SB 844 Summary

• Establishes a bipartisan Missouri Ethics Commission with six members appointed by the governor with senate approval, responsible for enforcing ethics laws and campaign finance disclosure requirements.

• Strengthens conflict of interest prohibitions for state officials and members of the general assembly regarding state contracts, employment offers, and lobbying activities.

• Enhances lobbyist registration and reporting requirements, including detailed monthly expenditure disclosures separated by branch of government and type of expenditure (meals, travel, gifts, etc.).

• Requires candidates and committees to file campaign finance disclosure reports electronically with the Missouri Ethics Commission, with stricter reporting timelines for large contributions and enhanced penalties for late filings.

• Creates a new crime of "obstruction of an ethics investigation" as a Class A misdemeanor for obstructing investigations or submitting false information to ethics officials.