FIRST REGULAR SESSION

[PERFECTED]

HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

HOUSE BILL NO. 894

94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

                  Reported from the Committee on Elections March 6, 2007 with recommendation that House Committee Substitute for House Bill No. 894 Do Pass. Referred to the Committee on Rules pursuant to Rule 25(21)(f).

                  Reported from the Committee on Rules March 13, 2007 with recommendation that the House Committee Substitute Do Pass, with no time limit for debate on Perfection.

                  Taken up for Perfection March 27, 2007. House Committee Substitute ordered Perfected and printed.

D. ADAM CRUMBLISS, Chief Clerk

2096L.02P

AN ACT

To repeal section 115.329, RSMo, and to enact in lieu thereof one new section relating to independent candidates.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:

            Section A. Section 115.329, RSMo, is repealed and one new section enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as section 115.329, to read as follows:

            115.329. 1. Except as provided in subsection 2 of this section, the secretary of state or any election authority shall not accept for filing any petition for the formation of a new party or for the nomination of an independent candidate which is submitted prior to 8:00 a.m. on the day immediately following the general election next preceding the general election for which the petition is submitted or which is submitted after 5:00 p.m. on the fifteenth Monday immediately preceding the general election for which the petition is submitted.

            2. For all elections held after January 1, 2008, any petition for the nomination of an independent candidate for placement on an official ballot in a general election shall be filed by the same deadline established for other candidates in subsection 5 of section 115.127, and all independent candidates shall file a declaration of candidacy for each primary election by the same deadline established for other candidates in subsection 1 of section 115.349.

            3. When a special election to fill a vacancy is called, neither the secretary of state nor any election authority shall accept for filing any petition for the formation of a new party or for the nomination of an independent candidate which is submitted after 5:00 p.m. on the day which is midway between the day the election is called and the election day.

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