Missouri Revised Statutes

Missouri Revised Statutes
Name	Missouri Revised Statutes
Jurisdiction	Missouri
Enacted by	Missouri General Assembly
Citation	Stat.
Status	current

Missouri Revised Statutes are the consolidated statutory laws of the state of Missouri enacted by the Missouri General Assembly and organized for reference and application across state institutions. The compilation integrates acts passed by the Missouri House of Representatives, the Missouri Senate, and signed by the Governor of Missouri into a codified set of statutes used by courts such as the Supreme Court of Missouri and administrative bodies like the Missouri Department of Revenue. The statutes interact with federal instruments including the United States Constitution, decisions from the United States Supreme Court, and instruments like the Commerce Clause and the Fourteenth Amendment in state adjudication.

History and Development

Early statutory compilations in Missouri trace to territorial ordinances contemporaneous with figures such as Meriwether Lewis and institutions like the Louisiana Purchase administration; later codification efforts paralleled political developments involving governors such as Thomas Jefferson R. Fansler and legislators from eras of the Civil War in Missouri and Reconstruction under figures like O. P. Cooley. The evolution of state statutes was influenced by national movements including the Progressive Era, judicial precedents from the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, and model codes authored by organizations such as the American Law Institute and the Commissioners on Uniform State Laws. Periodic revisions responded to events like the Great Depression, wartime measures during World War II, and modern reforms following rulings in cases adjudicated by judges associated with the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and the United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

Organization and Structure

The statutes are arranged by subject matter into chapters and sections reflecting topics handled by agencies including the Missouri Department of Transportation, the Missouri Department of Conservation, and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. The structure parallels legislative committees of the Missouri House Committee on Judiciary and the Missouri Senate Committee on Judiciary and Civil and Criminal Jurisprudence, and maps to enforcement by entities such as the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Missouri Bar, and local jurisdictions like the Jackson County, Missouri and the St. Louis County, Missouri courts. Cross-references often invoke federal statutes like the Social Security Act, programs administered by the Internal Revenue Service, and administrative rules promulgated by commissions such as the Missouri Public Service Commission.

Codification and Publication

Official codification and publication are managed through processes involving the Secretary of State of Missouri and printers that historically served capitols such as Jefferson City, Missouri. Private publishers and legal reporters like West Publishing Company and the Lawyers Cooperative Publishing have produced annotated editions used by practitioners from firms in cities such as Kansas City, Missouri and St. Louis, Missouri. The printed volumes coexist with electronic dissemination maintained by repositories modeled on projects like the Legal Information Institute and archives similar to the Missouri Digital Heritage initiative, and they inform law libraries at institutions including the University of Missouri School of Law and the Washington University School of Law.

Legislative Process and Amendments

Statutory enactment begins with bill drafting often assisted by the Revisor of Statutes of Missouri and advocacy groups including trade associations, labor unions such as the Missouri AFL–CIO, and organizations like the Missouri Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Bills advance through readings in the Missouri House of Representatives and the Missouri Senate, committee hearings where testimony may involve representatives from the Missouri Farm Bureau or the Missouri Hospital Association, and votes that culminate with the signature or veto by the Governor of Missouri. Amendments arise from legislative sessions convened under constitutional provisions in the Constitution of Missouri, ballot initiatives inspired by movements like the Initiative and Referendum processes used in other states, and judicial interpretations stemming from litigation in state courts and federal tribunals including the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.

Access, Interpretation, and Legal Authority

Access to the statutes is provided through official publications overseen by the Office of the Secretary of State (Missouri) and through libraries at academic centers such as the Saint Louis University School of Law and the Missouri State Library. Interpretation is guided by canons of construction discussed in opinions of the Supreme Court of Missouri and by persuasive authorities including treatises from authors at the American Bar Association and scholarship produced at universities like Missouri State University and Truman State University. The statutes derive legal authority from enactment by the Missouri General Assembly under the Constitution of Missouri and are applied in proceedings before trial courts such as the 19th Judicial Circuit Court of Missouri and appellate review bodies including the Missouri Court of Appeals.

Notable Provisions and Reforms

Significant statutory provisions have addressed subjects overseen by agencies like the Missouri Department of Corrections, reforms inspired by commissions such as the Missouri Sentencing Advisory Commission, and regulatory frameworks impacting institutions like the University of Missouri System and the St. Louis Public Schools. Reforms have been driven by high-profile events involving municipalities such as Ferguson, Missouri and public inquiries following incidents adjudicated in federal forums like the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri. Legislative changes have intersected with national initiatives including the Affordable Care Act and federal civil rights litigation referencing decisions by the United States Supreme Court.

Category:Law of Missouri