[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6699902,"mediaKeyId","2344536-5e0a3db0144327932e25aec7fea13fe6","parentId",2344536,"title","Committee adopts compromise to Open Records Act bill to limit staff-cost charges and require notice on large requests","audioSeconds",216,"startMs",4160000,"endMs",4376000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2344536-5e0a3db0144327932e25aec7fea13fe6&start=4160&end=4376","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2344536-5e0a3db0144327932e25aec7fea13fe6/thumbnail_4160000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6699902/Kansas/Committee-adopts-compromise-to-Open-Records-Act-bill-to-limit-staff-cost-charges-and-require-notice-on-large-requests","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6699902-e3b67a2cb79847d0dce23db1ba0eb15b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146402&Signature=oz1rJKO0wnSCKxoyMXld88zVzmT5wM65Z3~mecv17l4kcYduyyXnwlOY3N6nf30hvx19IbU8VA5xEqKiyhEedbMdDtuK9BdJkqFfCe61aTHtLKfGsdQzyIJa3EUik9cvNnDggCrbawJkLMe8VFu-ZOapMUHPZg327feeB8uLLrr76TNhssBWklILeM7EtysIUHxx2BuZkYdtYvt~MCL594gkjWZCplNMnhBGYb5FXctHfL0ibhK~crwces5C-hRIx6TUWQSkjhcrxIyNmkGcUHHviosP98B0lbY17Qgr3m3NUmlgVguL3I4xVrz~QGKH2m0n8JAOA5LXugDWRdaGFg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Committee on Judiciary","date","2025-02-15T19:00:38.897Z","article","The House Committee on Judiciary on Thursday adopted an amendment to House Bill 2134 that narrows how public agencies may charge requesters for staff time and requires agencies to notify requesters when an estimate of staff time or costs exceeds a set threshold.

Representative Barth introduced the compromise amendment, which committee members said reflects work by the Kansas Policy Institute, the League of Municipalities and frequent public-records requesters. The change would require agencies to use \"in good faith the lowest cost categories\" of staff when calculating charges for time spent responding to requests and permits agencies to include review and redaction costs in the actual cost calculation. The amendment also instructs agencies to make a reasonable effort to notify a requester when staff time is estimated to exceed five hours or the estimated cost exceeds $200.

\"We're trying to mitigate cost to make sure that they've really gone through what it is that they're looking to request,\" Barth said. She also told committee members requesters can ask for a cost breakdown and may inspect records on-site to reduce charges.

Representative John Carmichael voiced concern the bill removes avenues of appeal for agency charging decisions; he said he would have preferred a judicial appeal provision to preserve oversight over agency determinations. Other members said the amendment improves transparency and resolves most of the municipal concerns that surfaced during hearings.

The committee adopted the Barth amendment by voice vote and then voted to report HB 2134 favorably for passage as amended.

Ending: The bill was amended to clarify allowable staff-time charges and to require notice to requesters when staff time or estimated costs exceed specified thresholds. The committee reported the bill favorably for passage.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Committee on Judiciary 02/14/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The House Committee on Judiciary on Thursday amended House Bill 2134 to limit how public agencies calculate staff costs for public-records requests and to require notice to requesters when a request will exceed a defined threshold.","taxTitle","Committee on Judiciary, Standing, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Kansas","taxId",18817,"location","Kansas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6699907,"Kansas committee hears changes to theft statute to ease prosecution of stolen vehicles",304,74000,378000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2344536-5e0a3db0144327932e25aec7fea13fe6&start=74&end=378","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2344536-5e0a3db0144327932e25aec7fea13fe6/thumbnail_74000.jpg","/articles/6699907/Kansas/Kansas-committee-hears-changes-to-theft-statute-to-ease-prosecution-of-stolen-vehicles","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6699907-a8de83cac1c88aac1e9f0a3423351897/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146402&Signature=Q39U57Z35bjyX2-tf6TqYelZ65ZM~IiziJneBY2cPKtw~pPSxMIk2UoYANhSinWcR1jwq5lk7qT3xeGcK8QPZO9RwCbtBG79xA7CTvcLyKEGKnI05uAGz0gZqc-4EbeVp~i9GWWeSFdV50K8i1oXsx3tcO~i4xMh2ogSTh6G6sg31qfY0bArBIEH7LcRgSka~v93RFNXu3yWNFpJ1LP7BLyQJ3uHI3h4ZwFjK3Z44mED01W78YJe9gnbLDpZEfpTpFu7YsLwrbvTMO7BSPoHzYvdAUFl2UE1yybY4NKaE578qQjtva-s7MhFafgaOsKbwUmeXO4d8acN-VS3DpZeWw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Committee on Judiciary heard testimony Thursday on House Bill 2347, a proposal that would alter Kansas theft law to let prosecutors rely on an objective \"reason to know\" standard for possession of stolen property and make motor vehicles stolen at values below $1,500 a severity level 10 nonperson felony.

