Modifies provisions governing port authorities

HB 1656 would have revised Missouri's laws governing port authorities, primarily affecting cities and counties near navigable waterways seeking to establish or expand port districts. It would have established a new approval process for port authorities through the state highways and transportation commission, requiring consideration of factors like population size (300,000+ for certain areas), economic feasibility, and avoiding boundary overlaps with existing authorities. Key provisions included granting port authorities power to levy local sales/use taxes or real property taxes within designated port districts for infrastructure projects, and defining how port district boundaries could be adjusted. The bill was prefaced in December 2025 but withdrawn the same month and never became law.