HOUSE BILL NO. 2656 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY
INTRODUCED BY REPRESENTATIVE WHALEY.
6079H.01I JOSEPH ENGLER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT To amend chapter 640, RSMo, by adding thereto one new section relating to geoengineering and weather modification, with penalty provisions.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the state of Missouri, as follows:
Section A. Chapter 640, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be 2 known as section 640.870, to read as follows: 640.870. 1. This section shall be known and may be cited as the "Clean Skies 2 Act". 3 2. As used in this section, the following terms mean: 4 (1) "Artificial intelligence", a field of science and technology encompassing 5 systems and tools that can perform tasks typically requiring human intelligence, such as 6 learning, reasoning, pattern recognition, and decision-making, often through 7 computational techniques such as machine learning and neural networks; 8 (2) "Cloud seeding", a type of weather engineering or experimentation that 9 involves the release of chemicals, chemical compounds, and pollutants into the 10 atmosphere that serve as cloud condensation or ice nuclei, which alter the 11 microphysical process within the cloud to change the amount or type of precipitation; 12 (3) "Department", the department of natural resources; 13 (4) "Entity", includes any of the following: 14 (a) Individual; 15 (b) Trust; 16 (c) Firm; 17 (d) Joint stock company;
EXPLANATION — Matter enclosed in bold-faced brackets [thus] in the above bill is not enacted and is intended to be omitted from the law. Matter in bold-face type in the above bill is proposed language. HB 2656 2
18 (e) Corporation, including a quasi-governmental corporation; 19 (f) Nongovernmental organization; 20 (g) Partnership; 21 (h) Association; 22 (i) Syndicate; 23 (j) Municipality or municipal agency; 24 (k) Program; 25 (l) Fire district; 26 (m) Club; 27 (n) Nonprofit agency; 28 (o) Commission; 29 (p) University, college, or academic institution; 30 (q) Department or agency of this state; 31 (r) Federal government or any interstate or international governance or 32 instrumentality thereof, including foreign, domestic and mercenary armed services or 33 regions within the United States; or 34 (s) Artificial intelligence; 35 (5) "Geoengineering", the large-scale alteration or manipulation of the 36 environment including, but not limited to, the release of the following agents that 37 increase air pollutants which affect changes to the earth's atmosphere or surface: 38 (a) Aerosols, chemicals, chemical compounds; 39 (b) Any physical or biological agents; 40 (c) Solar radiation modification; 41 (d) Solar radiation reflection methods; 42 (e) Climate intervention; or 43 (f) Stratospheric aerosol injection; 44 (6) "Pollutant", includes, but is not limited to, the following: 45 (a) An aerosol, biologic, trans-biologic, genetically modified agent, chaff, metal, 46 radioactive material, acid, alkali, chemical, chemical compound, contaminant, 47 microelectronic mechanical system, smart dust, smoke, soot, substance, fume, vapor, 48 or air pollutant regulated by this state; 49 (b) A mechanical vibration, physical agent, particulate, or waste, including 50 materials that may be recycled, reconditioned, or reclaimed; 51 (c) A solid, liquid, gaseous, or thermal irritant; and 52 (d) An artificially produced electric field, magnetic field, electromagnetic field, 53 electromagnetic pulse, sound wave, sound pollution, light pollution, microwave, or 54 ionizing or nonionizing radiation; HB 2656 3
55 (7) "Release", any activity that results in the issuance of contaminants such as 56 the emitting, transmitting, discharging or injecting of one or more nuclear, biological, 57 trans-biological, chemical, or physical agents, into the ambient atmosphere, whether 58 once, intermittently, or continuously; 59 (8) "Weather modification", changing, controlling, or interfering with or 60 attempting to alter, change, control, or interfere with the natural development of cloud 61 forms, precipitation, barometric pressure, temperature, conductivity, or other 62 electromagnetic or sonic characteristics of the atmosphere. 63 3. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no entity shall engage in any form 64 of geoengineering, weather modification, or cloud seeding in this state. 65 4. (1) The department shall create an online publicly accessible form for 66 reporting suspected violations under this section. The department shall establish 67 procedures to investigate every such report to determine whether any violation has 68 occurred. 69 (2) If the department determines that a violation has occurred, the department 70 shall immediately issue a cease-and-desist order to the entity in violation. The cease- 71 and-desist order under this section shall have the weight of a court order and any 72 violation shall be punished in accordance with the provisions of subsection 5 of this 73 section. 74 (3) The department shall develop rules and procedures for the enforcement of 75 the provisions of this section when the entity continues the violation. 76 (4) The department may enlist the assistance of local law enforcement, the 77 Missouri state highway patrol, or the department of the National Guard to investigate 78 and enforce the provisions of this section as deemed necessary. 79 5. Any entity found to be in violation of this section shall: 80 (1) Be guilty of a felony and shall pay a fine of not less than one hundred 81 thousand dollars or be imprisoned for not more than two years, or both; and 82 (2) Be guilty of committing a separate offense for each day during which the 83 prohibited activity has been conducted, repeated, or continued. 84 6. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent the use of pesticides on 85 farming and ranching operations in this state. 86 7. The department shall promulgate all necessary rules and regulations for the 87 administration of this section. Any rule or portion of a rule, as that term is defined in 88 section 536.010, that is created under the authority delegated in this section shall 89 become effective only if it complies with and is subject to all of the provisions of chapter 90 536 and, if applicable, section 536.028. This section and chapter 536 are nonseverable 91 and if any of the powers vested with the general assembly pursuant to chapter 536 to HB 2656 4
92 review, to delay the effective date, or to disapprove and annul a rule are subsequently 93 held unconstitutional, then the grant of rulemaking authority and any rule proposed or 94 adopted after August 28, 2026, shall be invalid and void. ✔
Statutes affected: