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SB 1153

SB 1153 - This act modifies provisions relating to foreign ownership of agricultural land in Missouri. This act modifies the definition of "foreign business" to include professional corporations, nonprofit corporations, limited liability companies, or the equivalent of any entity listed in current law, in which a controlling interest is owned or organized under the laws of a foreign country, or both. Currently, no more than 1% of the total agricultural acreage in the state shall be owned by a foreign entity. Under the act, beginning on the effective date of the act, no alien, foreign business, or a foreign government shall acquire agricultural land in the state, including for nonfarming purposes. Any such foreign entity who acquired agricultural land in the state prior to the effective date of the act shall not transfer agricultural land to any other foreign entity on or after the effective date of the act. No person may hold agricultural land as a fiduciary for a foreign government. A foreign entity that acquired agricultural land in violation of the provisions of the act remains in violation of the act for as long as the foreign entity holds an interest in the agricultural land. After the effective date of the act, all proposed transfers of any interest in agricultural land held by a foreign entity in the state shall be submitted to the Department of Agriculture at least 30 calendar days prior to such transfers being finalized to determine whether such transfers, or if land usage changes, are conveyed in accordance with the prohibition on foreign ownership of agricultural land in the state. Such sale or transfer submitted for review to the Department shall be deemed a closed record until such sale is finalized. If the Director of the Department of Agriculture finds that a foreign entity has acquired agricultural land after the effective date of the act, instead of pursuant to the provisions under current law, the Director shall report such violation to the Attorney General. This act creates a definition of "nonfarming" with respect to the current provisions regarding foreign-owned agricultural land being used for nonfarming purposes. Beginning on the effective date of this act, no foreign adversary, as defined in the act, shall own agricultural land in the state for nonfarming purposes, which includes research purposes. Under the act, after the effective date of the act, an alien, foreign business, or foreign government shall not acquire agricultural land in the state for any purpose within 5 miles from any military installation or commercial establishment engaged in the development and manufacture of classified military or naval equipment. Any foreign entity under the act who acquired agricultural land in the state, prior to the effective date of the act, that is within 5 miles from any such military or commercial establishment shall divest itself of the agricultural land. The Attorney General shall enforce provisions of the act. Any individual may report violations of the act to the Attorney General. If the Attorney General believes that a violation occurred, the Attorney General shall commence a civil action. The Attorney General shall file a notice of the pendency of the action with the recorder of deeds of each county where any portion of agricultural land at issue is located. If the court finds that a violation occurred, the court shall enter an order so declaring and shall file a copy of the order with the recorder of deeds of each county where agricultural land at issue is located. The court shall order the owner of the agricultural land to divest himself of the agricultural land. The owner shall comply with the order within three years. Any agricultural land not divested within the three years period shall be ordered sold by the court at a public sale. This act has an emergency clause. This act is similar to 885 (2026), provisions in SCS/SB 217 (2025), SB 250 (2025), HB 725 (2025), SB 806 (2024), provisions in SB 865 (2024), a provision in HCS/HB 1957 (2024), CCS/SS/SCS/HCS/HBs 903, 465, 430 & 499 (2023). JULIA SHEVELEVA

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Joe Nicola

Arizona extends the final deadline to file write-in nomination papers from 40th to 60th day before the election (5:00 pm), tightening eligibility and disclosure rules.

Second Read and Referred S Agriculture, Food Production and Outdoor Resources Committee
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WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 1153

Summary — SB 1153 (Arizona version: amendment to A.R.S. §16-312)

Note: the package you provided contains text from multiple unrelated bills from other states. This summary focuses on the primary Arizona bill text in the packet, which amends Arizona Revised Statutes §16-312 (filing of nomination papers for write‑in candidates).

Purpose

To revise the statutory procedures and deadlines for write‑in candidates’ nomination paper filings under Arizona election law, and to clarify filing qualifications and disqualifications for write‑in candidacies.

Key provisions (what the bill does)

  • Changes the final filing deadline for write‑in nomination papers from 5:00 p.m. on the 40th day before the election to 5:00 p.m. on the 60th day before the election. (Still allows filing as early as 150 days before the election.)
  • Retains and clarifies existing exceptions:
    • Write‑in candidates under A.R.S. §16‑343(D) must file by 5:00 p.m. five days before the election.
    • Candidates for elections that may be cancelled under §16‑410 must file by 5:00 p.m. on the 106th day before the election.
  • Maintains filing content and procedure requirements: nomination paper signed by the candidate; actual residence/address information (or description/PO box if residence is protected under §16‑153); age, length of state residence, and date of birth; filing in the same manner as §16‑311.
  • Requires financial disclosure: filing officers must not accept nomination papers for state or local office unless the candidate has provided the statutorily required financial disclosure.
  • Adds enforcement related to unpaid liabilities: filing officers may not accept a write‑in nomination paper (except where liability is under appeal) if the person has an aggregate $1,000 or more in unsatisfied fines, penalties, late fees, or civil/administrative judgments arising from failure to comply with or enforcement of chapter 6 of Title 16.
  • Prescribes notification and ballot counting mechanics: secretary of state, county school superintendents, boards of supervisors, and local clerks must notify appropriate election officials of properly filed write‑in candidates; election board inspectors must post notice of official write‑in candidates in polling places; no other write‑ins will be counted.
  • Lists disqualifying circumstances for filing as a write‑in (examples):
    • A general election candidate who ran in the immediately preceding primary and failed to be nominated.
    • Candidates who failed to submit sufficient petition signatures in prior or current petition-based nomination processes (per §§16‑322 and 16‑341).
  • Presidential write‑in specifics: nominees for U.S. President filing as write‑in must designate a vice‑presidential running mate, the names of the presidential electors, include signed consent statements from those designees, and file a nomination paper for each elector (number equal to Arizona’s Congressional delegation).

Who is affected

  • Prospective write‑in candidates for state, county, district, and municipal offices in Arizona (residency and eligibility rules still apply).
  • Election filing officers and county/municipal election administrators responsible for receiving and processing write‑in filings and posting official candidate notices.
  • Voters indirectly, because the change affects which write‑in names are officially counted and announced at polling places.

Procedural / timeline notes

  • The bill text you provided includes a chaptered version showing it was approved by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State on March 31, 2025. If enacted as shown, the amended deadlines and provisions are part of Arizona law as of that date (check official state publications for the statutory effective date).
  • Existing filing window still begins 150 days before the election; only the closing cutoff moved from 40 to 60 days before the election (earlier cutoff).

Potential impacts / practical effects

  • Moving the deadline from 40 to 60 days before the election gives election officials more lead time to process write‑in filings, notify local election boards, and ensure ballot‑counting rules and polling‑place postings are in place.
  • It reduces the ability for last‑minute write‑in candidacies to be counted, which could limit opportunistic or emergency filings.
  • The $1,000 unpaid liability bar and continued financial disclosure requirement tighten eligibility and transparency for write‑in candidates.

If you want, I can produce a plain‑language voter‑facing summary or compare the bill’s changes side‑by‑side with current A.R.S. §16‑312.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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