We spent all of last week on the Senate floor. Here are a few of the bills that may be of interest to everyone.

Nurse Licensure Compact: HB 2496 creates the Nurse Licensure Compact. The Compact allows RNs and LPNs to have one multi-state license, with the privilege to practice in the home state of Kansas in other Compact states physically, electronically and/or telephonically.

Appropriation Revisions: Substitute SB269 creates appropriation revisions for FY 2018 and FY 2019 for various state agencies. In FY 2018, Sub SB269 recommends expenditures of $16.3 billion, including $6.7 billion from the State General Fund. The recommendation is an all funds reduction of $3.0 million and a State General Fund increase of $1.6 million from the Governor’s Recommendation of FY 2018. Some key components for the FY 2018 appropriation revisions are:

Add $1.5 million, all from the State General Fund to fully fund the Technical Education Incentive for the Department of Education.

For FY 2019, Sub. SB 269 recommends expenditures of $16.8 billion, including $6.8 billion from the State General Fund. The recommendation is a reduction of $79.2 million, including $80.7 million from the State General Fund, from the Governor’s Recommendation for FT 2019. The bill also reduces State General Fund revenue by $11.7 million for FY 2019. Some key components of the FY 2019 appropriation revisions:

• Add $22.1 million, including $10.0 million from the State General Fund, for an increase in nursing facility reimbursements rates.
• Add $4.7 million, including $2.1 million, from the State General Fund, to provide a salary adjustment to all employees who did not receive a salary adjustment as part of the 2017 Legislative Pay Plan.
• Add $5.5 million, including $3.3 million from the State General Fund, to increase payments for foster care kinship placements from an average of $3 per day to an average of $10 per day for the Department of Children and Families.

Statewide Broadband Expansion Planning Tax Force: Senate Substitute for HB 2701 creates a broadband expansion planning task force. The purpose of the task force is to develop a group to evaluate and expand broadband throughout Kansas.

Amend Certain Sales Taxation for Motor Vehicles: SB 367 amends current sales tax law that includes the value of a rebate from a manufacturer of a new vehicle to the potential buyer. Current law includes this amount to calculate sales tax liability. SB 367 requires the rebate to be paid directly to the retailer.

Qualifications for Candidates Seeking Certain Statewide Offices: HB 2539 would amend qualifications for certain state offices. This legislation would clarify and require these positions to be a “qualified elector.” A qualified elector must be at lease 30 years old when becoming a candidate and must be licensed to practice law in Kansas for the office of the attorney general. The House’s original age requirement for the office of governor and lieutenant governor was 18 before the Senate changed it to 30. The final age requirement will be settled in conference.

State Fair Capital Improvements Fund: SB 415 creates a diversion of state sales tax receipts so that collections by the Kansas State Fair and retailers on the fairground would be deposited into the State Fair Capital Improvements Fund, effective July 1, 2018. Current law allocates 83.8% of collections go to the State General Fund and 16.2% go to the State Highway Fund. This bill would repeal an existing statutory transfer from the State General Fund to the State Fair Capital Improvements Fund.

Sales Tax Authority for Thomas County: HB 2492 increases the maximum local sales tax rate that can be imposed by Thomas County from 1.5% to 1.75%, provided all taxes levied in excess of 1% remain earmarked for financing a courthouse jail, law enforcement center, or other county administrative facility. An election would be required for an increase in the current Thomas County sales tax, which is 1.5%.

Removing Alcohol as a Special Fuel: HB2488 would remove the word “alcohol” from the definition of “special fuels” under the motor-fuel tax law. The bill clarifies how fuels are taxed.

Increased Penalties For Fake Police Calls: HB2581 increases the criminal penalties for the crime of giving a false alarm in certain circumstances. The practice which is known as “swatting.” is when a person makes a call to the police with a false story of an ongoing crime in attempt to draw police officers to a particular address. Any false call for emergency help would be at least a misdemeanor, becoming a felony if the person uses a fake identity or electronically masks their identity. HB2581 would make fake calls that result in death a felony comparable to second-degree murder.

Unfair Trade and Consumer Protection: HB 2580 eliminates consumer reporting agencies’ authority to charge certain fees related to consumer report security freezes. HB2580 amends current law to allow a consumer to place a security freeze on the consumer’s consumer report by written request, sent by certified mail or regular mail, through a secure website if made available by a consumer reporting agency, or by telephone, if the consumer reporting agency does not have an available secure website.