Committee approves bill letting insurance commissioner reduce board sizes, moves House bill out as amended

The Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Insurance considered House Bill 2,045 and voted to pass the bill out of committee as amended. The bill, described by committee staff as the Senate version of a board‑size bill, would grant the commissioner of insurance authority to reduce the number of board members serving on boards for which the commissioner is the appointing authority.

Sen. Gossage moved to pass the bill out of committee. The committee also considered and adopted an amendment to change a publication reference from the statute book to the Kansas Register; Sen. Gossage moved the amendment and Sen. Fagg seconded. After adopting the amendment, the committee moved and seconded the motion to pass House Bill 2,045 as amended, and the chair called for the ayes; the motion carried by voice vote.

During discussion, committee members said large boards can be difficult to convene and may become unwieldy, comments cited in support of the bill. Committee staff noted the bill had passed the House Committee on Insurance with no amendments and had been approved by the House Committee of the Whole on a roll call vote.

With the amendment adopted and the bill voted out favorably by the committee, the bill will proceed from the Senate committee in its amended form.