The Department of Natural Resources shall promulgate rules concerning environmental issues with respect to the construction, placement, and operation of a solar project.

The moratorium shall end on December 31, 2027. However, if the Department does not promulgate the rules before such date, the moratorium shall continue until such rules have been promulgated.

This act has an emergency clause.

JULIA SHEVELEVA

PERMIT FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF SOLAR FARMS (Section 67.5350)

Under the act, prior to obtaining a certificate of public convenience or necessity from the Public Service Commission, any person constructing a solar farm shall first submit an application to the county commission in each county where the solar farm is to be located.

The county commission of any county shall adopt an order or an ordinance requiring a permit to construct a solar farm within specified boundaries in an unincorporated area within the county. The permit shall be constructed within specific distances from certain properties described in the act. The permit shall require noise levels not to exceed 45 decibels from any property line.

Within 90 days of receiving an application for a permit, the county commission shall hold a public meeting before the issuance of a permit. Notice shall be provided at least 14 days prior to the public meeting. The applicant shall provide certain information at the public meeting as described in the act.

No later than 90 days after the public meeting, the county commission shall do the following:

- Issue a permit;

- Issue a permit limiting the boundaries of the proposed solar farm; or

- Deny the permit.

Any applicant intending to make a material amendment to the permit once it is issued shall submit a new application for the permit to the county commission. The county commission shall require any applicant who is issued a permit to obtain liability insurance in an amount sufficient to cover any damages which may arise from the construction of the solar farm.

The Public Service Commission shall not issue a certificate of public convenience or necessity to any applicant who did not receive a permit from a county commission in each county where the solar farm is to be located.

The county commission of any county where a solar farm is proposed to be constructed shall require a decommissioning plan of the solar farm, as described in the act.

This provision has an emergency clause.

These provisions are similar to provisions in SB 213 (2025) and SB 892 (2024).

TAXATION OF SOLAR ENERGY PROJECTS (Section 137.100, 137.124, 153.030, & 153.034)

Current law exempts solar energy systems not held for resale from property taxes. This act repeals such provision and provides that solar energy systems constructed for exclusive use of a single property may be exempted from property tax at the discretion of the county assessor.

Beginning January 1, 2027, for purposes of assessing all real property, excluding land, or tangible personal property associated with a project that uses solar energy directly to generate electricity and that was built or constructed to sell power, the tax liability actually owed shall be equal to $6,000 per megawatt of nameplate capacity and shall be adjusted for inflation annually.

Nothing in this provision shall be construed to prohibit a project from engaging in enhanced enterprise zone agreements or similar tax abatement agreements or to affect any existing enhanced enterprise zone agreements.

Beginning January 1, 2027, for purposes of assessing land that is associated with a solar energy project, the land shall be assessed as commercial property.

Beginning January 1, 2027, for any public utility that has a solar energy project, such solar energy project shall be assessed using certain methodology for real and personal property as described in the act.

The real and tangible personal property associated with a project which uses solar energy shall include certain solar equipment as described in the act.

These provisions are identical to SB 892 (2024), HB 2651 (2024), SB 549 (2023), SB 1014 (2022) and HB 1997 (2022), and similar to provisions in SB 213 (2025), a provision in HCS#2/HBs 440 & 1160 (2025).

COMMISSION'S RULEMAKING AUTHORITY RELATING TO THE CONSTRUCTION OF ELECTRIC TRANSMISSION LINES ON AGRICULTURAL LAND (Section 393.172)

By March 31, 2027, the Public Service Commission shall promulgate rules applicable to electrical corporations requiring construction of electric transmission lines for which permission is sought from the Commission to adhere to specific standards relating to construction activities occurring on privately owned agricultural land. Such standards are described in the act.

This provision is identical to a provision in SB 213 (2025), SB 892 (2024), and similar to a provision in HB 221 (2025), a provision in SB 139 (2025), a provision in SB 805 (2024).

SOLAR PROJECTS NOT TO EXCEED MORE THAN 2% OF ALL CROPLAND (Section 393.1120)

The total amount of real property associated with all solar energy projects in any county shall not be more than 2% of all cropland in the county.

The county commission or other authorized governing body may increase the percentage of cropland by order, ordinance, regulation, or vote of the residents of the county.

Any resident of the county shall have standing to bring suit to enforce these provisions against a solar energy project developer.

For all solar energy projects built on or after January 1, 2027, such project shall be subject to setback distances, as described in the act. This provision shall not apply to solar projects built and operating at capacity on or before December 31, 2026.

A solar energy company shall secure all property rights or easements necessary for transmission and interconnection for the solar energy project to connect to the electrical grid prior to beginning construction of the solar energy project.

This provision is similar to a provision in HB 440 (2025).

CONDEMNATION OF PROPERTY (Section 523.010)

Under the act, the authority of any electrical corporation to condemn property shall not extend to the construction of any structure or facility that uses wind or solar energy to generate or manufacture electricity.

