HB 1788 Summary

• Petition circulators must be at least 18 years old, U.S. citizens, Missouri residents, and registered with the secretary of state before collecting signatures; those with forgery convictions are prohibited from circulating petitions.

• Circulators cannot be paid per signature and cannot simultaneously circulate more than one petition; signatures collected in violation of these restrictions are not counted.

• Circulators must register with the secretary of state before collecting signatures and provide their name, residential address with proof of Missouri residency, mailing address, and disclosure of whether they expect payment.

• Circulators must sign an oath affirming they have no forgery convictions, will not be paid per signature, will not circulate multiple petitions simultaneously, and are legally responsible for fraudulent or deceptive practices.

• Falsely swearing to a circulator's affidavit, receiving per-signature payment, or circulating multiple petitions simultaneously constitutes a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail or a $10,000 fine; accepting money in exchange for petition signatures also becomes a class A misdemeanor with the same penalties.