be placed on the ballot, the court shall order the measure to be removed from the ballot.
SCOTT SVAGERA

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

EXPLANATION-Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in this bill is not enacted
and is intended to be omitted in the law.
SECOND REGULAR SESSION
SENATE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 65
103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY SENATOR CIERPIOT.
3842S.01I KRISTINA MARTIN, Secretary
JOINT RESOLUTION
Submitting to the qualified voters of Missouri, an amendment repealing section 50 of article III of
the Constitution of Missouri, and adopting two new sections in lieu thereof relating to
initiative petitions.

Be it resolved by the Senate, the House of Representatives concurring therein:
That at the next general election to be held in the 1
state of Missouri, on Tuesday next following the first Monday 2
in November, 2026, or at a special election to be called by 3
the governor for that purpose, there is hereby submitted to 4
the qualified voters of this state, for adoption or 5
rejection, the following amendment to article III of the 6
Constitution of the state of Missouri:7
Section A. Section 50, article III, Constitution of 1
Missouri, is repealed and two new sections adopted in lieu 2
thereof, to be known as sections 50 and 50(a), to read as 3
follows:4
Section 50. Initiative petitions proposing amendments 1
to the constitution shall be signed by eight percent of the 2
legal voters in each of two-thirds of the congressional 3
districts in the state, and petitions proposing laws shall 4
be signed by five percent of such voters. Every such 5
petition shall be filed with the secretary of state not less 6
than six months before the election and shall contain an 7
enacting clause and the full text of the measure. Petitions 8
for constitutional amendments shall not contain more than 9
one amended and revised article of this constitution, or one 10
new article which shall not contain more than one subject 11
SJR 65 2
and matters properly connected therewith[, and]. A petition 12
contains a single subject and matters properly connected 13
therewith if it does not extend beyond one sole purpose and 14
only contains additions or changes that are necessary to 15
effectuate a single legislative change. A petition does not 16
contain a single subject and matters properly connected 17
therewith if it contains a provision that would not be 18
necessary to effectuate one or more of the other provisions 19
in the petition. The enacting clause [thereof] of petitions 20
for constitutional amendments shall be "Be it resolved by 21
the people of the state of Missouri that the Constitution be 22
amended:". Petitions for laws shall contain not more than 23
one subject which shall be expressed clearly in the title, 24
and the enacting clause thereof shall be "Be it enacted by 25
the people of the state of Missouri:". 26
Section 50(a). Each initiative petition that has been 1
approved, pursuant to the process established by law, to be 2
circulated for signature gathering shall have a summary 3
statement of the measure prepared in the manner established 4
by law. The summary statement shall not exceed one hundred 5
words and shall be a complete, concise, clear, and accurate 6
statement of the measure. If a court of competent 7
jurisdiction finds that a summary statement is not a 8
complete, concise, clear, and accurate statement of the 9
measure and that a complete, concise, clear, and accurate 10
statement cannot possibly be written in one hundred or less 11
words, the court shall prohibit the measure from being 12
circulated for further signatures or, in the event that the 13
measure has been certified to be placed on the ballot, the 14
court shall order the measure to be removed from the ballot. 15
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