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Read. Follow. Verify.Missouri House Bill 2299 disqualifies candidates with unpaid taxes and establishes a Department of Revenue investigation process
Last action · May 15, 2026: Referred: Emerging Issues(H)Sponsors: Michael Davis and 1 other
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What This Bill Would Do
Missouri HB 2299 disqualifies any candidate for elective public office who is delinquent on state income, personal property, municipal, or real property taxes, or who is linked to a owing state taxes. Candidates must file a tax and bonding affidavit with the Department of Revenue, which is mandated to investigate complaints of tax delinquency and bar non-compliant candidates from the current election and subsequent election cycle if unpaid taxes are not settled within thirty days of notice.
Candidates face a mandatory thirty-day window to settle undisputed tax debts upon investigation or forfeit their ballot placement and sit out an entire election cycle, while individuals with felony convictions remain barred unless granted a presidential or gubernatorial pardon or an expungement.
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
candidates for elective public office
Candidates must submit tax affidavits, undergo Department of Revenue investigations upon complaint, and face disqualification and election bans if tax delinquencies are not settled within thirty days.
Department of Revenue
The department is required to receive candidate affidavits, investigate tax delinquency complaints, and notify candidates and election officials of violations.
Key Facts
- Any person found guilty or who pled guilty to a felony under federal law, Missouri law, or an out-of-state equivalent is disqualified from qualifying as a candidate for elective public office.
- Candidates are disqualified from election participation if delinquent in state income taxes, personal property taxes, municipal taxes, real property taxes on their residence, or if they are a past or present corporate officer of a fee office owing state taxes.
- Candidates, excluding those running for a county or city political party committee, must file an affirmation of tax payments and bonding requirements affidavit with the Department of Revenue and include a copy with their declaration of candidacy.
- Upon receiving a complaint regarding tax delinquency, the Department of Revenue must investigate the potential candidate to verify the claim.
Show all 8 facts
- If the Department of Revenue finds a candidate's affirmation to be false, it must notify the candidate, the secretary of state, or the relevant election official.
- Candidates given notice of outstanding tax obligations have thirty days to remit any undisputed amounts owed.
- Candidates who fail to pay outstanding taxes within thirty days are disqualified from the current election and barred from refiling for an entire election cycle.
- Individuals granted a pardon by the president or a state governor, or whose record was expunged under section 610.140, are qualified to run for elective public office despite prior felony convictions.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if a candidate has an undisputed tax delinquency?
Are all political candidates required to file the tax affidavit?
Does a felony conviction permanently bar someone from running for public office in Missouri?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
4 actions- May 15, 2026HouseCommitteeReferred: Emerging Issues(H)
- Jan 8, 2026HouseFloorRead Second Time (H)
- Jan 7, 2026HouseIntroducedRead First Time (H)
- Dec 9, 2025HouseIntroducedPrefiled (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.
View official text →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.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
house.mo.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance65How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz25Current news / social attention level
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