HCS HJR 3 -- RELATING TO BALLOT MEASURES (Lewis)

Upon voter approval, this constitutional amendment establishes the "Protect Missouri Voters" amendment.

This constitutional amendment would prohibit political committees that make expenditures relating to a Statewide ballot measure from knowingly receiving, soliciting, or accepting contributions from a foreign adversary of the United States or a foreign national, as those phrases are defined in the amendment. A foreign adversary of the United States or foreign national would be prohibited under this amendment from making any contribution in support of or opposition to a Statewide ballot measure. Any violation of this provision would be punishable by imprisonment for up to one year or a fine of up to one thousand dollars or both, plus an amount equal to three times the illegal contributions. The Attorney General will have exclusive criminal jurisdiction.

This constitutional amendment would permit the General Assembly to enact further restrictions relating to these provisions, enact restrictions on foreign support or opposition to Statewide ballot measures, enact reporting requirements relating to foreign support for persons or committees in support of or opposition to ballot measures, and provide for the investigation and enforcement of such provisions.

Any person who commits certain acts specified in the constitutional amendment would be guilty of the crime of petition signature fraud; this crime would be punishable by imprisonment for up to one year or a fine of up to one thousand dollars or both. The Attorney General will have exclusive criminal jurisdiction.

This constitutional amendment would require the Secretary of State or a designee thereof, at a reasonable time and place after an initiative petition is submitted with signatures and before a petition is placed on a ballot to conduct at least one in-person or web-based hearing to receive additional public comment regarding the purpose and effect of the initiative petition. Transcripts or summaries of the hearings must be made available to the public no more than seven days after the hearing is conducted and before the petition is placed on the ballot.

This constitutional amendment would require any Statewide ballot measure proposed by initiative petition to amend the constitution to receive a majority of affirmative votes in each congressional district in order to go into effect.

This constitutional amendment would require the full text of any Statewide ballot measure proposed by initiative petition to be made available to each voter at the time a ballot is made available to the voter for voting. The Secretary of State will have rule making authority for the implementation of this provision.

The provisions of this constitutional amendment are self-executing, and all provisions of this constitutional amendment are severable.