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HB 1940MISSOURISession 2026State BillSigned into law

Enacted

Missouri House Bill 1940 lowers consecutive publication requirement for legal notice newspapers from three years to one year

Original title: NEWSPAPERS

Last action · July 13, 2026: Delivered to Secretary of State (G)Sponsors: Peggy McGaugh and 3 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

Law

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What This Bill Does

Missouri HB 1940 reduces the required period of regular and consecutive publication from three years to one year for newspapers eligible to publish legal notices, public advertisements, and real estate orders.

Why it matters

Changes the qualification timeline for local newspapers seeking to carry court orders, public notices, and real estate advertisements, directly affecting which publications can capture legal-notice revenue.

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Newspaper publishers

Newer publications become eligible to carry public notices and legal advertisements sooner due to the reduced one-year requirement.

Directly affected

Local governments

Municipalities and counties have a broader selection of qualified newspapers for publishing required legal notices and orders of publication.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the new publication timeframe required for a newspaper to print legal notices?

A newspaper must be published regularly and consecutively for a period of one year, down from the previous requirement of three years.

How long does a successor newspaper have to launch after a prior newspaper closes?

A successor newspaper must begin publication no later than ninety consecutive days after the termination of the prior newspaper to retain its legal publication rights.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Votes, people, money & the original source

Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

43 actions

Jul 13, 2026House
Delivered to Secretary of State (G)
Jul 13, 2026Governor of MissouriEnrolled
Approved by Governor (G)
May 28, 2026Governor of Missouri
Delivered to Governor
May 28, 2026Senate
Signed by President Pro Tem (S)
May 28, 2026House
Signed by House Speaker (H)
May 12, 2026House
House Message (H)

Show 37 earlier actions

May 12, 2026House
Truly Agreed To and Finally Passed
May 12, 2026House
House Adopts (H)
May 12, 2026House
Taken Up
May 12, 2026HouseCommittee
Reported Do Pass (H)
May 12, 2026HouseCommittee
Voted Do Pass (H)
May 12, 2026House
Executive Session Completed (H)
May 11, 2026HouseCommittee
Referred: Fiscal Review(H)
May 11, 2026House
Reported to the House with... (H)
May 7, 2026SenateFloor
Third Read and Passed with Amendments (S)
May 7, 2026Senate
SCS Adopted (S)
May 7, 2026Senate
Taken Up for Third Reading (S)
May 7, 2026House
Placed on Informal Calendar
Apr 16, 2026SenateCommittee
SCS Reported Do Pass (S)
Apr 13, 2026SenateCommittee
SCS Voted Do Pass (S)
Apr 13, 2026Senate
Executive Session Held (S)
Apr 7, 2026Senate
Public Hearing Held (S)
Apr 2, 2026Senate
Public Hearing Scheduled (S)
Mar 23, 2026SenateCommittee
Second read and referred: Local Government, Elections and Pensions(S)
Mar 11, 2026Senate
Reported to the Senate and First Read (S)
Mar 11, 2026HouseFloor
Third Read and Passed (H)
Mar 11, 2026House
Taken Up for Third Reading (H)
Mar 9, 2026House
Perfected (H)
Mar 9, 2026House
Title of Bill - Agreed To
Mar 9, 2026House
Taken Up for Perfection (H)
Mar 4, 2026House
Placed on the Informal Perfection Calendar (H)
Feb 11, 2026HouseCommittee
Reported Do Pass - Consent (H)
Feb 10, 2026HouseCommittee
Voted Do Pass - Consent (H)
Feb 10, 2026House
Executive Session Completed (H)
Feb 2, 2026HouseCommittee
Referred: Consent and Procedure(H)
Feb 2, 2026HouseCommittee
Reported Do Pass - Consent (H)
Jan 28, 2026HouseCommittee
Voted Do Pass - Consent (H)
Jan 28, 2026House
Executive Session Completed (H)
Jan 21, 2026House
Public Hearing Completed (H)
Jan 8, 2026HouseCommittee
Referred: Local Government(H)
Jan 8, 2026HouseFloor
Read Second Time (H)
Jan 7, 2026HouseIntroduced
Read First Time (H)
Dec 1, 2025HouseIntroduced
Prefiled (H)

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Connected Entities

Secretary of State, Bill Allen, Jim Kalberloh and 2 more

OrganizationSecretary of State“Receives filings for reinstated newspapers”Map →

PersonBill Allen“Cosponsor for District 017”Map →

PersonJim Kalberloh“Cosponsor for District 126”Map →

PersonPeggy McGaugh“Representative for District 007 and bill introducer”Map →

PersonMarla Smith“Cosponsor for District 074”Map →

Sources

Open source document

house.mo.gov

Analysis Score

0–100

Significance40
How much this matters to a regular citizen
Controversy10
Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
Entertainment5
Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
Buzz15
Current news / social attention level

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