9-509.  Same; license; application; fingerprinting, when required; net worth requirement; deposit of security or bond; conditions; powers and duties of state bank commissioner. (a) No person shall engage in the business of selling, issuing or delivering its payment instrument, check, draft, money order, personal money order, bill of exchange, evidence of indebtedness or other instrument for the transmission or payment of money or otherwise engage in the business of money transmission with a resident of this state, or, except as provided in K.S.A. 9-510, and amendments thereto, act as agent for another in the transmission of money as a service or for a fee or other consideration, unless such person obtains a license from the commissioner.

(b) (1) An application for a license shall be submitted in the form and manner prescribed by the commissioner. The application shall be accompanied by nonrefundable fees established by the commissioner for the license and each agent location. Such fees shall be due annually on July 1. A license shall be renewed by filing with the commissioner a complete application and nonrefundable application fees at least 30 days prior to expiration of the license as reflected on the face of the license certificate. The commissioner shall determine the amount of such fees to provide sufficient funds to meet the budget requirements of administering and enforcing the act for each fiscal year. For the purposes of this subsection, "each agent location" means each physical location within the state where money transmission is conducted, including, but not limited to, branch offices, authorized vendor offices, delegate offices, kiosks and drop boxes.

(2) The commissioner may require fingerprinting of any individual, officer, director, partner, member, shareholder or any other person related to the application deemed necessary by the commissioner. Such fingerprints may be submitted to the Kansas bureau of investigation and the federal bureau of investigation for a state and national criminal history record check. The fingerprints shall be used to identify the person and to determine whether the person has a record of arrests and convictions in this state or other jurisdiction. The commissioner may use information obtained from fingerprinting and the criminal history for purposes of verifying the identification of the person and in the official determination of the qualifications and fitness of the person to be issued or to maintain a license, or in the case of an applicant company, the persons associated with the company. Whenever the commissioner requires fingerprinting, any associated costs shall be paid by the applicant or the parties to the application. If the applicant is a publicly traded corporation or a subsidiary of a publicly traded corporation, no fingerprint check shall be required.

(3) In addition, each person submitting an application shall meet the following requirements:

(A) The net worth of such person shall be at all times not less than $250,000, as shown by an audited financial statement and certified to by an owner, a partner or officer of the corporation or other entity filed in the form and manner prescribed by the commissioner. The commissioner may require any person to file a statement at any other time upon request;

(B) such person shall deposit and at all times keep on deposit with the state treasurer, or a bank in this state approved by the commissioner, cash or securities satisfactory to the commissioner in an amount not less than $200,000. The commissioner may increase the amount of cash or securities required up to a maximum of $500,000 upon the basis of the impaired financial condition of a person, as evidenced by a reduction in net worth, financial losses or other relevant criteria as determined by the commissioner;

(C) in lieu of the deposit of cash or securities required by paragraph (B), such person may give a surety bond in an amount equal to that required for the deposit of cash or securities, in a form satisfactory to the commissioner and issued by a company authorized to do business in this state, which bond shall be payable to the office of the state bank commissioner and be filed with the commissioner; and

(D) such person shall submit a list to the commissioner of the names and addresses of other persons who are authorized to act as agents for transactions with Kansas residents.

(c) The deposit of cash, securities or surety bond required by this section shall be subject to:

(1) Payment to the commissioner for the protection and benefit of purchasers of money transmission services, purchasers or holders of payment instruments furnished by such person, and those for whom such person has agreed to act as agent in transmission of monetary value and to secure the faithful performance of the obligations of such person in respect to the receipt, handling, transmission and payment of monetary value; and

(2) payment to the commissioner for satisfaction of any expenses, fines, fees or refunds due pursuant to this act, levied by the commissioner or that become lawfully due pursuant to a final judgment or order.

(d) The aggregate liability of the surety for all breaches of the conditions of the bond, in no event, shall exceed the amount of such bond. The surety on the bond shall have the right to cancel such bond upon giving 30 days notice to the commissioner and thereafter shall be relieved of liability for any breach of condition occurring after the effective date of the cancellation. The commissioner or any aggrieved party may enforce claims against such deposit of cash or securities or surety bond. So long as the depositing person is not in violation of this act, such person shall be permitted to receive all interest and dividends on the deposit and shall have the right to substitute other securities satisfactory to the commissioner. If the deposit is made with a bank, any custodial fees shall be paid by such person.

(e) (1) The commissioner shall have the authority to examine the books and records of any person operating in accordance with the provisions of this act, at such person's expense, to verify compliance with state and federal law.

(2) For purposes of investigation, examination or other proceeding under this act, the commissioner may administer or cause to be administered oaths, subpoena witnesses and documents, compel the attendance of witnesses, take evidence and require the production of any document that the commissioner determines to be relevant to the inquiry.

History: L. 1967, ch. 73, § 2; L. 1986, ch. 55, § 1; L. 1992, ch. 62, § 1; L. 2006, ch. 113, § 6; L. 2012, ch. 161, § 5; May 31.