Supporters said the bill targets common theft scenarios in which a person is found inside a vehicle taken from another person but there are no witnesses to the original theft. The change to the knowledge requirement would allow juries to consider outward evidence — broken glass, a punched steering column or lack of keys — when determining whether someone “had reason to know” the vehicle was stolen.

\"The prosecutor shouldn't have to prove what's in the mind of the thief,\" said Jan Jarman, deputy city attorney for the City of Wichita and one of the bill's proponents. She told the committee that changing the standard from knowing to \"having reason to know\" lets jurors weigh objective indicators when direct proof of the thief's state of mind is unavailable.

Ed Klump, appearing for the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police, the Kansas Sheriffs Association and the Kansas Peace Officers Association, said auto theft is a continuing problem in Kansas and that many stolen vehicles are later used in other crimes. \"The auto theft problem is a continuing problem in Kansas,\" he said, adding the state averaged roughly 8,373 motor vehicle thefts per year from 2020 through 2023.

The bill's second change would treat motor vehicles stolen with a value under $1,500 as a severity level 10 nonperson felony rather than a misdemeanor. Proponents said the change recognizes the disproportionate harm vehicle loss inflicts on households that rely on low‑value cars for work and daily needs.

Committee members questioned how the bill would treat inoperable or scrap vehicles. Representative John Carmichael asked whether a 1988 Blazer worth $150 in scrap would be classified as a motor vehicle under the proposal and therefore subject to felony prosecution if taken. Jason Thompson of the reviser's office told the panel there is no single definition of \"motor vehicle\" in the referenced criminal statute and that common usage — not operability — typically controls; he recommended adding a clear statutory definition.

Proponents signaled willingness to work on a definition that would focus the felony provision on vehicles that function as transportation. \"I do think that it would be a good idea to drop a definition into this statute of motor vehicle,\" Jarman said.

No formal vote was taken on HB 2347; the committee closed the hearing and the chair said the committee planned to \"work\" the bill at a Monday session, meaning committee members will consider amendments and possible action then.

If the committee advances the bill, sponsors said they expect to add language limiting the felony provision to vehicles used for transportation rather than toall self‑propelled machinery or scrap that would better fit scrap‑metal laws.

Ending: The committee did not take final action Thursday; staff and proponents agreed to draft clarifying definitions for further consideration when the bill returns to committee.","The House Committee on Judiciary heard testimony Thursday on House Bill 2347, which would add an objective \"reason to know\" standard for possession of stolen property and raise low‑value auto thefts to a nonperson felony.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6699895,"Committee amends guardianship bill with coalition language on end‑of‑life decisions and advances measure",882,5144000,6026000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2344536-5e0a3db0144327932e25aec7fea13fe6&start=5144&end=6026","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2344536-5e0a3db0144327932e25aec7fea13fe6/thumbnail_5144000.jpg","/articles/6699895/Kansas/Committee-amends-guardianship-bill-with-coalition-language-on-endoflife-decisions-and-advances-measure","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6699895-33680bdc2830731f5192f7d8143f8be5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146402&Signature=beZqoJLfx2pIRheq7OI9vLQEGZOcmwWkO~UkHEPNADJLlnw~uMWU5uR9Aphk5gJ0RsiPeWb18NHaoNIojoKYwxnvWH4jGePSNM~4MIh0Sio8~-he7H065vGJHtbSV3HqNs0uWVndm14fHO~i-8bM7ro5mKNDXsKlL7em7hmHSxGFqP4VPW0XLaXEE5es~1uSc5POJbWKOf7svftfF7P4rcgDHUIXmXjLhMNP2X9K606HzhAFBhOUNMPT8BMG1XdMbEEGv3LufydiMB8hSUdgb8Smb6zLS8S1f-YL2uid3VUTrmfo46YYdtNatLKO4m9FvEkQMiOiSKI~7ZObKM9SJw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Committee on Judiciary amended and advanced House Bill 2359 on Thursday, adopting language developed with a coalition of disability‑rights and advocacy groups to clarify how courts should handle end‑of‑life decisions for incapacitated adults.

