WEEKLY OVERVIEW
Last week was the final week of legislative activity before First Adjournment. Late Friday afternoon, the Senate gaveled out for adjournment and will reconvene on May 1st for Veto Session.
The Senate voted on numerous conference committee reports including a school finance bill sent to the Governor for her signature and then on to the Attorney General before the deadline for the court ruling.
A conference committee is a small, bipartisan, and bicameral committee that works to smooth out the differences between the House and Senate’s version of a similar bill. Once the conference committee reaches a compromise, the negotiated bill is sent to both the House and Senate for a final vote before advancing to the governor’s desk.
When the Senate gavels in on May 1st at 10:00 a.m., we will begin Veto Session and wrap up any legislative loose ends for the year.
SENATE FLOOR ACTION – Conference Committee Reports
ADVANCE BALLOT SIGNATURES – Substitute for Senate Bill 130 would amend law concerning advance ballots, associated signature requirements, and polling places. Sub SB 130 requires county election officers to try to contact each voter who submitted an advance ballot without a signature or with a signature that does not match the signature on file and allow the voter to correct the deficiency before the commencement of the final county canvass. The bill also allows voters in a county to vote at any polling place on Election Day at the discretion of the county election official.
TURNPIKE PROJECTS – Senate Substitute for House Bill 2007 would amend requirements for tolled projects of the Kansas Turnpike Authority (KTA) and the Secretary of Transportation.
The bill would authorize the KTA to issue revenue bonds payable partly from revenues to finance turnpike projects. The bill would require the KTA, before undertaking a toll road project, to find construction of a toll expressway that can be financed partly through the investment of private funds in toll road revenue bonds and that such project and any indebtedness incurred for could be financed partly through tolls and other project related income. The bill would authorize the Secretary of Transportation to study the feasibility of constructing new toll or turnpike projects and remove authority to designate existing highways or any portion of such highways as a toll or turnpike project. The bill would require a study by the Secretary of a project for its feasibility as a toll or turnpike project to determine, after consulting with local officials, that traffic volume; local contribution. The bill would require any toll or turnpike project be constructed only to add capacity to existing highways or bridges or as a new facility where such did not exist.
AMENDING THE DEFINITION OF SERVICE-CONNECTED IN THE KP&F RETIREMENT SYSTEM – House Bill 2031 would make several revisions to the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) pertaining to the Kansas Police and Firemen’s Plan (KP&F), provisions relating to working after retirement, membership eligibility, and the administration of the Retirement System. The bill would allow agents of the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) to participate in the Kansas Deferred Retirement Option Program (DROP) of the KP&F which is currently authorized for troopers, examiners, and officers of the Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP). The bill also would revise the definition for “service-connected,” as that term is used to determine death and disability benefits in KP&F. The bill would add bloodborne pathogens.
AMENDING THE CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS AND SOLICITATIONS ACT – House Bill 2039 would amend the Charitable Organizations and Solicitations Act (COSA) to exempt from its’ registration requirement any charitable organization that is an animal shelter licensed pursuant to the Kansas Pet Animal Act. The bill also would create and amend law related to limited liability companies (LLCs) in the Kansas Revised Limited Liability Company Act (RLLCA) and Business Entity Standard Treatment (BEST) Act.
AMENDING DEFINITION OF SCHOOL BUS IN MOTOR-FUEL TAX LAW – House Bill 2087 would amend the definition of “school bus” in the Motor-Fuel Tax Law to remove a requirement that the vehicle be designed for carrying more than ten passengers and to remove use for the transportation of school personnel.
ACCESS TO MOTOR VEHICLE RECORDS – House Bill 2126 would amend law restricting access to motor vehicle records. It would allow release for any purpose not listed in Kansas law that is permissible under the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act as it existed on January 1, 2018.
ACCOUNTING TREATMENT OF CERTAIN DERIVATIVE INSTRUMENTS OF FIXED INDEX ANNUITIES – House Bill 2127 would create law and make several amendments to the Insurance Code.
ASSOCIATION HEALTH PLANS – House Bill 2209 allows the Kansas Farm Bureau to establish a health care benefit that offers coverage specifically for Farm Bureau members in Kansas. The bill aims to reduce the number of uninsured Kansans by creating competition and free-market options for health care. Senate Bill 32 is the Farm Bureau’s solution to addressing the critical need for KFB members to find affordable health care coverage. A recent study pointed out that 65 percent of agriculture producers view health care as the number one threat to the future of their operation. The bill would create new law and make several amendments to the Insurance Code.
PERMIT FEES FOR OVERSIZED VEHICLES – House Bill 2225 would increase fees for certain permits authorizing oversize or overweight vehicles to operate on designated routes and would require registration of escort vehicle companies.
SCHOOL FUNDING PLAN – House Substitute for Senate Bill 16 is the school finance plan that appropriates funds to the K-12 base aid for FY 2020 and FY 2021. The legislation supplements the state’s $525 million, five-year investment that passed last year, with a series of an additional $90 million over the next four years. The legislation was crafted to comply with the Kansas Supreme Court’s instructions to add an inflation adjustment and was supported by the Senate, the Board of Education, and Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly. H Sub SB 16 did include some policy placed in by the House, including the Tax Credit for Low Income Students Scholarship Program which provides a policy fix to allow for early intervention for at-risk elementary aged students.
