Budget panel backs Kansas Public Disclosure Commission, restores $23,212 reappropriation

The legislative budget committee voted to recommend the Kansas Public Disclosure Commission’s FY2026 and FY2027 budgets and approved restoring a $23,212 reappropriation the agency had requested.

Arianna Waddell presented the commission’s FY2026 revised estimate of $889,000 in all funds and about $589,000 in State General Fund, and she said the agency’s budget is heavily weighted to personnel costs: "79.9% of the agency's budget is in salary and wages for FY2026," she told the committee. Waddell also noted the commission’s fee revenue comes from candidate filing fees, lobbyist registration fees and political action committee registration fees.

Acting Executive Director Jennifer Schneider told senators the commission receives $50 from each candidate filing that falls under the Campaign Finance Act and said the $23,212 represented unspent FY2025 funds tied to vacancies that the agency intended to use for computer and office equipment and to offset a rent increase. "We get $50 of every candidate that falls under the jurisdiction of the Campaign Finance Act," Schneider said.

Senator Petty pressed for the reappropriation after committee members noted the agency had vacancy savings and a building rent increase. Petty proposed, and the committee adopted by voice vote, a substitute motion to include the $23,212 reappropriation in the committee recommendation; the chair announced the motion passed.

Waddell and Schneider directed senators to the detailed fee breakdown in the budget packet; the commission’s FY2027 request shows roughly $885,000 in total funds with 8.5 full‑time equivalents, including an SGF component tied to the legislative pay plan.

The committee’s recommendation is a procedural step sending the agency’s budget forward to the larger budget process; Ways and Means will receive additional consideration and can review the restored reappropriation in that context.