Based solely on the provided context for SB 1296 ("Modifies provisions relating to income tax refunds"), there is insufficient detail to generate a meaningful summary. The official abstract states only that the bill modifies "provisions relating to income tax refunds" without specifying the nature of the changes, affected groups, or key mechanisms. Without additional information on the bill's content, it is not possible to describe what the bill does, who it directly affects, or its concrete policy changes. A substantive summary cannot be provided with the current information.
SJR 115 - This constitutional amendment, if approved by the voters, modifies provisions relating to taxation. INCOME TAX This amendment provides that, if all revenue triggers established by the General Assembly for the elimination of the individual income tax are met such that the top rate of tax is reduced below 1.4%, then for any tax year beginning on or after the later of January 1, 2031, or January 1 of the year in which the top rate of tax is reduced below 1.4%, no individual income tax shall be imposed by the state, provided that this provision shall not apply to any earnings tax imposed by a political subdivision or to the income tax imposed on the income of trusts, estates, or fiduciaries thereof, corporations, partnerships, limited liability companies, or any other entity other than real persons. SALES AND USE TAX This amendment authorizes the General Assembly to expand the sales and use tax base to include the ability to tax any goods and services. Beginning January 1, 2029, any county, city, town, or village imposing a sales or use tax at a rate greater than 1%, and any other political subdivision imposing a sales and use tax at a rate greater than 0.5% shall annually adjust one or more of several tax levies imposed by such political subdivision for the purpose of offsetting any additional revenue received from the expansion of the sales and use tax base. The levies that shall be adjusted are the sales and use tax rate, personal property tax levy, residential real property tax levy, or earnings tax rate. Notwithstanding such provision, no adjustment made pursuant to this provision shall result in a reduction in funding to the public schools within or serving such political subdivision. Beginning January 1, 2029, each constitutionally-imposed sales and use tax rate shall be adjusted in a manner provided by law in order to produce substantially the same amount of revenue as the median annual revenue that such tax produced for the three fiscal years ending prior to the preceding calendar year, as adjusted for inflation. The State Auditor shall determine any such adjustments. Any tax or revenue increase resulting from any general law enacted by the General Assembly for the purpose of eliminating the individual income tax, provided that such general law is enacted within three years of the effective date of this amendment, shall be exempt from Hancock limitations and from constitutional provisions relating to motor fuel tax. The Director of Revenue may promulgate rules for the purpose of clarifying and prohibiting the circumvention of the expansion of the sales and use tax base, as well as to define any terms left undefined by general law. This amendment is substantially similar to SS/SCS/HCS/HJRs 173 & 174 (2026). JOSH NORBERG
SB 941 - This act modifies provisions relating to gaming. ILLEGAL GAMING This act establishes the "Illegal Gaming Enforcement Fund", which shall consist of a portion of revenues generated from an administrative fee imposed on video lottery terminals authorized by the act. Moneys in the fund shall be used by the Attorney General, prosecutors, and law enforcement to investigate, enforce, charge, and prosecute illegal gaming in this state. (Section 27.180) Current law authorizes the superintendent of the Highway Patrol to enter into an agreement with the Missouri Gaming Commission to enforce laws relating to gaming. This act authorizes the superintendent to also enter into such an agreement with the Missouri Lottery Commission. (Section 43.050) The act modifies the definition of "advance gambling activity" to include conduct directed toward the creation or establishment of a gambling device. The act also provides that the term "gambling" does not include video lottery gaming authorized by the act. (Sections 572.010 and 572.100) This act provides that, for constitutionally authorized raffles, such raffles shall use tickets, a device, or a machine where a person or persons buy one or more changes from a finite number of draws for a prize. Such machine shall be certified as provided in the act. (Section 572.015) This provision is substantially similar to a provision in SB 643 (2022), SB 764 (2022), SB 906 (2022), HB 2080 (2022), and HB 2541 (2022), and is similar to a provision in SB 632 (2022), SB 1237 (2022), and HB 2910 (2022). This act establishes the "Missouri Gaming