Missouri 2026 Regular Session Status: Enacted Bipartisan · 3 R · 1 D cosponsors

HB 1940 — Changes the law regarding advertisements and orders of publication in newspapers

Last action — Delivered to Secretary of State (G)

  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed House
  4. ✓
    Passed Senate
  5. ✓
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced December 01, 2025. Enacted.

Signed by Governor Mike Kehoe (Republican) on May 28, 2026.

Odds of enactment

High chance

Based on the sponsor, cosponsors, and committee posture, this bill has a high chance of becoming law.

Upgrade to see the exact probability and what's driving it.

A statistical estimate from our own model of past outcomes — an insight, not a guarantee. Policymaking is volatile.

Prognosis

Likely to advance 94% · high confidence

  • Enacted

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 4 sponsors

    1 primary, 3 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Bipartisan support

    Sponsored across 2 parties (3 R · 1 D) — cross-party backing.

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 6 recorded votes so far.

Based on stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes, and cross-state momentum — a description of the observable signals, not a prediction.

In plain language

This bill updates rules for newspaper advertisements and publication orders.

The bill modifies the laws governing how advertisements and orders must be published in newspapers. It aims to streamline the publication process and clarify requirements.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

8 added · 147 removed

Plain-language change summary

The bill HB 1940 was updated by replacing a previous version with a newly perfected version. This change indicates that the bill has been refined and is now in a final form, ready for further consideration. This matters because it shows the bill is moving closer to becoming law, reflecting the latest improvements and adjustments made to its content.

