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Senate Federal and State Affairs committee to operate paperless, sets testimony and amendment rules
Summary
The Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee announced a paperless workflow, deadlines for submitting testimony, time-blocked testimony for proponents and opponents, and rules on amendments and germaneness at its opening meeting; the committee also instructed witnesses to use the legislature's S-drive and kslegislature.org to submit testimony.
Chair, Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee, opened the session by saying the committee would be paperless and outlined how witnesses should submit materials.
The committee will print agendas and bill drafts where needed, but most testimony will be uploaded to the legislature's S drive and the Kansas Legislature website (kslegislature.org), the chair said. Angela Gantz, committee assistant, will receive testimony and contact information for scheduling and notices.
The rules are intended to streamline hearings and public access. "We are a paperless committee," the chair said. He told members the S drive is the fastest way to access testimony and directed anyone with access issues to contact staff for help.
The committee set a firm deadline for testimony submissions: materials must be in the committee assistant's hands 24 hours before a hearing, by 10:30 a.m. the day before, the chair said. The committee will accept one substitute motion on any main motion and will allow short conceptual amendments when appropriate; germaneness questions will be decided using the Senate floor rules. The chair also said all amendments will be cleared before a bill is passed out to the Rules Committee or the floor.
For oral testimony, the committee will hear witnesses in blocks rather than single-minute slots. "We'll do 10, 15 minute blocks for proponents, 10 or 15 minutes for opponents, and then let them be cognizant of the people behind them," the chair said, adding that the initial witnesses usually provide the most complete testimony and later speakers typically add incremental material.
Members were told to provide Angela Gantz their cell-phone numbers so staff can notify them of scheduling changes. The chair emphasized punctuality and said the committee will try to end on time except for particularly complex bills. He noted the committee meets Thursday and does not meet Friday.
The committee also introduced staff at the start of the meeting: Jason Long and Mike Heim from the Office of Revisor of Statutes; Messiah Analty from AVTech; Nicole Fielder and Olena Rutter and Leanne Thune from Legislative Research; and Angela Gantz, committee assistant.
The committee will consider formal approval of committee rules at its next meeting on Thursday.
