WeVote
Log In

Bill

Bill

SB 1801

SB 1801 - This act provides that a state representative shall not introduce more than five bills or joint resolutions during a regular session of the General Assembly. A state senator shall not introduce more than ten bills or joint resolutions during a regular session of the General Assembly. The provisions of this act may be waived with the approval of at least two-thirds of the members of the chamber in which the person is a member. The provisions of this act shall not apply to appropriation bills. JIM ERTLE

2026 Regular Session

SB 1801 caps Missouri lawmakers to five ( reps) or ten (sens) introduced bills per regular session, with a two-thirds waiver and exemptions for appropriations.

Second Read and Referred S Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics Committee
0
WeVote Research Nonpartisan
Bill Summary · SB 1801

Summary of SB 1801 (Missouri, 2026)

Purpose and intent

SB 1801 seeks to limit the number of bills or joint resolutions that members of the Missouri General Assembly can introduce during a regular session. The core aim is to impose quantitative thresholds on legislative proposals by state representatives and state senators, with a mechanism to waive the limits under certain conditions.

Key provisions and changes

  • Introduction limits for representatives and senators

    • State representatives: may not introduce more than five bills or joint resolutions during a regular session.
    • State senators: may not introduce more than ten bills or joint resolutions during a regular session.

  • Waiver mechanism

    • The introduction limits can be waived if at least two-thirds of the members of the chamber in which the member serves approve the waiver (i.e., a supermajority vote within the respective chamber).

  • Exception to the limits

    • The limits do not apply to appropriation bills (i.e., bills that involve state or local government spending must be exempt from the cap).

  • Sponsor

    • The bill is sponsored by Jim Ertle.

Who and what is affected

  • Legislative members affected

    • All state representatives and all state senators in Missouri would be subject to the annual limits on the number of bills or joint resolutions they can introduce during a regular session.

  • Scope of impact

    • The cap applies to the number of introduced measures (bills or joint resolutions) and not to other forms of legislative activity.
    • Appropriation bills are exempt from the cap, meaning budget-related proposals can be introduced beyond the stated limits.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • Current status (as of the provided history)

    • 2026-02-26: First reading in the Senate.
    • 2026-05-07: Referred to the Senate Rules, Joint Rules, Resolutions and Ethics Committee for second read, indicating ongoing committee review.

  • Potential next steps

    • If advanced by the committee, the bill would proceed to the full Senate for debate and a floor vote, and, if passed, would typically move to the House (and vice versa for the House’s consideration) before final approval or rejection.
    • The waiver provision requires a two-thirds supermajority in the chamber considering the waiver, which sets a high threshold for removal of the cap.

Potential impact and considerations

  • ** legislative behavior and workload**

    • The limits are designed to constrain the number of individual measures introduced, potentially encouraging more selective, targeted legislation.
    • Senators and representatives might focus on crafting higher-quality or more comprehensive bills or seek broader coalitions to exceed the cap through waivers.

  • Waiver dynamics

    • The two-thirds requirement creates a significant hurdle, meaning waiver approval would likely reflect broad cross-chamber consensus or strategic coalition-building within a chamber.

  • Budget and appropriations

    • Since appropriation bills are exempt, budgetary initiatives could bypass the cap, preserving flexibility for essential funding discussions.

  • Implementation considerations

    • Practically, the bill would require a tracking mechanism to count introduced bills and joint resolutions per member per regular session and to log waiver approvals. It may also necessitate procedural adjustments in how the chambers organize and vote on proposed measures.

This summary covers the bill’s stated purpose, main provisions, who is affected, and its procedural status and potential implications.

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

Sign in to ask a question.