LICENSING FOR SOCIAL WORKERS – Senate Bill 15 would provide for licensure by reciprocity for social workers at baccalaureate, master’s, and specialist clinical levels; amend requirements for licensure by reciprocity for other professions regulated by the Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board and amend the licensure requirements for a specialist clinical social worker. The bill would also amend the Adult Care Home Licensure Act regarding the application for licensure, financial solvency, and receivership of adult care homes. Further, the bill would revise the Naturopathic Doctor Licensure Act and the Radiologic Technologists Practice Act.
AMENDING THE PHARMACY ACT OF THE STATE OF KANSAS – House Bill 2119 would amend the Pharmacy Act of the State of Kansas to require certain prescription orders be transmitted electronically and to permit a licensed pharmacist to administer a drug by injection in certain situations. The bill also would allow a business entity issued a certificate of authorization by the Board of Healing Arts (BOHA) to employ or contract with one or more licensees of BOHA for the purpose of providing professional services for which such licensees hold a valid license issued by BOHA.
VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEES FOR ELECTRIC VEHICLES – Senate Substitute for House Bill 2214 would add vehicle registration fees of $100 for all-electric vehicles and $50 for motor vehicles that are electric hybrid or plug-in electric hybrid vehicles. The new fees would be effective on and after January 1, 2020.
INSURANCE POLICY ON RESIDENTIAL REAL ESTATE – Senate Bill 78 would create law regarding assignment of certain rights or benefits under an insurance policy on residential real estate and protections related to housing for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, or stalking. Specifically, the bill would state an assignment may authorize a residential contractor to be named as a co-payee for the payment of benefits under a property and casualty insurance policy insuring residential real estate.
ESTABLISHING A COMMERCIAL INDUSTRIAL HEMP PROGRAM – Senate Substitute for House Bill 2167 would require the Kansas Department of Agriculture (KDA) in consultation with the governor and attorney general, to submit a plan to the U.S. Department of Agriculture regarding how the KDA will monitor and regulate the commercial production of industrial hemp within the state, in accordance with federal law. In addition, the bill would establish the Commercial Industrial Hemp Program; make changes to the Industrial Hemp Research Program; and establish hemp processing registrations, prohibitions on specific products, sentencing guidelines, and waste disposal requirements.
ALLOWING FOR TEMPORARY PERMITS FOR SELLING AND SERVING ALCOHOL – Senate Bill 70 would amend law concerning temporary permits to serve liquor for consumption on premises; amend law concerning common consumption areas; amend law related to the issuance of licenses by the Division of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), Department of Revenue; create law related to delivery of alcoholic liquors within the state and required reporting of such deliveries; amend the Liquor Control Act to allow for producers of certain fermentative products to sell wine made at a farm winery; and designate the official Kansas red and white wine grapes.
REQUIRING REPORTING AND ANALYSIS OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT INCENTIVE PROGRAMS – House Bill 2223 would require analyses and reporting of economic development incentive programs which would be done by the Legislative Division of Post Audit and the Department of Commerce, and extend the maximum maturity on bonds issued to finance projects under the Kansas Rural Housing Incentive District Act. The bill would amend the Legislative Post Audit Act to authorize the Legislative Post Audit Committee to conduct a systematic and comprehensive review analysis every three years.
ABORTION PILL REVERSAL – Senate Bill 67 would require certain notifications be posted in facilities where medication abortions that use mifepristone are provided and be given by physicians providing such abortions. The bill would provide relevant definitions and create civil and criminal penalties for violating the notification requirements.
CABINET SECRETARIES CONFIRMED BY THE SENATE
Department for Aging and Disability Services and Department for Children and Families – Laura Howard, Department of Commerce – David Toland, Department of Wildlife & Parks – Brad Loveless, Department of Agriculture – Mike Beam, Kansas Racing and Gaming – Donald Brownlee and Office of the State Securities Commission – Jeffery Wagaman.
Visitors from Senate District #36
Lincoln Jr. High Students toured Topeka Tuesday and met Rep. Susan Concannon and myself in the Visitor Center before their tour of the State Capitol and the climb of 296 steps to the top of the dome.
Thank You for Engaging
Thank you for all of your calls, emails, and letters regarding your thoughts and concerns about happenings in Kansas. I always encourage you to stay informed of the issues under consideration by the Kansas Legislature. Committee schedules, bills, and other helpful information can be easily accessed through the legislature’s website at www.kslegislature.org. You are also able to ‘listen in live’ at this website or watch live at YouTube Streaming: http://bit.ly/2CZj9O0 . Please do not hesitate to contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and suggestions. An email is the best at this point in the session.
Thank you for the honor of serving you!
Senator Elaine Bowers
Kansas State Capitol Building
Room 223-E
300 SW 10th St.
Topeka, KS 66612
[email protected]
785-296-7389
Elaine Bowers, R-Concordia, is the 36th Dist. state senator and serves as the Senate Majority Whip. The 36th Senate District includes Cloud, Jewell, Lincoln, Mitchell, Osborne, Ottawa, Republic, Rooks, Russell, Smith and Washington counties and portions of Marshall and Phillips counties.