Committee on Transportation hears briefing on Senate Bill 119 to reallocate motor-vehicle fees to counties

The Committee on Transportation held an informational briefing on Senate Bill 119, which would increase the portion of motor-vehicle license and certificate-of-title fees that county treasurers, the Division of Vehicles or its contractors may retain and would reallocate a portion of commercial vehicle fees, committee members and witnesses said.

Supporters of the bill, including county treasurers and representatives of the Kansas Contractors Association and Kansas Department of Transportation, said the bill would shift existing fee revenue to better cover the local cost of state-mandated title and registration work that county treasurers now perform.

Senate Bill 119 would amend KSA 8-145 to raise the amount a county treasurer, the Division of Vehicles or a contractor may retain for processing motor-vehicle license applications from $0.75 to $5.75, and the amount retained for certificate-of-title applications from $2.00 to $3.50, according to testimony in the briefing. The bill’s provisions were described as taking effect July 1, 2025. The fiscal note included with the briefing shows the bill, as originally written, would reduce annual receipts to the State Highway Fund by about $16,200,000.

Riley County Treasurer Shiloh Hager, legislative chair…