House Judiciary reviews KOMA/KORA obligations, drafting confidentiality and email rules

TOPEKA — The House Committee on Judiciary on Tuesday reviewed requirements under the Kansas Open Meetings Act and the Kansas Open Records Act, received guidance on when draft bill requests are treated as confidential, and discussed limits on serial electronic communications among members.

Jason Thompson of the Office of Revisor of Statutes led the committee through the statutes and best practices, telling members, “What you should have is the now standard memo from the office of reviser statutes about the Kansas Open Meetings Act and the Kansas Open Records Act.” He said the acts apply to legislative committees and subcommittees unless a specific exemption applies, and noted the legislature often goes “above and beyond” statutory notice requirements by posting agendas and streaming meetings.

Thompson emphasized two common pitfalls: gatherings that meet the statutory definition of a meeting (a majority of voting members discussing committee business) and “serial communications” — a series of…