Committee hears bill to bar federal funds for Kansas election activities without legislative approval

A Kansas House committee heard testimony on Senate Bill 5, a proposal to bar state and local election officials from accepting or expending federal agency funds for elections or election-related activities unless the appropriation authorizing those funds explicitly permits such use.

The reviser, Jason Long, told the committee the measure would amend an existing statute (cited in the hearing as KSA 25-24-36) that currently makes it a felony for an election official to knowingly accept or spend money from any person for election-related purposes unless authorized by the Legislature or state law. "This bill is to prohibit expenditure of federal funds for elections and election related activities without legislative approval," Long said, and explained the bill explicitly adds money provided by any branch, agency, department, office or bureau of the federal government to the existing prohibition.

Supporter testimony…