Bureau" within the Department of Public Safety. The director of the Bureau shall be a uniformed member of the Highway Patrol, and the Bureau may contract with the Missouri Gaming Commission and the Missouri Lottery Commission for criminal and regulatory investigations involving excursion gambling boats and video lottery gaming authorized by the act. Members of the Bureau shall be paid from funds designated as administrative within the State Lottery Fund. (Section 650.930) STATE LOTTERY Current law prohibits the state lottery from approving any lottery game based on the outcome of sporting events. This act repeals such prohibition, provided that the maximum ticket price shall not exceed five dollars per ticket. Additionally, the act authorizes the Lottery Commission to use an internet application to sell electronic scratcher games, draw games, and pull-tab games where a player may access such application using a personal device. (Sections 313.205 and 313.230) VIDEO LOTTERY GAMING This act establishes the Honoring Missouri Veterans and Supporting Missouri Education Act. This act allows the State Lottery Commission to implement a system of video lottery game terminals and to issue licenses to video lottery game manufacturers, distributors, operators, handlers, and retailers. The Commission shall not allow a single vendor or licensee to be responsible for implementing the program. (313.429.1) Video lottery game terminals may be placed in any video lottery game retailer's location, as such term is defined in the act. (Section 313.427) Video lottery game terminals shall be connected to a centralized computer system developed or procured by the Commission. No video lottery game terminal shall be placed in operation without first being connected to such centralized computer system. Video lottery game terminals shall meet the standards provided for in the act. (Section 313.429.2(14)) The Commission may impose a non-refundable application fee, as described in the act. The initial license shall be for a period of one year. Thereafter, the license renewal period shall be four years with the applicable license renewal fee paid for each year such license is renewed, as described in the act. In addition to such license fees, video lottery game operators shall pay the Commission an annual administrative fee of $1,000 for each video lottery game terminal placed in service. No license shall be issued to any person who has been convicted of a felony or crime involving illegal gambling. (Section 313.429.3) Video lottery game operators and video lottery game retailers shall enter into a use agreement for the placement of video lottery game terminals, as described in the act. The agreement shall specify an equal division of net terminal income after adjustments for taxes and administrative fees are made. Video lottery game operators and video lottery game retailers are prohibited from offering anything of value other than the percentage of adjusted gross receipts for the placement of video lottery terminals. (Section 313.429.4) Video lottery game operators shall pay winning tickets using a video lottery game ticket redemption terminal, which shall be located within the video lottery game retailer's establishment in direct proximity of where such video lottery games are offered. Unredeemed video lottery game tickets shall expire after 180 days of issue. (Section 313.429.8) The price of video lottery game terminal credits shall be determined by the Commission, and the maximum wager played per video lottery game shall not exceed $4.00. No cash award for the maximum wager played on any individual lottery game shall exceed one dollar less than the maximum amount allowable by federal law before tax withholding is required. (Section 313.429.10(1)) Operators shall not operate more than eight terminals at any one video lottery game retailer location. (Section 313.429.10(2)) A person under the age of twenty-one shall not play video lottery games. Video lottery game operators shall have a video surveillance system within the immediate area of the retailer's establishment where video lottery game terminals are located. (Section 313.429.11(1) and (2)) Video lottery game operators shall pay to the Commission thirty-four percent of the video lottery game adjusted gross gaming revenue. The Commission shall transfer ten percent of the adjusted gross gaming revenue tax to the cities and counties in which video lottery gaming terminals are located. (Section 313.429.12) The Commission shall procure a centralized computer system no later than 180 days following the effective date of the act, and shall establish start and operational dates as described in the act. (Section 313.431) Participation in the state lottery under this act shall not be construed to be a lottery or gift enterprise in violation of Article III, Section 39 of the Constitution of Missouri. (Section 313.433) This act allows municipalities