Senate committee approves amendment adding 15-day grace period to seed and live-plant registration fees
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Summary
During a working session the committee adopted a balloon amendment to Senate Bill 425 to add a 15-day grace period before late fees escalate and to align live-plant dealer renewals with seed registration rules; the committee then voted to recommend the bill favorably as amended.
The Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee amended and voted to recommend Senate Bill 425 as amended, adopting a balloon amendment that creates a two-stage grace period for late seed-registration fees and aligns live-plant dealer renewals to the same timetable.
The amendment inserts a 15-day initial grace period before a $25 late fee and a subsequent 15-day period before a $50 fee would be assessed. Committee staff explained the balloon also brings existing law (K.S.A. 2-21-20) into the bill so live-plant dealer renewals match the seed-registration system.
The chair explained the practical rationale: department data show many late filers pay within 30 days. He summarized the data for the committee — for example, 0–29 days late: 167 filers (34%) — and said the grace period helps account for mail and processing delays. "You can mail something in today's world two weeks before it's due and not arrive for a month," the chair said in explaining the change.
A motion to amend SB 425 with the balloon was made and seconded; the committee approved the amendment by voice vote. Senator Titus moved that the committee recommend SB 425 as amended favorably for passage; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. The committee scheduled a follow-up meeting Monday to consider bills previously heard in committee.