HB 2359 would replace the current guardianship and conservatorship act with an updated Uniform Adult Guardianship and Protective Proceedings Jurisdiction Act and the Uniform Guardianship, Conservatorship and Other Protective Arrangements Act. During committee hearings opponents representing disability‑rights groups and other organizations pressed for clearer safeguards governing withholding or withdrawal of life‑sustaining treatment.

Committee members adopted a negotiated amendment that tightens definitions and sets a court process when an adult is judged legally incapable of making health‑care decisions. Among the changes, the amendment specifies a standard of \"clear and convincing evidence\" for authorizing withholding or withdrawal of life‑sustaining treatments, requires appointment of counsel for the adult, and directs the court to hold a hearing within 72 hours for contested end‑of‑life petitions. The amendment also includes procedures for obtaining second‑opinion certifications from health‑care providers and provides injunctive relief for parties seeking prompt court review.

Advocates for the amendment said the changes were drafted in consultation with the Disability Rights Center of Kansas, Kansans for Life and other groups that testified as opponents to the base bill because of end‑of‑life concerns. Committee advisers said the judicial council reviewed most elements of the guardianship rewrite but had asked the legislature to resolve the end‑of‑life policy questions.

Representative John Carmichael said he would oppose the amended bill on principle because it makes significant changes with limited vetting in the committee, and he asked that his no vote be recorded; other members said they supported the amendment as a protective measure for incapacitated adults. The committee then voted to report HB 2359 favorably for passage as amended.

Ending: The committee adopted coalition language clarifying end‑of‑life procedures, including counsel appointment, a 72‑hour hearing requirement and a clear‑and‑convincing evidence standard, and reported the guardianship reform bill favorably for passage.","The House Committee on Judiciary on Thursday added a coalition‑drafted amendment to House Bill 2359 that clarifies end‑of‑life procedures for adults under guardianship and reported the bill favorably for passage.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6699905,"Judiciary committee adopts amendments and advances Business Entity Modernization bill after debate on series LLCs",243,1457000,1700000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2344536-5e0a3db0144327932e25aec7fea13fe6&start=1457&end=1700","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2344536-5e0a3db0144327932e25aec7fea13fe6/thumbnail_1457000.jpg","/articles/6699905/Kansas/Judiciary-committee-adopts-amendments-and-advances-Business-Entity-Modernization-bill-after-debate-on-series-LLCs","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6699905-77e70c3faf038cd0f9e48cadbf0c9323/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146402&Signature=P0GZunND3ZwtkydeWvjpIIVU8EV~8Qmzc3ALsfa6jpOSbra572IBnhsABt~qgPMLpVEuYZGawKP2Oz451SCga8rp5ZXkWdzv8M9bW~byegG1M20yRmjolxDsr1yob9cvjIzrIFF04eWpl5HpsfG57nfYyu6wpnf2YYP2PtaYcDCzgKlD2rvnMdeTn9LTsseX-Rn6QuIbuIT-qvQq0a2He9G4apQYz-cb62dc2zZW0YWum~m-zPOf-PNiSFWb6oUFZgUBuEk526JPX-12rf97ysbs16ZxpOHz5glm~cPl-s9Gc1cuSCS7SKEt1aF~FaiAoQo8qEQ34XVOpk3AWauC2g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Committee on Judiciary advanced House Bill 2371 on Thursday after extended debate over how Kansas should update its limited liability company laws, including whether to adopt Delaware‑style conformity or to allow provisions used in neighboring states for \"series\" LLCs.

HB 2371 updates three business entity statutes, including Kansas's LLC act, the Business Entity Transaction Act and the Business Entity Standard Treatment Act, in a package proponents characterized as a modernizing follow‑up to changes adopted by other states. Committee adviser Jason Thompson summarized the bill as a \"global update\" aligning Kansas law with recent changes nationally.