and counties to adopt ordinances permitting or prohibiting video lottery game terminals within the municipality or the unincorporated area of the county. (Section 313.435) These provisions are identical to HCS/HB 970 (2025), are substantially similar to SB 16 (2025), SB 73 (2025), SB 112 (2025), SB 192 (2023), SB 557 (2023), SB 574 (2023), HB 699 (2023), SB 642 (2022), SB 686 (2022), SB 19 (2021), SB 319 (2021), HB 1014 (2021), SB 566 (2020), SB 43 (2019), and SB 452 (2017), and to provisions in SB 824 (2024), SB 1083 (2024), SB 1021 (2024), HB 2921 (2024), SB 1 (2023), SB 906 (2022), SS/HCS/HBs 2502 & 2556 (2022), HB 2080 (2022), SCS/SB 98 (2021), HB 915 (2021), SS#3/SCS/SB 44 (2019), and SS/SCS/SB 767 (2018), and are similar to HB 990 (2017). EXCURSION GAMBLING BOAT ADMISSION FEE Current law requires excursion gambling boat licensees to pay an admission fee of $2 per person, with $1 deposited to the Gaming Commission Fund and the remaining $1 paid to the home dock city or county. This act increases such fee to $4 per person, and allocates the additional $2 to the Missouri Veterans Commission. (Section 313.820) This act is substantially similar to HCS/HB 970 (2025). JOSH NORBERG
SB 950 - This act modifies several provisions relating to taxation. INDIVIDUAL INCOME TAX For all tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2027, this act reduces the top rate of tax by 0.17%. Such reduction in the top rate of tax shall only occur if one or more institutions is subject to the tax on the endowments of higher education institutions imposed under this act. (Section 143.011) HIGHER EDUCATION ENDOWMENT TAX For all tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2027, this act imposes a tax on the endowments of qualifying institutions of higher education at a rate of 1.9% of the aggregate fair market value of the assets of such endowments. The tax shall apply to the endowments, as defined in the act, of higher education institutions that 1) are affiliated with, or provide medical faculty to, any abortion facility, 2) offer specific medical residencies or fellowships that offer training in performing or inducing abortions, or 3) support in any manner any abortion facility where abortions are performed or induced when not necessary to save the life of the mother. Any institution that becomes a qualifying institution of higher education on or after January 1, 2027, shall remain subject to the tax imposed by the act regardless of whether such institution no longer meets the definition of qualifying institution of higher education as defined in the act. All revenues generated by the endowment tax shall be deposited in the General Revenue Fund. (Section 146.200) This act is identical to HB 3444 (2026), SB 27 (2025), SB 1143 (2024), HB 2114 (2024), SB 290 (2023), SB 892 (2022), HB 1874 (2022), SB 451 (2021), and HB 302 (2021), and is substantially similar to HB 1332 (2023), SCS/SB 574 (2020), and SCS/SB 188 (2019). JOSH NORBERG
SB 1668 - This act establishes the "Missouri Innovation, Public Safety, and Accountability Act". The act authorizes a city to submit an innovation district master plan to the Department of Economic Development for the establishment of an innovation district. The master plan shall include the geographic boundaries, identification of vacant or underutilized property, public safety and infrastructure priorities, a general strategy for surplus or incremental state revenues, and high-level projections of anticipated housing units, jobs, business, and population impacts. The Department's authority to approve or deny an application shall be limited to determining whether the geographic boundaries are reasonable. All other application information shall be considered informational and not subject to approval, modification, or denial by the Department. The Department shall adopt and administer a single, standardized master scorecard to evaluate incentives for projects located within an innovation district. The scorecard shall establish uniform criteria, provide predictability and transparency, rank projects based on measurable outcomes, establish intermediate incentive tiers for projects that do not meet full eligibility, and assign project applications to incentive tiers based on the master scorecard. The scorecard shall include categories as described in the act. An application for incentives shall be approved or denied by a reviewing authority within forty-five calendar days. Failure to issue a determination shall result in approval of the application. (Section 620.6000) A city establishing an innovation district shall establish a fast track permitting process for projects located within the district, including the designation of a single, empowered point of contact that is authorized to coordinate reviews and issue binding determinations on behalf of all relevant departments, agencies, and offices. The city shall waive, reduce, or defer