Topeka
March 24
HOUSE FLOOR ACTION
The Kansas House of Representatives was very busy last week as it worked 34 bills. The topics of those bills ranged from reducing regulatory restraints on contracts for state funded universities to requiring certain drug felonies be held without bond after conviction but before sentencing.
Detailed below are 10 of 34 bills worked this week.
· First is Senate Bill (SB) 321. This bill would designate the intersection of I-35, US Highway 69, and 18th Street Expressway in Johnson County as the Representative Robert M. Tomlinson Memorial Interchange. SB 321 was voted out favorably by the House on Tuesday and will now go into conference, as it was amended by the House.
· Second is House Substitute for SB 366. This legislation prohibits the use of a cellphone while driving in either a school or construction zone and would permit display of certain lighting in road construction zones. House Subsitute for SB 366 was voted out favorably in the House on Tuesday and will now go into conference, as it was amended by the House.
· Third is SB 481. This bill would enable municipal court judges to order competency testing for defendants, upon first hearing. The bill was voted out favorably by the House on Wednesday and will go now go to the Governor for signing.
Fourth is SB 380. This piece of legislation would require electric public utilities to offer non-discriminatory rates and services to charging stations not owned by said electric public utilities within Kansas. SB 380 was voted out favorably by the House on Wednesday and will now go to conference, as it was amended by the House.
· Fifth is House Substitute for SB 51. This bill would empower the Executive Branch Chief Information Technology Officer to establish and implement a strategic plan for information technology (IT) services in the Executive Branch, implement standards for said IT services, and to oversee the IT budget within the Executive Branch. SB 51 was voted out favorably by the House on Wednesday and will go into conference, as it was amended by the House.
· Sixth is SB 334. This legislation would limit the instructor requirements set by the Kansas State Board of Nursing, in order to address nursing staff shortages across the state. SB 334 was voted out favorably in the House on Wednesday and will now go to the Governor for signing.
Seventh is SB 364. This bill would establish a maximum cost on Combination Hunting & Fishing Licenses for Kansas seniors and expand the age range for youth eligible to receive a Combination Hunting & Fishing License. SB 364 was voted out favorably in the House on Wednesday and will now go to conference, given that it was amended by the House.
· Eighth is SB 425. This legislation would raise the maximum registration fee limit for seed retailers and wholesalers and enable the charging of a late fee for post-deadline registration renewals. SB 425 was voted out of the House favorably on Wednesday and will now go to the Governor for signing.
· Ninth is SB 459. This bill would expand the membership count of the Kansas Prisoner Review Board from three to five, make the board independent of the Kansas Department of Corrections, and change the selection of said members, with the Governor selecting three, of which one would serve as the chair, and the Attorney General selecting two, of which one would serve as the vice chair. SB 459 was voted out favorably by the House on Wednesday and will now go to conference, as it was amended by the House.
· Last is SB 487. This piece of legislation would mandate the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to establish a statewide online offender registry, using data collected by all state agencies that register offenders under the Kansas Offender Registration Act. SB 487 was voted out favorably by the House on Wednesday and now goes to conference, as it was amended by the House.
OTHER UPDATES
While most of last week the Kansas House of Representatives was busy debating bills on the floor other important items did occur.
First is that the House Appropriations Committee met on Tuesday and passed out House Substitute for SB 181 and House Bill (HB) 2543. SB 181 is this session’s budget trailer bill, meant to fund items missed during the earlier weeks of session, and HB 2543 mandates State General Fund reimbursement for lost revenue on free or reduced hunting and fishing licenses with the Department of Wildlife & Parks.
Second is that the Conference Committee for the State Budget, HB 2513, met five times, on Thursday and Friday. Significant progress was made during those meetings and early this week it is likely that, after a few more rounds of negotiation, a conference committee report for the budget will be agreed to by both chambers. From there the budget will go to the Governor for signing or veto.
It is a distinct honor to serve as your representative for the 109th Kansas House District and the state of Kansas. Please contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and questions. I always appreciate hearing from the residents of the 109th House District and others from the state of Kansas, as well.
Contact My Office
Representative Troy L. Waymaster
300 SW 10th Street
Topeka, Kansas 66612
troy.waymaster@house.ks.gov
www.kslegislature.gov
www.troywaymaster.com
785-296-7672