Representative John Carmichael offered an amendment to remove the \"series LLC\" (often described in testimony as the contentious portion of the draft) from the base bill so the other updates could move forward. Carmichael said parties needed more time to reconcile differences and that the Senate or a judicial council review might resolve disputed points. The committee held a division vote on that amendment; the motion failed by voice and subsequent division, with the chair recounting a division result she said was approximately \"5 to 11.\"

Representative Lewis then offered an amendment to add provisions permitting series within a master LLC to elect consolidated tax treatment, allow operating agreements to restrict members' voting or governance rights, and to clarify that wrongful transfers between series that aim to hinder, delay or defraud creditors would be void under existing law. Lewis said the changes were designed to provide clarity and operational efficiency for series LLCs. The lesson of the hearing was that, while Delaware is often the point of comparison, states vary in their statutory approaches.

The committee passed the Lewis amendment by voice vote and later voted to report HB 2371 favorably for passage as amended. Representative Lewis closed by noting some provisions in the amendment had been reviewed by banking representatives; Representative Carmichael said he would nonetheless oppose the package on final passage but later recorded a reluctant affirmative vote as the bill moved out of committee.

Committee members expressed differing views on whether Kansas should hew closely to Delaware's model for corporation and LLC law. Opponents of the Lewis amendment warned about unintended consequences of deviating from Delaware; supporters said limited deviations could suit Kansas's business needs.

Ending: The bill was reported favorably for passage as amended; the committee record shows a failed Carmichael amendment (division recorded) and an adopted Lewis amendment, and members signaled continued debate on series LLC drafting as the bill moves to the floor.","House Bill 2371, a broad update to Kansas business entity law including LLC code revisions, advanced from the Committee on Judiciary after lawmakers debated competing drafting approaches for series limited liability companies and adopted an amendment expanding series LLC options.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6699899,"Committee amends fraud-in-insurance bill to send penalties to state general fund",238,4708000,4946000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2344536-5e0a3db0144327932e25aec7fea13fe6&start=4708&end=4946","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2344536-5e0a3db0144327932e25aec7fea13fe6/thumbnail_4708000.jpg","/articles/6699899/Kansas/Committee-amends-fraud-in-insurance-bill-to-send-penalties-to-state-general-fund","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6699899-b15e011b640093884368f95c877c272c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771146402&Signature=aBhElK7gCNqDshafZeuMmtN0~uOjXw2~g9Kvlo~FgsbsJ3AOf99fzwcLWx1XDblbZSkJXiubzg~xPpioddfKQiictbV0tZW2488jxMR1ZWvf-Fh9ArDPQMM5ajWKqr3OlB6-unH~qr6GI-NxL57WfP9X~djMYmhxatLr7t0Ztis2TywhezswcDh8wyiNuXEROFkOTZFEQ8JLq6jErBhfrWaVWCFmG9ruREj-FIJDdYPP~bFxcYL5bEtB6q~oR1vnK7KPMiJqoVqq528yZE-XILRX6JqC-v8OtH~cyrLf4tw~OiupO9WI5GusSpX~ZSw2QhsMI9TQxrEczHFYXiwtXg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Committee on Judiciary amended and advanced House Bill 2323 on Thursday. The bill creates a civil cause of action for fraudulent insurance acts, grants the commissioner access to certain expunged records for licensure checks and adds automobile assigned claims plans to the statute.

Representative John Carmichael proposed an amendment to clarify where collected civil penalties should be deposited. Carmichael said he did not want the Insurance Department to have a budgetary incentive to pursue penalties as a revenue source. \"I don't think it's appropriate to give the insurance department an incentive to be bounty hunters,\" he said.

The amendment directs civil penalty revenue to the state general fund — while allowing the department to recover investigative costs — rather than placing such penalties in the Insurance Department Service Regulation Fund. Committee members supported the amendment as a standard practice used in other budget contexts and said it would reduce any appearance of perverse incentives.

The committee adopted the amendment and then voted to report HB 2323 favorably for passage as amended.

Ending: The bill was amended to direct civil penalties to the state general fund and was reported favorably for passage.","House Bill 2323, which creates a civil cause of action for fraudulent insurance acts and expands the insurance commissioner's access to some records, was amended so civil penalties would be deposited to the state general fund rather than to the Insurance Department's service regulation fund; the committee then passed the bill favorably","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Committee adopts compromise to Open Records Act bill to limit staff-cost charges and require notice on large requests

Kansas committee hears changes to theft statute to ease prosecution of stolen vehicles

Committee amends guardianship bill with coalition language on end‑of‑life decisions and advances measure

Judiciary committee adopts amendments and advances Business Entity Modernization bill after debate on series LLCs

Committee amends fraud-in-insurance bill to send penalties to state general fund