On the 10th day of our 101st Legislative Session, I filed House Bill 883 requiring the state health department to regularly provide death certificate information to local election authorities.

It is a relatively simple bill that tasks the health department with collecting the county of voter registration on a death certificate and then forwarding the certificate to the county election authority. I hope in some small way, this bill will add another layer of confidence to our elections.

The names of deceased individuals on our voter registration list have always caused some concern regarding election integrity. Counting votes from the grave yard doesn’t win voter confidence in the election process.

Adding the county where a deceased person is registered to vote on the death certificate is a simple and painless task. Requiring the Health Department to send the certificate to the county election authorities could be as easy as pushing a button.

Matching voter registration information with the information on the death certificate insures the election authority the best information available to maintain accurate voter records.

I have asked the Speaker of the House to assign the bill to the Elections Committee.The chairman of the Election Committee was copied on the request and has indicated he would be anxious to hold a hearing and move House Bill 883 forward.

There are still a lot of procedural obstacles to overcome but I am hopeful we can continue to make Missouri’s election system even better.

On the 12th day of session I filed HB994. It is the latest version of a bill that has been moving through the House and Senate for the last few years.

A version of the bill would have likely passed last year had COVID not interrupted the legislative schedule. HB994 makes completing a certified copy of the death certificate easier and more quickly available to bereaving families. I have been assisted with this bill by the Missouri Funeral Directors Association.

I continue to work with research to explore other issues important to the district and I look to other legislators for opportunities to co-sponsor common sense legislation.

I am humbled and honored to work for you in our State’s Capitol. The very best way to contact us is my email. My address is Bruce.Sassmann@house.mo.gov.

I will look forward to hearing from you.