discretionary, duplicative, or extraordinary permit and development fees for projects within the district. For properties not subject to an existing tax increment financing plan or property tax abatement, fifty percent of the incremental increase in real property tax revenues generated after designation shall be deposited into the innovation district's public safety fund. The city shall adopt policies providing building code flexibility for adaptive reuse projects, as described in the act. The Department shall prepare and submit a biennial written report to the General Assembly summarizing the performance of the innovation district program, as described in the act. (Section 620.6003) The act establishes the "Rural Missouri Development Fund" for the purpose of supporting economic development, infrastructure, housing, workforce development, and related community-building activities in rural and smaller communities in the state. Any municipality in the top five percent of assessed valuation in the state and that has an innovation district shall deposit ten percent of new property tax revenues into the Rural Missouri Development Fund. Such funds shall be awarded to rural and smaller municipalities, and regional development organizations. The moneys shall be used for rural education, public infrastructure improvements, public safety, housing development, workforce development, and health care community service facilities. (Section 620.6006) The act establishes the "Innovation District Public Safety Fund", which shall be composed of fifty percent of net new state tax receipts generated in the innovation district. Moneys in the fund shall be used for capital or operating expenditures related to public safety and public realm improvements within the district. A project sponsor may apply to the Department for a construction-phase withholding advance. If the application meets all technical requirements, the Department shall disburse the construction-phase withholding advance. (Section 620.6009) For all tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2027, any person who is not a resident of this state and that establishes a primary residence within an innovation zone shall be eligible for an income tax exclusion. (Section 620.2012) The act authorizes an employer to enter into a withholding agreement with the Department for the retention of a portion of withholding taxes of employees located within an innovation district. The Department may establish aggregate or annual program caps by rule to manage fiscal exposure. Retained withholdings shall be used solely for qualifying reinvestment expenditures, as defined in the act. (Section 620.2015) For all tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2027, the act authorizes an eligible employer to claim a tax credit in an amount equal to $5,000 per eligible employee for relocation expenses incurred in moving such employee from out of the state into an innovation zone. (Section 620.2018) For all tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2027, the act authorizes a taxpayer to claim a tax credit in an amount equal to twenty-five percent of conversion expenditures incurred for converting nonresidential property into residential property. The tax credit may be claimed against the taxpayer's income tax liability or sales tax liability. (Section 620.2021) The act authorizes a city to establish a Missouri Opportunity Zone, which shall be conterminous with the innovation district boundaries. A taxpayer may elect to defer payment of state income taxes if such income tax liability is invested in a qualified Missouri Opportunity Zone investment, as defined in the act. This act shall sunset on August 28, 2036, unless reauthorized by the General Assembly. This act is substantially similar to provisions in SS#2/SCS/HCS/HBs 3231 & 2531 (2026). JOSH NORBERG
SCS/SB 1575 - Current law authorizes an income tax deduction for 100% of income reported as a capital gain for federal income tax purposes. The act also applies such capital gains tax provisions to the taxable income of a resident estate or trust. This act is substantially similar to HB 2945 (2026). JOSH NORBERG
SJR 117 - This constitutional amendment, if approved by the voters, establishes the "Taxpayer Protection Act". This constitutional amendment requires nonrecall petitions and referred measures to be held on a general election, a municipal election, or on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November of odd-numbered years. The amendment authorizes districts to consolidate ballot issues and allows voters to approve delays up to four years in voting on ballot issues, provided that district actions taking during the delay shall not extend beyond that period. The amendment requires a district to mail notice to each active registered elector with specific titles, as described in the amendment. Such notices shall include a summary both for and against the proposal. In