A bill, prefiled for the 2014 session, concerning disclosure in “model” legislation:
SECOND REGULAR SESSION
HOUSE BILL NO. 1150
97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLYINTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVES MORGAN (Sponsor), NORR AND OTTO (Co-sponsors).
4823L.01I D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To amend chapters 21 and 105, RSMo, by adding thereto two new sections relating to model legislation.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapters 21 and 105, RSMo, are amended by adding thereto two new sections, to be known as sections 21.325 and 105.481, to read as follows:
21.325. 1. As used in this section, the following terms mean:
(1) “Formally adopts”, an organization votes to endorse, support, or distribute model legislation for legislative adoption;
(2) “Model legislation”, a legislative proposal or a uniform or suggested act written, promoted, or distributed by an organization to a Missouri state senator or representative and to other public officials of any other state;
(3) “Organization”, any partnership, firm, not-for-profit entity, or corporation that formally adopts and distributes model legislation to any Missouri state senator or representative and to other public officials of any other state.
2. When any organization formally adopts and distributes model legislation, and that model legislation is used by a Missouri state senator or representative to propose equivalent or substantially similar legislation for introduction in the general assembly, each fiscal note prepared for the legislation by the oversight division of the committee on legislative research shall identify the organization that formally adopted and distributed the model legislation. Missouri state senators and representatives shall provide sufficient information to the oversight division for the identification required by this section.
3. After the first reading of a bill containing or substantially similar to model legislation, a third party may request that disclosure of the source of the model legislation be added to the fiscal note by submitting a written request with documentation of the model legislation to the chair of the committee assigned the bill. The chair shall issue a ruling within ten business days of the written request. Decisions of the committee chair may be appealed to the rules, joint rules, resolutions and ethics committee of the senate or the rules committee of the house or the successor committee of such committees.
105.481. 1. As used in this section, the following terms mean:
(1) “Formally adopts”, an organization votes to endorse, support, or distribute model legislation for legislative adoption;
(2) “Lobbyist”, the same meaning as the term is defined in section 105.470;
(3) “Model legislation”, a legislative proposal or a uniform or suggested act written, promoted, or distributed by an organization to a Missouri state senator or representative and to other public officials of any other state;
(4) “Organization”, any partnership, firm, not-for-profit entity, or corporation that formally adopts and distributes model legislation to any Missouri state senator or representative and to other public officials of any other state and that also meets at least one of the following criteria:
(a) At least one Missouri state senator or representative serves as a member, staff, or leadership of the organization;
(b) The organization hosts a conference, meeting, or event where model legislation is distributed and at least one Missouri state senator or representative is in attendance.
2. Any organization that formally adopts and distributes model legislation to any Missouri state senator or representative shall register as a lobbyist under this chapter unless the organization meets one of the following criteria:
(1) The organization that formally adopts the model legislation consists solely of individuals elected or appointed to a position in state government or employed by state government, whether compensated or uncompensated, who are acting in an official capacity;
(2) The organization has a lobbyist registered under this chapter in this state.
3. (1) Any lobbyist for any organization shall report the following information to the Missouri ethics commission in the same manner as other reports are required to be filed with the commission under this chapter:
(a) The names of all Missouri state senators and representatives serving as members, staff, or leadership of the organization;
(b) A list of all Missouri state senators and representatives attending the conference, meeting, or event where that model legislation was distributed;
(c) The amount of compensation by scholarship funds, money, or other financial support paid to or on behalf of any Missouri state senator or representative, including the family and guests of such Missouri state senator or representative, for the attendance at a conference, meeting, or event for the legislative adoption of model legislation;
(d) The names of any entity or individuals who contributed money towards the compensation reported under paragraph (c) of this subdivision. When possible, the report shall identify the entities or individuals who contributed to each recipient’s compensation;
(e) A copy of the program agenda for the conference, meeting, or event where the model legislation was distributed, and a copy of all model legislation distributed;
(f) A financial interest statement of any person, partnership, firm, or corporation that voted to formally adopt the model legislation.
(2) The report required under this subsection shall be submitted within thirty days of the last day of the conference, meeting, or event where the model legislation was formally approved or distributed.
4. Any Missouri state senator or representative who receives compensation for attending a conference, meeting, or event for the legislative adoption of model legislation from any person, partnership, firm, corporation, or organization required to register as a lobbyist under this chapter shall report such compensation as a gift or an honorarium under this chapter.
That’s transparency, don’t you think?
It’ll never get through the right wingnut republican controlled General Assembly. In fact, we could wager that it will languish in perpetuity in that place where good bills go to die, to be mocked by all the tenther Sharia law federal nullification Agenda 21 gun bills which will breeze through with veto proof majorities.