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Missouri House Bill 2280 Assigns Abandoned Railroad Surveying Duties to Department of Agriculture

Original title: SURVEYING DUTIES OF THE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Last action · March 24, 2026: Voted Do Pass (H)Sponsor: Mark Nolte

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Would Do

Missouri House Bill 2280 expands the surveying duties of the Department of Agriculture to include the restoration and of for all abandoned railroad rights-of-way starting August 28, 2026, through December 31, 2046.

Why it matters

Property boundaries and land records along abandoned rail corridors across the state will be officially surveyed and marked by state authorities over a twenty-year period.

Background
  • The Department of Agriculture in Missouri houses the state land surveyor's office, which oversees land survey monuments, section corners, and boundary markers. context
  • The Surface Transportation Board is a federal regulatory agency that resolves railroad rate and service disputes and reviews railroad abandonments. context

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.

Directly affected

Department of Agriculture

The department assumes new statutory duties to survey and monument abandoned railroad rights-of-way and gains explicit authority to contract with outside professionals.

Directly affected

Registered land surveyors and professional engineers

Qualified private professionals become eligible to enter into contracts with the state to plan, execute, and complete new land and geodetic survey projects.

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 new responsibility is given to the Department of Agriculture under HB 2280?
The department is required to restore and monument the of all railroad rights-of-way in Missouri abandoned by the Surface Transportation Board or Interstate Commerce Commission.
When does the new railroad surveying duty begin and end?
The duty begins on August 28, 2026, and must be completed no later than December 31, 2046.
Can the Department of Agriculture hire outside contractors for these surveys?
Yes, the department is authorized to enter into contracts with agencies of the U.S., other states, private persons, registered land surveyors, or professional engineers to plan and execute the surveys.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Where This Stands

Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Procedural history

7 actions
  1. Mar 24, 2026HouseCommittee
    Voted Do Pass (H)
  2. Mar 24, 2026House
    Executive Session Completed (H)
  3. Feb 24, 2026House
    Public Hearing Completed (H)
  4. Jan 29, 2026HouseCommittee
    Referred: Agriculture(H)
  5. Jan 8, 2026HouseFloor
    Read Second Time (H)
  6. Jan 7, 2026HouseIntroduced
    Read First Time (H)
Show 1 earlier action
  1. Dec 9, 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.

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

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Long-Term Survey Mandate Added for Abandoned Rails

The legislation establishes a 20-year window (2026 to 2046) specifically directing state resources toward monumenting abandoned federal railroad rights-of-way.

Connected Entities

Interstate Commerce Commission, Joseph Engler, Surface Transportation Board and 2 more
OrganizationInterstate Commerce Commission“Former federal agency predecessor for railroad oversight”Map →
PersonJoseph Engler“Chief Clerk of the House”Map →
OrganizationSurface Transportation Board“Federal board overseeing railroad abandonments”Map →
OrganizationDepartment of Agriculture“State agency tasked with land survey and agricultural duties”Map →
PersonMark Nolte“Representative for District 051 who introduced HB 2280”Map →

Sources

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance45
    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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