Brief(1)
S.B. 450 amends the state governmental ethics laws to expand the prohibition covering unclassified employees to include all such employees of the Executive Branch of state government, except unclassified employees of state institutions who are under the supervision of the State Board of Regents, from soliciting or accepting anything of value from any person except for gifts, meals, or travel provided under specific circumstances.
Current law prohibits the Governor and the Governor's spouse, the Lieutenant Governor, classified employees, unclassified employees in the Executive Branch of state government whose salary is subject to the Governor's approval, and members of boards, commissions, and authorities of the Executive Branch from soliciting or accepting anything of value except under certain circumstances. The bill would not apply to the Legislative or Judicial Branches of state government.
Unclassified employees subject to the bill could be terminated from employment and subject to civil fines assessed by the Kansas Commission on Governmental Standards and Conduct for a violation of the state governmental ethics laws.
Background
A representative from the Kansas Commission on Governmental Standards and Conduct testified that S.B. 450 was recommended by the Commission in its 1997 Annual Report.
The Senate Committee on Elections and Local Government amended the bill by including unclassified employees of state institutions under the supervision of the State Board of Regents in the prohibitions.
The Senate Committee of the Whole rereferred the amended bill to the Senate Committee on Elections and Local Government, which passed the bill without further amending it. The Senate Committee of the Whole further amended the bill by exempting state institution unclassified employees from the prohibition of accepting anything of value.
The fiscal note indicated no fiscal impact would result from the enactment of the bill.
1. *Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/fulltext-bill.html.