The authority of any electrical corporation to condemn property shall extend to acquisition of rights needed to construct, operate, and maintain certain electrical infrastructure, described in the act, needed to collect and deliver solar or wind energy to the distribution or transmission grid.

This provision is identical to SB 199 (2025), a provision in SB 214 (2025), SB 1262 (2024), to a provision in SB 805 (2024), a provision in HB 1449 (2024), a provision in SCS/HCS/HB 1746 (2024), provisions in HB 1052 (2023) and substantially similar to a provision in HB 221 (2025), a provision in HCS#2/HBs 440 & 1160 (2025), HB 475 (2025), a provision in SB 139 (2025), HB 1750 (2024), and SB 577 (2023).

JULIA SHEVELEVA

The act modifies the definition of "critical infrastructure facility".

The act repeals certain provisions relating to committing the offense of trespass on a critical infrastructure facility. (Section 569.086)

DAMAGE ON CRITICAL INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES (Sections 569.117)

A person commits the offense of damage of a critical infrastructure facility, as defined in the act, if he or she:

(1) Purposely damages, destroys, or tampers with equipment in a critical infrastructure facility, or

(2) Recklessly damages, destroys or tampers with a critical infrastructure facility, or removes any component of a critical infrastructure facility, excluding equipment.

Subject to the exceptions described in the act, the offense of damage of a critical infrastructure facility is subject to certain penalties described in the act.

If the damage to a critical infrastructure facility causes interruption, impairment, or degradation of service, the offense shall be a class C felony regardless of value.

The value of damages under the act shall be determined pursuant to current law, as described in the act.

Any person who violates these provisions shall be required to make restitution and perform community service, as specified in the act.

UNAUTHORIZED POSSESSION OF CERTAIN MATERIALS USED IN TELECOMMUNICATIONS INFRASTRUCTURE (Section 569.119)

A person commits the offense of unauthorized possession of certain metals used in telecommunications infrastructure if the person:

(1) Knowingly possesses copper, brass, aluminum, fiber, or telecommunications material; and

(2) Is not a person authorized to possess such material.

Certain persons are authorized to possess copper, brass, aluminum, fiber, or telecommunications material, as specified in the act. Such authorization does not apply to a person who knows that such materials were unlawfully obtained.

Classifications of the offense are described in the act.

If conduct constituting an offense under these provisions also constitutes an offense under any other provision of law, the person may be prosecuted under either or both provisions subject to certain provisions of current law.

The act is similar to HB 2383 (2026).

JULIA SHEVELEVA

Under the act, a county, city, incorporated town, or village shall not perform any road project unless it reimburses any non-rate-regulated utility provider, as defined in the act, that incurs labor costs for facility relocation due to such maintenance or project. A county, city, incorporated town, or village shall be authorized to pay such facility relocation labor costs as part of the cost of the road project.

A county, city, incorporated town, or village shall notify non-rate-regulated utility providers that have permitted infrastructure within a planned or existing public right-of-way within 90 days after a road project is added to the project schedule that may require the provider to relocate its infrastructure for the road project. The notification shall include an estimated project schedule and timeline, including the anticipated year of construction. Within 90 days after receipt of the notification, the non-rate-regulated utility provider shall respond to the county, city, incorporated town, or village with an estimated time frame and projected labor cost for the relocation of the provider's infrastructure. The response shall include a draft relocation schedule within or adjacent to the existing or planned public right-of-way.

The act shall not require a county, city, incorporated town, or village to reimburse a non-rate-regulated utility provider for the removal or relocation of facilities placed in the public right-of way in violation of state or local permitting requirements.

Currently, video service cabinets are required to be removed or relocated at the expense of the video service provider. Under the act, the cabinets are required to be removed pursuant to the provisions of the act or current law, as applicable.

The State Road Fund shall be used for reimbursing non-rate-regulated utility providers for any labor costs associated with facility relocation due to road maintenance or construction.

The Department of Transportation shall reimburse non-rate-regulated utility providers for any labor costs associated with facility relocation that are required due to road maintenance, construction, or other right-of-way work activity. Notification requirements by the Department and response requirements by the non-rate-regulated utility provider are described in the act.

The act shall not require the Department to reimburse a non-rate-regulated utility provider for the removal or relocation of facilities placed in the public right-of-way in violation of state law or local permitting requirements.

Under the act, subject to certain exceptions, the removal and relocation of utility facilities as a result of construction projects required by the Highways and Transportation Commission shall be made at the expense of the owners unless otherwise provided by the Commission. Currently, if the owner fails to relocate the utility facilities, the cost of relocating the utility facilities shall be collected from the owner. Under the act, the cost of relocating the utility facilities shall be the responsibility of the Commission or the owner.

The act is identical to HCS/HB 2155 (2026), similar to SB 489 (2025), provisions in HCS/SB 1039 (2024), provisions in HCS/HB 2056 (2024), provisions in SCS/HCS/HB 1746 (2024), and SCS/SB 1018 (2024).

JULIA SHEVELEVA