Missouri Constitution

Article III
LEGISLATIVE DEPARTMENT
Section 21

August 28, 2012


LEGISLATIVE PROCEEDINGS
Style of laws--bills--limitation on amendments--power of each house to originate and amend bills--reading of bills.

Section 21. The style of the laws of this state shall be: "Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows." No law shall be passed except by bill, and no bill shall be so amended in its passage through either house as to change its original purpose. Bills may originate in either house and may be amended or rejected by the other. Every bill shall be read by title on three different days in each house.

Source: Const. of 1875, Art. IV, §§ 24, 25, 26.

(1975) Held that original purpose was not changed by amendment and that title did clearly express the purpose of senate bill 253 of the second regular session of the 77th general assembly. State ex rel. Toedebusch Transfer, Inc. v. Public Service Commission (Mo.), 520 S.W.2d 38.

(1999) Failure to read concurrent resolution of the General Assembly, which would have prevented schedule of compensation submitted by Citizen's Commission from becoming effective, by title on three different days in House of Representatives rendered resolution invalid. Weinstock v. Holden, 995 S.W.2d 411 (Mo.banc).

(2012) Sections in bill whose original purpose was state procurement could not include unrelated provisions on campaign finance, ethics, and possession of keys to the capitol dome. Legends Bank v. State, 361 S.W.3d 383 (Mo.banc).


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