KLRD tells committee language-only items in House Bill 2007 are on technicals list; committee asked for emailed text

Jennifer Light, a staff attorney from the Kansas Legislative Research Department, told the Committee on K-12 Education Budget that several language-only items currently included in House Bill 2007 are being placed on the technicals (corrections) list and may be deleted by House Appropriations or Senate Ways and Means.

Light said the items are on page 11 of the committee's budget summary under “additional legislative requests.” The provisions include (1) interfund transfers between agency State General Fund accounts, (2) a change allowing the State Safety Fund distribution to be made whenever funds are available rather than being held until Nov. 1, and (3) a rule allowing undirected income-tax refund donations to be distributed to a school district if a taxpayer fails to specify one. Light said the Legislative Budget Committee recommended removing them; they nevertheless remain in the current draft of HB 2007 and are being routed to appropriations as technical corrections. She offered to email the precise bill language to the committee for review.

Representative McDonald and Representative McNorton asked for the written language and for an explanation of why the items were recommended for removal; Light and other staff said they would provide the email and documentation. Committee discussion did not adopt or reject the language; decisions about keeping the provisions will be made later in appropriations.

The transcript records no fiscal estimates attached to those language-only provisions; Light confirmed they are “language only” and carry no dollar amounts in the summary.

The committee chair asked staff to circulate the text so members could consider a motion to retain any or all of the items before appropriations acted on the technicals list.