SB 1199 - Under current law, no person shall be entitled to vote while confined under a sentence of imprisonment or while on probation or parole after conviction of a felony, until finally discharged from such probation or parole. This act changes those prohibitions by only prohibiting persons from voting while confined after conviction of a felony or after conviction of a felony or misdemeanor connected with the right of suffrage

Current law also provides that a person who is convicted of any offense shall be disqualified from registering and voting in any election while confined under a sentence of imprisonment. This act limits this provision to felonies only while confined.

This act is effective January 1, 2025.

This act is substantially similar to HB 1603 (2024), HB 1927 (2024), HB 2201 (2024), a provision in HB 2371 (2024), a provision in HB 2679 (2024), HB 2755 (2024), SB 376 (2023) and provisions in HCS/SS/SCS/SB 72 (2023) and similar to HCS/HB 248 (2023) and HB 385 (2023), HB 387 (2023), a provision in HB 642 (2023), HB 859 (2023), SB 542 (2020), HB 1780 (2020), HB 1951 (2020), HB 2268 (2020), HB 2362 (2020), HB 2410 (2020), SB 167 (2017), and SB 924 (2016).

SCOTT SVAGERA

Statutes affected:
Introduced (4384S.01): 115.133, 561.026


Senate Committee Minutes:
SENATE COMMITTEE MINUTES Bill No.: SB 1199
Sponsor: Trent
Hearing Date: 2/5/2024


COMMITTEE: Local Government and Elections

CHAIRMAN: Gannon

DATE REFERRED: 1/25/2024 DATE HEARING REQUESTED: 2/1/2024



STAFF:
Janet Land
Heather McKnelly
Mary Grace Pringle
Chris Sutherland
Scott Svagera


WITNESSES GIVING INFORMATION:



WITNESSES FOR:
Denise Lieberman - MO Voter Protection Coalition
Chris Roepe - Secure Democracy USA
Michelle Smith - Missouri Justice Coalition
Jeff Smith - Missouri Appleseed & American Civil Liberties Union
Jeremy LaFaver - Empower Missouri
Jeanette Oxford - Epiphany United Church of Christ Prison Ministry
Alex Eaton - Secure Elections Project
Marilyn McLeod - League of Women Voters of Missouri
Marcel Hagens - Action St. Louis


WITNESSES AGAINST: