[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6366832,"mediaKeyId","2159320-bbf48d79f9647451e85fa1c48374a94d","parentId",2159320,"title","Committee hears bill to bar federal funds for voter registration and assistance","audioSeconds",1420,"startMs",116000,"endMs",1536000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159320-bbf48d79f9647451e85fa1c48374a94d&start=116&end=1536","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159320-bbf48d79f9647451e85fa1c48374a94d/thumbnail_116000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6366832/Kansas/Committee-hears-bill-to-bar-federal-funds-for-voter-registration-and-assistance","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6366832-4d9021a2055f4c4c180d773a9365c4bd/orig.mp4?Expires=1775194689&Signature=lFBfgLXRMLdUlBf3~6sQQwfiFoDrVfGN~RCHUaCf8awNpKZWe92fvbF5FlsyGxRv7yc3X4XpMi161c9OpIE~~5IM02tQuWJsqJjNTukYUMuJb575mGOmwtaQhSuiSdB5s3cwzfwLigD8xU5kMZcRs8Fr~81locV7HRhaGhHtd8XtlAv-wPa6gxWX3TZpu8wy8UBgE8Q8LZJpNULi6PLJYzcE4c1Qs6NDwn3YLPdxtjPIufyuylqstPIlA7oUw~VMFE4MR284aswOFtPUzAtc-TGJydp8jYRNhR-NAiRIdL1xO0Odnj5Ldtg903njuLMxfDVO1Wwxm-a2jGmXQaOiWQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Committee on Federal and State Affairs, KS","date","2025-01-28T00:00:00Z","article","Senate Federal and State Affairs heard Senate Bill 5, which would amend K.S.A. 25-2436 to prohibit election officials from accepting or spending federal government funds for elections and election-related activities, including voter registration and voter assistance, unless the use is expressly authorized by the legislature.

The bill’s sponsor-review explanation came from Jason Long of the Office of the Revisor of Statutes, who told the committee the change would add monies provided by “any branch, agency, department, office, or bureau of the federal government” to current prohibitions on private contributions to election officials and would extend the ban to election-related activities. Long said the bill preserves existing exemptions for uses specifically authorized by appropriation and leaves the penalty unchanged as a level 9 nonperson felony. He said the changes would take effect July 1 if enacted.

The measure drew support from Madeline Melissa of Opportunity Solutions, who thanked the committee and told members the bill would ensure legislative oversight of federal resources touching elections. Melissa cited Executive Order 14019 and said it had directed federal participation in registration and mobilization; she also said that action was rescinded on Jan. 20 and that similar state-level measures have passed recently in other states. Clay Barker, general counsel for the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office, said his office was neutral because most federal funds the office receives arrive under the Help America Vote Act (HAVA) and are reappropriated through the legislature. Barker described how CARES Act money had been used for pandemic-era election needs such as shields, hand sanitizer and drop boxes and said those expenditures were reviewed by the legislature.

Committee members asked whether the bill’s language would reach all elections and what was meant by “voter assistance.” Jason Long said the statute’s reach is any election conducted by election officials and that the phrases “voter registration” and “voter assistance” are illustrative, not exclusive, and could be read to include a range of election-related activities unless the legislature has expressly authorized the spending. Members also asked whether federal grants used for election security or law enforcement functions would be affected; Long and Barker said funds specifically appropriated for election security and reappropriated through the legislature would not be barred, but that the bill is intended to prevent non‑election federal funds from being repurposed for registration or similar activity without legislative approval.

Senators asked staff to research two related items: what authority state agencies had to mail voter registration or ballot‑related materials under a governor’s memorandum of understanding, and how much was spent by state agencies on such mailings. A staff member volunteered to collect those records and related federal-expenditure information for the committee’s review.

The hearing record included five in-person proponents, several written proponents and three written opponents on file; the committee closed the hearing with no formal action taken on the bill that day.

The committee packet and submitted testimony are available on the committee S drive, according to the chair.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs 01/28/2025","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Federal and State Affairs heard Senate Bill 5, which would amend K.S.A. 25-2436 to bar federal funds from being accepted or spent by election officials for elections and related activities unless the legislature authorizes the expenditures.","taxTitle","Federal and State Affairs, Standing, Senate, Committees, Legislative, Kansas","taxId",20424,"location","Kansas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6366829,"Senate committee advances bill banning ranked‑choice voting; amendments to narrow the ban fail",0,1541000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2159320-bbf48d79f9647451e85fa1c48374a94d&start=1541&end=1541","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2159320-bbf48d79f9647451e85fa1c48374a94d/thumbnail_1541000.jpg","/articles/6366829/Kansas/Senate-committee-advances-bill-banning-rankedchoice-voting-amendments-to-narrow-the-ban-fail","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6366829-3b5444cb94a3c33bc67a2a29fe8c4ce5/orig.mp4?Expires=1775194689&Signature=j30R-vu08iY0qMqolYf4WdiC8wC99R~tMdESqSGRkusZwUn7-izPsfbL9Q~kcGHIDS7DGDStJE2qvOs~GiuKJJW7tV02CeDHppWahDgr-qmYxarerTNNWFE5O~KynlQDICrigisolywdvUYVc7FXotbh0lNh9ntkhmjK-ld~OE1jfrIM~EJnXXdEYMx~RW55LHasHkwSOMqjkbp9feWdrnIgyxHgVOWGgiwkctPgOiN~mPfk3X60OAeEJjlpr77Toy5izaonnL2qLyS5i82m3~dESsDgTfKgpMNACzxSRrFWuR8ugUYz3MZyWCe7Hr6QDjEvxE4Gxhfab7kyjhsPuw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee voted to advance Senate Bill 6, a bill that would prohibit ranked‑choice voting in any election conducted in Kansas and nullify any local ordinance, resolution or regulation adopting ranked‑choice methods before July 1, 2025.

Jason Long, Office of the Revisor of Statutes, told the committee the bill defines ranked‑choice voting, forbids “any form of ranked choice voting methods in any elections conducted in the state,” and nullifies prior local measures that allowed ranked‑choice voting. The bill text also refers to elections at multiple levels and includes an explicit July 1, 2025 cutoff for local actions taken earlier.

Committee debate focused on the reach of the prohibition. Senator Francisco offered an amendment to limit the ban to state elected offices; the amendment was moved and seconded and then defeated on a voice vote. Francisco later proposed a conceptual amendment to strike the word “Federal” from the bill’s language (removing an explicit federal reference); that conceptual amendment also failed on a voice vote. Members expressed different views about municipal home‑rule authority and the legal hurdles cities would face if they adopted ranked‑choice methods in defiance of state statute. Jason Long said a municipality could attempt to impose ranked‑choice voting, but that it would face a significant legal hurdle under uniform‑application arguments.

Senator Blue moved the committee report to pass SB6 favorably; Senator Murphy seconded. The motion carried on a voice vote and the bill is headed to the Senate floor.

Committee members flagged potential legal questions about home rule and the interaction of state law with federal elections; Long said that if Congress enacted a nationwide ranked‑choice requirement and allowed states to opt out, the interplay would be different, but absent such federal action state law governs how state and local elections are run. No roll‑call tallies were recorded in the committee transcript; votes were taken by voice and recorded as passed or failed.

The committee did not take additional amendments after the final passage motion and closed its business on the bill that day.","Senate Bill 6, which would prohibit ranked‑choice voting in Kansas and void local ordinances permitting it before July 1, 2025, passed favorably out of the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee after the committee rejected two amendments to narrow its scope.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee hears bill to bar federal funds for voter registration and assistance

Senate committee advances bill banning ranked‑choice voting; amendments to narrow the ban fail