Division of the Budget
Landon State Office Building Phone: (785) 296-2436
900 SW Jackson Street, Room 504 adam.c.proffitt@ks.gov
Topeka, KS 66612 Division of the Budget http://budget.kansas.gov
Adam Proffitt, Director Laura Kelly, Governor


January 27, 2023


The Honorable Adam Thomas, Chairperson
House Committee on Education
300 SW 10th Avenue, Room 218-N
Topeka, Kansas 66612
Dear Representative Thomas:
SUBJECT: Fiscal Note for HB 2157 by Representative Garber
In accordance with KSA 75-3715a, the following fiscal note concerning HB 2157 is
respectfully submitted to your committee.
HB 2157 would create the Campus Intellectual Diversity Act. The bill would require the
governing body or Chief Administrative Officer at each public postsecondary educational
institution to establish, fund, and staff an Office of Public Policy Events for the purpose of:
1. Organizing a substantial number of debates, group forums and individual lectures;
2. Obtaining the participation of speakers who represent widely held views on opposing sides
of the most widely discussed public policy issues of the day; and
3. Inviting and hosting speakers who can ably articulate opposing and widely held
perspectives on public policy issues.
The bill would outline the responsibilities of each institution’s Office of Public Policy
Events. The governing body or Chief Administrative Officer may assign the duties and
responsibilities of the Office to an existing administrative office providing the administrative head
is designated as the Director of Public Policy Events. The Office would report directly to the
Office of General Counsel. The bill would require all debates, group forums and individual
lectures organized by the Office to be open to all students, faculty and staff at the postsecondary
educational institution and to the general public, unless there is a compelling governmental interest
and restricting attendance by persons unaffiliated with the postsecondary educational institution is
necessary to achieve such compelling governmental interest. The bill would include definitions
for debate, group forum, and postsecondary educational institution.
The Honorable Adam Thomas, Chairperson
Page 2—HB 2157

The Board of Regents indicates HB 2157 would require all 33 public postsecondary
educational institutions in Kansas to establish an Office of Public Policy Events with annual costs
to the State General Fund of $6.8 million to $10.9 million systemwide. The estimate includes $3.3
million to $5.0 million for salaries and wages for 49.50 FTE positions, including $100,000 to
$150,000 for 1.50 FTE positions at each institution; $165,000 for operating expenses, including
$5,000 at each institution; and $3.3 million to $5.8 million for event and speaker-related expenses,
including $100,000 to $175,000 at each institution. Any fiscal effect associated with HB 2157 is
not reflected in The FY 2024 Governor’s Budget Report.


Sincerely,

Adam Proffitt
Director of the Budget

cc: Becky Pottebaum, Board of Regents