Kansas SB 285: House Substitute for SB 285 by Committee on Agriculture - Amending the Kansas storage tank act to extend the sunsets of certain funds and increase certain reimbursement amounts.

Bill Text

Session of 2025
SENATE BILL No. 285
By Committee on Federal and State Affairs
3-4
AN ACT concerning the state governmental ethics law; relating to state
officers and employees; providing for the treatment of the
reimbursement for expenses incurred for travel and activities in
attending conferences or events by certain specified nonprofit
organizations and discounted or free access to entertainment, sporting
events or other activities; amending K.S.A. 46-237 and 46-237a and
repealing the existing sections.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. K.S.A. 46-237 is hereby amended to read as follows: 46-
237. (a) Except as provided by this section, no state officer or employee,
candidate for state office or state officer elect shall accept, or agree to
accept any:
(1) Economic opportunity, gift, loan, gratuity, special discount, favor,
hospitality or service having an aggregate value of $40 or more in any
calendar year; or
(2) hospitality in the form of recreation having an aggregate value of
$100 or more in any calendar year from any one person known to have a
special interest, under circumstances where such person knows or should
know that a major purpose of the donor is to influence such person in the
performance of their official duties or prospective official duties.
(b) Except as provided by this section, no person with a special
interest shall offer, pay, give or make any:
(1) Economic opportunity, gift, loan, gratuity, special discount, favor,
hospitality or service having an aggregate value of $40 or more in any
calendar year; or
(2) hospitality in the form of recreation having an aggregate value of
$100 or more in any calendar year to any state officer or employee,
candidate for state office or state officer elect with a major purpose of
influencing such officer or employee, candidate for state office or state
officer elect in the performance of official duties or prospective official
duties or to a member or member elect or employee of the judicial branch
with a major purpose of influencing the member or member elect or
employee of the judicial branch in the performance of official duties or
prospective official duties pertaining to a judicial administrative matter, as
defined in K.S.A. 46-225, and amendments thereto.
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SB 285 2
(c) No person licensed, inspected or regulated by a state agency shall
offer, pay, give or make any economic opportunity, gift, loan, gratuity,
special discount, favor, hospitality or service having an aggregate value of
$40 or more in any calendar year to such agency or any state officer or
employee, candidate for state office or state officer elect of that agency.
(d) Hospitality in the form of food and beverages is presumed not to
be given to influence a state officer or employee, candidate for state office
or state officer elect in the performance of official duties or prospective
official duties, or to influence a member or member elect or employee of
the judicial branch in the performance of official duties or prospective
official duties pertaining to a judicial administrative matter as defined in
K.S.A. 46-225, and amendments thereto, except when a particular course
of official action is to be followed as a condition thereon.
(e) Except when a particular course of official action is to be followed
as a condition thereon, this section shall not apply to:
(1) Any contribution reported in compliance with the campaign
finance act; or
(2) a commercially reasonable loan or other commercial transaction
in the ordinary course of business.
(f) No state officer or employee shall accept any payment of
honoraria for any speaking engagement except that a member of the state
legislature or a part-time officer or employee of the executive branch of
government shall be allowed to receive reimbursement in the preparation
for and the making of a presentation at a speaking engagement in an
amount fixed by the commission prior to the acceptance of the speaking
engagement. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the
reimbursement of state officers and employees for reasonable expenses
incurred in attending seminars, conferences and other speaking
engagements.
(g) The provisions of this section shall not be applicable to or prohibit
the acceptance of gifts from governmental agencies of foreign nations
except that any gift accepted from such foreign governmental agency,
having an aggregate value of $100 or more, shall be accepted on behalf of
the state of Kansas.
(h) No legislator shall solicit any contribution to be made to any
organization for the purpose of paying for travel, subsistence and other
expenses incurred by such legislator or other members of the legislature in
attending and participating in meetings, programs and activities of such
organization or those conducted or sponsored by such organization, but
nothing in this act or the act of whic