→
Previous
Latest
SECOND REGULAR SESSION [TRULY AGREED TO AND FINALLY PASSED] SENATE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE BILL NO.
SECOND REGULAR SESSION [PERFECTED] HOUSE BILL NO.
1940 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY 4851S.02T 2026 AN ACT To repeal sections 108.240, 115.125, 115.127, 493.050, and 493.070, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof five new sections relating to publication of notices.
1940 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE MCGAUGH.
4851H.01P JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk AN ACT To repeal sections 493.050 and 493.070, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof two new sections relating to newspapers.
Sections 108.240, 115.125, 115.127, 493.050, and 493.070, RSMo, are repealed and five new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 108.240, 115.125, 115.127, 493.050, and 493.070, to read as follows:
Sections 493.050 and 493.070, RSMo, are repealed and two new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 493.050 and 493.070, to read as follows:
108.240.
1.
Before any general obligation bearer bond or general obligation registered bond, hereafter issued by any county, township, city, town, village or school district or special road district or fire protection district or by virtue of the provisions of chapters 243, 245, 248, and sections 242.010 to 242.690 for any purpose whatever, shall obtain validity or be negotiated:
(1) If such bonds are in bearer form, such bonds shall first be presented to the state auditor, who, other provisions of law notwithstanding, shall certify by manual or facsimile endorsement of such bonds that all conditions of the laws have been complied with in its issue, if that be the case, and also that the conditions of the contract, under which they were ordered to be issued, have also been complied with and the evidence of that fact shall be filed and preserved by the auditor.
The state auditor may endorse bearer bonds with the auditor's facsimile signature in lieu of manual signature after filing the auditor's manual signature, certified by the auditor under oath, with the secretary of state;
and (2) If such bonds are in registered form, the proceedings relating to the issuance of such registered bonds shall first be presented to the state auditor, who shall examine the same EXPLANATION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is intended to be omitted from the law.
Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language.
SCS HB 1940 2 and shall issue a certificate that such proceedings comply with all conditions of the laws, if that be the case, and also that the conditions of the contract, under which they were ordered to be issued, have also been complied with, and the evidence of these facts shall be filed and preserved by the auditor.
The state auditor shall also maintain the following information:
the name of the issuer of the bonds;
the amount thereof;
the maturity dates thereof;
the interest rates thereon;
and the provisions with respect to prepayment, if any.
2.
Such bearer bonds after receiving the said certificate of the auditor as herein provided and such registered bonds after the issuance of the said certificate as herein provided shall thereafter be held in every action, suit or proceeding in which their validity is, or may be, brought into question, prima facie, valid and binding obligations, and in every action brought to enforce collection of such bonds, the certificate of such auditor, or a duly certified copy thereof, shall be admitted and received in evidence of the validity of such bonds, together with the coupons thereto attached if any;
provided, the only defense which can be offered against the validity of such bonds shall be for forgery or fraud.
But this section shall not be construed to give validity to any such bonds as may be issued in excess of the limit fixed by the constitution, or contrary to its provisions, but all such bonds shall, to the extent of such excess, be held void;
and provided further, that the remedy of injunction shall also lie at the instance of any taxpayer of the respective county, city, town, village, township or school district or special road district or fire protection district or drainage district or levy district to prevent the registration of any bonds, alleged to be illegally issued or funded.
3.
For purposes of subsection 1 of this section, once the time period set forth in section 115.557 has expired, if no election contest has been brought, all conditions of chapter 115 shall be deemed as having been complied with in the issuance of the bond.
115.125.
1.
Not later than 5:00 p.m.
on the tenth Tuesday prior to any election, except a special election to decide an election contest, tie vote or an election to elect seven members to serve on a school board of a district pursuant to section 162.241, or a delay in notification pursuant to subsection [3] 2 of this section, or pursuant to the provisions of section 115.399, the officer or agency calling the election shall notify the election authorities responsible for conducting the election.
The notice shall be in writing, shall specify the name of the officer or agency calling the election and shall include a certified copy of the legal notice to be published pursuant to subsection 2 of section 115.127.
The notice and any other information required by this section may, with the prior notification to the election authority receiving the notice, be accepted by email or facsimile transmission prior to 5:00 p.m.
on the tenth Tuesday prior to the election[, provided that the original copy of the notice and a certified copy of the legal notice to be published shall be received in the office of the election authority within three business days from the date of the facsimile transmission.
SCS HB 1940 3 2.
In lieu of a certified copy of the legal notice to be published pursuant to subsection 2 of section 115.127, each notice of a special election to fill a vacancy shall include the name of the office to be filled, the date of the election and the date by which candidates must be selected or filed for the office.
Not later than the sixth Tuesday prior to any special election to fill a vacancy called by a political subdivision or special district, the officer or agency calling the election shall certify a sample ballot to the election authorities responsible for conducting the election.
3.] 2.
Except as provided for in sections 115.247 and 115.359, if there is no additional cost for the printing or reprinting of ballots or if the political subdivision or special district calling for the election agrees to pay any printing or reprinting costs, a political subdivision or special district may, at any time after certification of the notice of election required in subsection 1 of this section, but no later than 5:00 p.m.
on the eighth Tuesday before the election, be permitted to make late notification to the election authority pursuant to court order, which, except for good cause shown by the election authority in opposition thereto, shall be freely given upon application by the political subdivision or special district to the circuit court of the area of such subdivision or district.
No court shall have the authority to order an individual or issue be placed on the ballot less than eight weeks before the date of the election.
115.127.
Show all 75 changed rows (35 more)
Previous
Latest
1.
Except as provided in subsection 4 of this section, upon receipt of notice of a special election to fill a vacancy [submitted pursuant to subsection 2 of section 115.125], the election authority shall cause legal notice of the special election to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in its jurisdiction.
