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Minutes for HB2755 - Committee on Judiciary
Short Title
Requiring compensated sureties who post bond in municipal court to comply with certain requirements, requiring a minimum bond premium in district court and providing reasons for suspending or terminating authorization of a compensated surety.
Minutes Content for Wed, Mar 20, 2024
Chairwoman Warren opened the hearing on HB2755
Jason Thompson, Revisor's Office provided an overview of the bill and stood for questions. (Attachment 4)
Katie Whisman, Katie Whisman Consulting on behalf of the Kansas Bail Agents Association, testified in support of the bill. She states HB2755 seeks to strike a balance between individual liberties, public safety, the criminal justice system and the professional bail industry. (Attachment 5)
Shane Rolf, Kansas Bail Agents Association, testified in support of the bill. He stated the bill will increase public safety, help restore public trust in both bail bonds and the criminal justice system, reduce the frequency of defendants on bond committing additional crimes, increase professionalism within the industry, protect the constitutional right to bail in Municipal Court. (Attachment 6)
Ed Klump, on behalf of Kansas Sheriffs Association, supports this bill. This bill creates some balance between the operation of the two different realms of surety bonding. (Attachment 7)
Written only testimony in support of HB2755 was submitted by:
- Captain Travis Rakestraw, Wichita Police Department (Attachment 8)
- Dennis Berndt, B&K Bonding (Attachment 9)
- Rick Morey, Morey & Crow Bonding (Attachment 10)
- Christian Fazel, Deputy County Attorney Cowley County (Attachment 11)
- Mark Sheffler, Harvey County Sheriffs Department (Attachment 12)
- Kimberely Salcedo, Cowley County Attorney's Office (Attachment 13)
- Luis Salcedo, City of Arkansas City, Interpreter (Attachment 14)
- Chase Hobart, Private Citizen (Attachment 15)
- Joshua Liby, City of Sedgwick Councilman (Attachment16)
- Kaden Hayes, Private Citizen (Attachment 17)
- JC Loewen Owens Bonding, Operations Manager (Attachment 18)
- Laurie Frisbie, Owens Bonding (Attachment 19)
- Steve Conway, Air Capital Bail Bonds (Attachment 20)
Judge Katie McElhinney, Municipal Court City of Olathe, stands in opposition to HB2755. She states that bonding companies should not be able to dictate and influence how municipal bonds are set in order to protect their bottom line. (Attachment 21)
Greg Nickel, Treasurer, Kansas Municipal Judges Association, said he strongly opposes portions of the bill. He said it serves a narrow, private interest. In particular, the regulation on municipal courts is harmful and unnecessary. (Attachment 22)
Written- only testimony opposed to HB2755 was submitted by:
- Erika DeMarco, Municipal Judge, Lenexa Kansas Municipal Court (Attachment 23)
- Rashane Hamby, American Civil Liberties Union Kansas (Attachment 24)
- Amanda Stanley, City Attorney, City of Topeka (Attachment 25)
- Kansas Members of the Kansas Pretrial Justice Task Force (Attachment 26) (Sal Intagliata, Wichita; David Harger, McPherson; Justin Barrett, Colby;Judge Brenda Stoss, Salina)
There being no further conferees, Chairwoman Warren closed the hearing on HB2755.
