Title III, LEGISLATIVE BRANCH

21.020. Joint meeting of senate and house, where held. — If by the laws or constitution of this state, a joint meeting of the senate and house of representatives is required, they shall assemble, with their clerks, on the day and at the hour agreed on for that purpose, in the hal…

21.030. What officer shall preside — contempt — rules. — When assembled, the president of the senate shall preside, and the meeting shall be governed by the standing rules adopted for that purpose by the concurrence of both houses; they may punish any person, other than a member,…

21.040. Members of either house may be punished for contempt. — Any member of either house who is guilty of disorderly behavior in the presence of a joint meeting may be punished by the house of which he is a member, in the same manner as if the offense were committed in the pres…

21.050. Presiding officer may order detention of person disturbing meeting. — If any person, whether a member or not, is guilty of any disorder in the presence of either house, or a committee of the whole of either house, or in joint meeting of both houses, while in session, the …

21.060. Majority necessary to a choice in elections. — In all elections made by either house, or by joint vote of both houses, the vote of a majority of the members present is necessary to a choice. When an election is by joint vote, the president of the senate shall grant the pe…

21.070. Qualifications of senators. — Each senator shall be thirty years of age, and next before the day of his election shall have been a voter of the state for three years and a resident of the district which he is chosen to represent for one year, if such district shall have b…

21.080. Qualifications of representatives. — Each representative shall be twenty-four years of age, and next before the day of his election shall have been a voter for two years and a resident of the county or district which he is chosen to represent for one year, if such county …

21.090. Vacancy, how filled. — If any member elected to either house of the general assembly resigns in the recess thereof, he shall address and transmit his resignation, in writing, to the governor; and when any member resigns during any session, he shall address his resignation…

21.110. Governor shall issue writs of election, when. — If the governor receives any resignation or notice of vacancy, or if he is satisfied of the death of any member of either house, during the recess, he shall, without delay, issue a writ of election to supply the vacancy. ­­-…

21.120. Writs of election, how directed. — If any vacancy happens in the senate, for a district composed of more than one county, the writ of election shall be directed to the election authority of the county first named in the report establishing the district; and if the vacancy…

21.130. Duty of election authority on receipt of writ. — The election authority to whom any writ of election is delivered shall cause the election to supply the vacancy to be held within the limits composing the county or district at the time of the next preceding general electio…

21.140. Compensation of members — additional compensation of officers — mileage allowance. — Each senator and representative shall receive from the treasury an annual salary of eighteen thousand seventy-eight dollars plus any salary adjustment provided pursuant to section 105.005…

21.145. Member's daily expense allowance — when paid. — Each senator or representative shall be reimbursed from the state treasury for actual and necessary expenses in an amount equal to eighty percent of the federal per diem established by the Internal Revenue Service for Jeffer…

21.150. Legislative employees — compensation, how set — rejection of rates by legislature, effect of. — 1. Within five days after September 28, 1973, and on December fifteenth of each even-numbered year thereafter, the accounts committee of the house of representatives and the ac…

21.155. Legislative employees, number, how determined. — 1. The accounts committee of the senate and the accounts committee of the house of representatives shall each, on January fifteenth of each year, set the total number of employees for their respective houses, taking into ac…

21.160. Legislative furniture and equipment, how inventoried — employment of custodians authorized. — The senate accounts committee and house accounts committee shall cause all legislative furniture and equipment in their respective custody to be marked so that it can be identifi…

21.170. Expense of serving process — witnesses' fees. — The sergeant at arms or other officer of each house of the general assembly is entitled to receive his actual expenses incurred in the service of all writs and process. Each witness attending either house, or a committee the…

21.180. No allowance, except per diem. — No allowance or emolument for any purpose shall be paid to any officer, agent, servant or employee of either house of the general assembly, or of any committee thereof, except the per diem provided by law. ­­-------- (RSMo 1939 § 12867, A.…

21.183. Freshman tour of state institutions by newly elected members — expenses. — 1. The chairman of the senate appropriations committee and house budget committee shall arrange for and supervise a schedule for the personal visitation and inspection of state-supported institutio…

21.187. Freshman tour, attendance of members at legislative conference for new members — expenses, how paid. — In addition to the reimbursement of expenses allowed by section 21.183, all members of the general assembly may be reimbursed for necessary and actual expenses incurred …

21.200. Expenses of visiting committees. — No member of any committee shall be allowed any pay by the committee on accounts or by resolution for visiting any institution or place, except actual necessary expenses incurred in the discharge of his duties on the committee, which amo…

21.210. Allowance of accounts. — When any member, officer or employee of either house presents his account for his compensation, and the same is allowed, according to the rules of the house to which he belongs, a certificate shall be granted, specifying the amount and on what acc…

21.220. Expenses paid out of what fund. — All costs and expenses of proceedings, including the necessary expenses of any officer in executing any writ or process of either house or of a joint meeting, and all witness fees, shall be paid: (1) By the party charged, if so adjudged, …