The notice shall include the name of the officer or agency calling the election, the date and time of the election, the name of the office to be filled and the date by which candidates must be selected or filed for the office.
Within one week prior to each special election to fill a vacancy held in its jurisdiction, the election authority shall cause legal notice of the election to be published in two newspapers of different political faith and general circulation in the jurisdiction.
The legal notice shall include the date and time of the election, the name of the officer or agency calling the election and a sample ballot.
If there is only one newspaper of general circulation in the jurisdiction, the notice shall be published in the newspaper within one week prior to the election.
If there are two or more newspapers of general circulation in the jurisdiction, but no two of opposite political faith, the notice shall be published in any two of the newspapers within one week prior to the election.
2.
Except as provided in subsections 1 and 4 of this section and in sections 115.521, 115.549 and 115.593, the election authority shall cause legal notice of each election held in its jurisdiction to be published.
The notice shall be published in two newspapers of different political faith and qualified pursuant to chapter 493 which are published within the bounds of SCS HB 1940 4 the area holding the election.
If there is only one so-qualified newspaper, then notice shall be published in only one newspaper.
If there is no newspaper published within the bounds of the election area, then the notice shall be published in two qualified newspapers of different political faith serving the area.
Notice shall be published twice[, the first publication occurring in the second week prior to the election, and the second publication occurring] within [one week] six weeks prior to the election.
Each such legal notice shall include the date and time of the election, the name of the officer or agency calling the election and a sample ballot;
and, unless notice has been given as provided by section 115.129, the second publication of notice of the election shall include the location of polling places.
The election authority may provide any additional notice of the election it deems desirable.
3.
The election authority shall print the official ballot as the same appears on the sample ballot, and no candidate's name or ballot issue which appears on the sample ballot or official printed ballot shall be stricken or removed from the ballot except on death of a candidate or by court order, but in no event shall a candidate or issue be stricken or removed from the ballot less than eight weeks before the date of the election.
4.
In lieu of causing legal notice to be published in accordance with any of the provisions of this chapter, the election authority [in jurisdictions which have less than seven hundred fifty registered voters and in which no newspaper qualified pursuant to chapter 493 is published,] may cause legal notice to be mailed [during the second week prior to the election, by first class mail,] within six weeks prior to the election to each registered voter at the voter's voting address and published once in one or more newspapers in the county.
An election authority may exclude from this mailing any voter that is designated as an inactive voter pursuant to section 115.193.
All such legal notices shall include the date and time of the election, the location of the polling place, the name of the officer or agency calling the election and a sample ballot.
5.
If the opening date for filing a declaration of candidacy for any office in a political subdivision or special district is not required by law or charter, the opening filing date shall be 8:00 a.m., the [seventeenth] sixteenth Tuesday prior to the election.
If the closing date for filing a declaration of candidacy for any office in a political subdivision or special district is not required by law or charter, the closing filing date shall be 5:00 p.m., the [fourteenth] thirteenth Tuesday prior to the election, or if the thirteenth Tuesday prior to the election is a state or federal holiday, the closing filing date shall be 5:00 p.m.
on the next day that is not a state or federal holiday.
The political subdivision or special district calling an election shall, before the [seventeenth] sixteenth Tuesday, prior to any election at which offices are to be filled, notify the general public of the opening filing date, the office or offices to be filled, the proper place for filing and the closing filing date of the election.
Such SCS HB 1940 5 notification may be accomplished by legal notice published in at least one newspaper of general circulation in the political subdivision or special district.
6.
Except as provided for in sections 115.247 and 115.359, if there is no additional cost for the printing or reprinting of ballots or if the candidate agrees to pay any printing or reprinting costs, a candidate who has filed for an office or who has been duly nominated for an office may, at any time after the certification of the notice of election required in subsection 1 of section 115.125 but no later than 5:00 p.m.
on the eighth Tuesday before the election, withdraw as a candidate pursuant to a court order, which, except for good cause shown by the election authority in opposition thereto, shall be freely given upon application by the candidate to the circuit court of the area of such candidate's residence.
and (3) A list of bona fide subscribers voluntarily engaged as such, who have paid or agreed to pay a stated price for a subscription for a definite period of time[;
and EXPLANATION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is intended to be omitted from the law.
Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language.
HB 1940 2 (3) A list of bona fide subscribers voluntarily engaged as such, who have paid or agreed to pay a stated price for a subscription for a definite period of time[;
If any newspaper shall be forced to suspend publication in any time of war, due to the SCS HB 1940 6 owner or publisher being inducted into the Armed Forces of the United States, the newspaper may be reinstated within one year after actual hostilities have ceased, with all the benefits provided pursuant to the provisions of this section, upon the filing with the secretary of state of notice of intention of such owner or publisher, the owner's surviving spouse or legal heirs, to republish such newspaper, setting forth the name of the publication, its volume and number, its frequency of publication, and its readmission to the post office where it was previously entered as periodicals class mail matter, and [when] if it [shall have] has a list of bona fide subscribers voluntarily engaged as such who have paid or agreed to pay a stated price for subscription for a definite period of time.
If any newspaper shall be forced to suspend publication in any time of war, due to the owner or publisher being inducted into the Armed Forces of the United States, the newspaper may be reinstated within one year after actual hostilities have ceased, with all the benefits provided pursuant to the provisions of this section, upon the filing with the secretary of state of notice of intention of such owner or publisher, the owner's surviving spouse or legal heirs, to republish such newspaper, setting forth the name of the publication, its volume and number, its frequency of publication, and its readmission to the post office where it was previously entered as periodicals class mail matter, and [when] if it [shall have] has a list of bona fide subscribers voluntarily engaged as such who have paid or agreed to pay a stated price for subscription for a definite period of time.
⬇ Download PDF
View plain text versions (4)

