Committee advances captive-insurance overhaul with fee amendment

The Committee on Insurance voted to pass House Bill 23‑34 favorably out of committee after discussion and a single adopted amendment. The bill updates terms, conditions, and definitions in the Kansas Captive Insurance Act, authorizes provisional certificates of authority and would enact the Kansas Protected Cell Captive Insurance Company Act, according to the committee staff summary.

Eileen, the committee staff member summarizing the bill, told members: "House Bill 23 34 updates certain terms, conditions, and definitions to the Captive Insurance Act. It provides for provisional certificates of authority and also would enact the Kansas protected cell captive insurance company act." Representative Tarwater proposed an amendment changing a fixed renewal/application fee to a discretionary cap; as Tarwater asked during discussion, the fee language on page 12 would be changed so the commissioner could charge "up to 2,500" instead of a flat $2,500.

Representative Proctor seconded the amendment; the committee approved the Tarwater amendment by voice vote and then passed the bill as amended on a subsequent voice vote. Representative Naber moved to pass the bill favorably for passage; the motion was renewed on the floor by Representative Neighbour before the final voice vote. The transcript does not record individual roll-call tallies for either the amendment or the final passage.

Committee members noted the bill contains "a lot of meat" and that extensive testimony had been heard at the prior hearing. No other amendments or implementation deadlines were recorded in the transcript.

Because the bill amends statutory definitions and creates a new protected-cell structure, it would alter statutory supervision and fee authority under the state's captive insurance framework; the transcript does not specify fiscal impact estimates or effective dates.