addition to existing constitutional requirements for voter approval of new or increased taxes, this amendment requires voter approval for any new tax, tax rate increase, mill levy above the prior year rate, valuation for assessment ratio increase for a property class, extension of an expiring tax, or a tax policy change directly causing a net tax revenue gain to any district. Voter approval shall also be required for the creation of any multiple fiscal year direct or indirect debt or other financial obligation whatsoever without adequate present cash reserves pledged irrevocably and held for payments in all future fiscal years. The amendment requires each district to reserve a portion of its fiscal year spending to be used only for declared emergencies, as described in the amendment. The amendment places a limit on the percentage change in state appropriations equal to inflation plus the percentage change in state population in the prior calendar year, adjusted for any revenue changes approved by voters. The amendment also places a limit on the annual percentage change in a local district fiscal year spending equal to inflation plus local growth. If revenue from sources not excluded from fiscal year spending exceeds the limits in dollars for that fiscal year, the excess shall be refunded in the next fiscal year unless voters approve a revenue change as an offset. Initial district bases shall be current fiscal year spending and property tax collected for tax year 2025. Qualification or disqualification as an enterprise, as defined in the amendment, shall change district bases and future year limits. Future creation of district bonded debt shall increase, and retiring or refinancing district bonded debt shall lower, fiscal year spending and property tax revenue by the annual debt service so funded. Debt service changes, reductions, refunds, and voter-approved revenue changes are dollar amounts that are exceptions to any district base. The amendment prohibits new or increased transfer tax rates on real property. The amendment also prohibits any new state real property tax or local income tax. The amendment authorizes districts to enact cumulative uniform exemptions and credits to reduce or end business personal property taxes. The amendment requires real estate sales prices for past or future sales by a lender or government to be kept as public records. The amendment allows a local district to reduce or end its subsidy to any program delegated to it by the General Assembly for administration. For current programs, the state may require 90 days notice and that the adjustment occur in a maximum of three equal annual installments. This amendment is substantially similar to HCS/HJR 169 (2026). JOSH NORBERG
HB 3395 extends Missouri's Downtown Economic Stimulus Act (MODESA) to support existing and new downtown redevelopment projects. It allows developers to expand approved projects beyond original boundaries (including noncontiguous areas outside central business districts), extends project obligation terms to 35 years, and increases tax benefits: up to 85% of new income tax revenue from jobs in the project area, plus 85% of new sales tax revenue. This directly affects developers, municipalities with "expansion authorities," and state tax revenue streams by modifying how economic development incentives are applied. The bill removes requirements like proving a project "could not be financed without incentives" and allows reimbursement for costs incurred before approval.
HB 3539 creates a refund program for Missouri residents who paid motor fuel tax on vehicles, directly affecting individuals and businesses that purchased fuel for vehicles registered in Missouri. It establishes two claim methods: a receipt-based refund requiring detailed vehicle and purchase documentation (filed by September 30 annually), or a standard refund applied as a flat amount against income tax (filed by April 15 annually). The standard refund amount increases yearly - $30 for 2026, $45 for 2027, $60 for 2028, and $75+ for 2029 onward - with receipts needed for the detailed option. Refunds are funded by the same motor fuel tax revenue and cannot exceed taxes collected in a given year.
SB 1694 extends Missouri's Downtown Economic Stimulus Act (MODESA) to support existing downtown redevelopment projects approved before 2013. It allows developers to modify project areas (including noncontiguous zones outside central business districts), extend project timelines to 35 years, and use tax increments (up to 85% of state income tax and sales tax revenue) to fund development costs. The bill directly affects developers of approved projects, municipalities with designated development areas, and the state through new tax increment financing mechanisms. Key changes include removing requirements for new applications, eliminating displacement percentage rules, and enabling expanded project areas without new approval.
