JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – State Rep. John Mayfield has filed legislation that would make individual members of the General Assembly subject to the Missouri Sunshine Law, just like other branches of state government.

Currently, the position of the Missouri House of Representatives is that individual members are not subject to provisions of the law, which allows members of the public to request public documents.

“This legislation will provide more accountability, increase transparency and remove any ambiguities regarding the application of the Sunshine Law,” Mayfield said in a statement.

Mayfield, a Democrat from the Kansas City area, said he filed the legislation in response to an audit by State Auditor Tom Schweich, a Republican, urging the General Assembly to amend the law to make it clear that members of the General Assembly are, in fact, subject to the law. In a statement, Schweich praised Mayfield for filing the bill.

“I would like to thank Rep. Mayfield for introducing this legislation addressing the ambiguity in current law and I urge the legislature to take this opportunity to bring individual members under the umbrella of the law while carving out legitimate and necessary exceptions to public disclosure,” he said. “I look forward to continuing to work with Rep. Mayfield and other legislators on this issue.”

The legislation, House Bill 1832, has been referred to the House Judiciary Committee and could be heard in the next few weeks, Mayfield said.