Amendments

1 amendment

Click Show changes on an amendment above to see how it modifies the bill.

Action History

  1. Delivered to Governor

  2. Signed by President Pro Tem (S)

  3. Signed by House Speaker (H)

  4. House Message (H)

  5. Truly Agreed To and Finally Passed - AYES: 142 NOES: 1 PRESENT: 2

  6. House Adopts (H) - SCS, as amended

  7. Taken Up

  8. Reported Do Pass (H) - AYES: 5 NOES: 3 PRESENT: 0

  9. Voted Do Pass (H)

  10. Executive Session Completed (H)

  11. Referred: Fiscal Review(H)

  12. Reported to the House with... (H) - SCS, as amended

  13. Third Read and Passed with Amendments (S) - SA 1 - AYES: 29 NOES: 0 PRESENT: 0

  14. SCS Adopted (S)

  15. Taken Up for Third Reading (S)

  16. Placed on Informal Calendar

  17. SCS Reported Do Pass (S)

  18. SCS Voted Do Pass (S)

  19. Executive Session Held (S)

  20. Public Hearing Held (S)

  21. Public Hearing Scheduled (S) - Tuesday, April 7, 2026, 1:30 p.m., Senate Committee Room 2 - 1st Floor

  22. Second read and referred: Local Government, Elections and Pensions(S)

  23. Reported to the Senate and First Read (S)

  24. Third Read and Passed (H) - AYES: 145 NOES: 1 PRESENT: 0

  25. Taken Up for Third Reading (H)

  26. Perfected (H)

  27. Title of Bill - Agreed To

  28. Taken Up for Perfection (H)

  29. Placed on the Informal Perfection Calendar (H)

  30. Reported Do Pass - Consent (H) - AYES: 8 NOES: 0 PRESENT: 0

  31. Voted Do Pass - Consent (H)

  32. Executive Session Completed (H)

  33. Referred: Consent and Procedure(H)

  34. Reported Do Pass - Consent (H) - AYES: 16 NOES: 0 PRESENT: 0

  35. Voted Do Pass - Consent (H)

  36. Executive Session Completed (H)

  37. Public Hearing Completed (H)

  38. Referred: Local Government(H)

  39. Read Second Time (H)

  40. Read First Time (H)

  41. Prefiled (H)

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

Export CSV (upgrade) →

1 sponsors · 3 co-sponsors · 195 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (3)

Not signed on (195)

195 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 195 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Subjects

elections
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors HB 1940?
HB 1940 is sponsored by Bill Allen (Republican), Marla Smith (Democratic), Jim Kalberloh (Republican), and Peggy McGaugh (Republican).
What is the current status of HB 1940?
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced December 01, 2025. Enacted.
Where can I track HB 1940?
Track HB 1940 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

Make your voice heard on HB 1940

Find the representatives who decide this bill and tell them where you stand — for yourself, or mobilize your whole list in one click with One Click Politics advocacy software.

Find my representatives → Run a campaign

Stay ahead of HB 1940

Last checked for changes 2 months ago · updated continuously

One Click Politics tracks every bill in Congress and all 50 states.

Track this bill →