Senate livestreams proceedings by 2027

Summary#

SR-984 is a proposed change to Missouri Senate Rule 96, not a new statute. It would require the Senate to provide an audio and video feed of its proceedings on the Senate website by January 1, 2027; the stated goal is to let people view proceedings when they cannot attend in person. The resolution is introduced, so it is not yet in effect.

  • The Senate would have a duty to make the feed available on its website by the deadline.
  • The Senate would not have to halt proceedings if the audio or video feed fails.
  • The supplied text also includes existing-looking rules on devices, photography, smoking, and accessible seating. The current version of Rule 96 was not supplied, so the exact changes to those provisions could not be verified.

What it means for you#

  • People who want to watch Senate proceedings: If the rule change is adopted and the feed is operating, you could watch or listen on the Senate website instead of attending in person. The rule does not require the Senate to stop proceedings if the feed fails.
  • Missouri Senate: It would have to provide the feed by January 1, 2027.
  • Members of the public generally: The proposal does not set rules for how to access the feed, or require recordings or archives to remain available.

Money#

No publicly available information.

  • The supplied material gives no cost estimate or funding source for setting up or operating the feed.

What is unclear#

  • The bill does not say whether the feed must be live, recorded, or both.
  • It does not set requirements for video or audio quality, captions, archives, or technical support.
  • It does not say what the Senate must do after a feed failure; it only says proceedings need not stop.
  • The cost and funding source are not stated.
  • The supplied material does not include the current Senate Rule 96, so the full effect on existing rule language cannot be verified.

Case for#

  • The bill appears intended to give people who cannot attend in person a way to follow Senate proceedings.
  • Requiring a feed on the Senate website gives the Senate a clear deadline and a specific place to make it available.
  • Allowing proceedings to continue during a feed failure could prevent a technical problem from stopping Senate business.

Case against#

  • The bill does not set minimum standards for the feed, captions, or access after a proceeding ends, so the public’s ability to use it could depend on details left open.
  • The Senate would have to provide the feed, but the bill gives no cost estimate or funding details.
  • Because the Senate need not halt proceedings when the feed fails, viewers could miss proceedings during an outage.