21.230. Contingent expenses, how controlled. — Each house shall control its own contingent expenses; and when any accounts properly chargeable to the house of representatives are adjusted and allowed according to the rules of that house a certificate shall be granted, signed by t…

21.232. Printing, other services for house of representatives — costs how paid — disposition of balance. — 1. The house of representatives shall establish a revolving fund which shall be funded annually by appropriation, and which shall receive funds paid or transferred to the ho…

21.235. Printing, other services for the senate — costs how paid — disposition of balance. — 1. The senate shall establish a revolving fund which shall be funded annually by appropriation and which shall receive funds paid or transferred to the senate for printing, duplicating, p…

21.240. Joint expenses, how controlled. — All joint expenses shall be controlled by their concurrent vote and shall be ascertained and adjusted according to their joint rules, and a certificate shall be issued, signed by the president and countersigned by the secretary of the sen…

21.250. Statutes, how authenticated when passed over veto, effective, when. — When a bill that has passed both houses of the general assembly is returned by the governor without his signature, and with objections thereto, and upon a reconsideration, passes both houses by the cons…

21.260. Appropriations to be itemized. — Appropriations for the operation and maintenance of departments shall be separately itemized; and separate appropriations shall be made for each item of extraordinary operation and maintenance expenditure and for each major capital expendi…

21.270. Governor to return bills when general assembly recesses for more than fifteen and less than thirty days. — When the general assembly recesses for more than fifteen days and less than thirty days all bills and joint resolutions passed by both houses and presented to the go…

21.280. Local laws, how passed. — No local or special law shall be passed by the legislature of Missouri, unless notice of the intention to apply therefor is published as provided in section 21.290. ­­-------- (RSMo 1939 § 12874, A.L. 1957 p. 595) Prior revisions: 1929 § 11249; 1…

21.290. Notice. — Notice of intention to apply for the enactment of local or special laws shall be published in each county or incorporated city or town to be affected by the local or special law, by advertisement in some newspaper, if one is published in the county or incorporat…

21.300. By whom signed, where published. — The notice shall state the substance of the contemplated law, shall be signed by ten householders of the county or incorporated city or town where the notice is published and shall be inserted in four separate publications of the newspap…

21.310. Proof of publication. — The proof of the publication of the notice shall be made by the affidavit of the publisher of the newspaper in which the notice is published, to which shall be attached a copy of the notice. The proof of notice published by handbills shall be made …

21.320. Notice to be attached to bill. — A copy of the notice required by this chapter, duly authenticated and proved as set forth in section 21.310, shall be attached to the bill before its introduction and shall be once read in the senate and house of representatives before the…

21.330. Mechanical roll call for house authorized. — The vote of the members of the house of representatives may be taken and recorded by mechanical means in all cases where a vote by roll call is required by the constitution or ordered by members of the house. ­­-------- (L. 194…

21.340. Requirements for mechanical roll call. — The mechanical equipment installed and used for the purpose of taking and recording the votes of the members of the house shall be so constructed as to employ and use a roll call sheet, arranged in four separate columns, and to sho…

21.350. Visual record board required. — There shall be installed as a part of the mechanical equipment visual record boards, in positions in the house chamber that enable all members of the house, and persons present in the house galleries, to see how each member of the house vot…

21.360. Voting for another member — penalty. — Any member of the house of representatives who through the medium of any voting station, records the vote of another member, or who authorizes another member, or other person, to record his vote, and any person, other than a member o…

21.370. Oaths, by whom administered. — The president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives may administer all oaths and affirmations to the officers of their respective houses, to swear in the members of their respective houses, after first having taken th…

21.380. Depositions. — In cases not otherwise provided for by law, depositions may be taken and read in either house, or before a committee thereof, or before both houses in joint meeting, in all cases where the taking and reading depositions would be allowed in any case pending …

21.390. Presiding officer may issue commission to take depositions. — When necessary, the presiding officer of the house in which they are required, or of a joint meeting, may issue commissions to take such depositions as a court at law; and the proceedings, in taking and returni…

21.400. Subpoenas shall be issued — attested, how. — Subpoenas for witnesses and the production of records shall be issued at the request of any member of the senate or the house of representatives, or the party accused, or any member of any committee; and all process awarded by …

21.410. Writs and process may be issued. — Each house, or both houses in joint meeting, may cause to be issued necessary writs and process to summon and compel any person charged with any offense, whereof they have jurisdiction, to appear before them or any committee, and carry i…

21.420. Lobbyists not to go upon the floor of the house or senate — penalty. — It is unlawful for any person employed for a pecuniary consideration to act as legislative counsel or legislative agent for any person, corporation or association, to go upon the floor of either house …

21.430. Disturbance of committee, how punished. — If any person, whether a member or not, disturbs the proceedings of any committee of either house, or is guilty of disorder in their presence, the house appointing the committee may punish the person as if the like offense were co…