SESSION OF 2024
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON SENATE BILL NO. 359
As Amended by House Committee of the Whole

Brief*
SB 359, as amended, would authorize issuance of six
license plates on and after January 1, 2025:
● Kansas City Chiefs (Chiefs);
● Sporting Kansas City (Sporting KC);
● Sedgwick County Zoo;
● Kansas City Royals (Royals);
● Kansas City Current (KC Current);
● Topeka Zoo; and
● “Support the Troops”.
Each of these distinctive license plates could be issued
to a vehicle owner or lessee for use on a passenger vehicle
or truck registered for a gross weight of no more than 20,000
pounds.
The bill would require the vehicle owner or lessee to
annually apply to the sponsor no less than 60 days prior to
the person’s renewal of registration date for use of the logo
and pay an annual logo use royalty payment fee of $25 up to
$100 to the sponsors for all but the Support the Troops plate;
a $25 fee that is not a logo use royalty payment would apply
to the Support the Troops plate. The fee would be paid to the
following entities for the respective license plates:


____________________
*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.kslegislature.org
 ● For the Chiefs license plate, to the Kansas City
Chiefs Football Club, Inc., to be paid to the Hunt
Family Foundation;
● For the Sporting KC license plate, to OnGoal, LLC,
to be paid to the Kansas City Soccer Foundation in
support of the Victory Project;
● For the Sedgwick County Zoo license plate, to be
paid via the State Treasurer to the Sedgwick
County Zoological Society (Society);
● For the Royals license plate, to be paid to the
Kansas City Royals Foundation;
● For the KC Current license plate, to be paid to the
United Way of Greater Kansas City;
● For the Topeka Zoo license plate, to be paid to the
Friends of the Topeka Zoo, Inc.; and
● For the “Support the Troops” license plate, 50
percent of moneys received to be paid to the
Kansas Department of the American Legion and 50
percent to the Kansas Department of Veterans of
Foreign Wars.
The bill would require, for each of these plates, an initial
commitment for 250 plates and, for each of these plates
except the Support the Troops plate, the sponsors to pay up
to $5,000 in development costs as required in continuing law
(KSA 8-1,141). Initial and renewal registrations would be
made through the county treasurer. The plates would not be
transferable to any other person, but the bill would authorize
the Director of Vehicles, Kansas Department of Revenue
(KDOR), to transfer the plate from a leased to a purchased
vehicle.
The bill would require the sponsoring organizations to
design the plates, with the approval of the Director of

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Vehicles, and to provide to all county treasurers an email
address for contacting the sponsor about the application
process or the status of an application for the plate.
The bill would require, for each of the plates, the
applicant to consent to the release of certain information by
the Division of Vehicles, KDOR, including applicant name,
address, royalty payment amount, plate number, and vehicle
type to the sponsor and the State Treasurer.

Background
As amended by the House Committee of the Whole, the
bill would include provisions of SB 359 (Chiefs), SB 342
(Sedgwick County Zoo), and SB 400 (Sporting KC) and
provisions authorizing the KC Royals, KC Current, Topeka
Zoo, and “Support the Troops” license plates.
The Senate Committee of the Whole amended the bill to
add provisions regarding the Royals and the KC Current
license plates. The House Committee on Transportation
amended the bill to add provisions regarding the Topeka Zoo
license plate. The House Committee of the Whole amended
the bill to add provisions authorizing the “Support the Troops”
license plate.

SB 359 (Chiefs License Plate)
SB 359 was introduced by Senator Warren and 18
additional senators.
Senate Committee on Transportation
In the Senate Committee hearing on SB 359, Senator
Warren provided proponent testimony, stating that
supporting a local professional team can be unifying. The
Chiefs plate would provide funds to the Hunt Family
Foundation which provides grants focusing on children’s
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health and wellness and family crisis support and is
committed to the legacy of the Chiefs football team and the
National Football League. Written-only proponent testimony
was provided by the Chief Financial Officer of the Kansas
City Chiefs Football Club. No other testimony was provided.
Senate Committee of the Whole
The Senate Committee of the Whole amended the bill to
add provisions regarding the Royals and the KC Current
license plates.

House Committee on Transportation
In the House Committee hearing, Senator Warren and
representatives of the KC Current, Sedgwick County Zoo,
Friends of the Topeka Zoo, Victory Project, and Sporting KC
provided proponent testimony. Senator Sykes provided
written-only proponent testimony. The representative of the
Friends of the Topeka Zoo requested consideration of an
amendment to the bill to include a Topeka Zoo license plate.
No other testimony was provided.
The House Committee amended the bill to add
provisions regarding the Topeka Zoo license plate and to
change the recipient of payments for the Royals license plate
from a charity approved by the Royals to the Kansas City
Royals Foundation.

House Committee of the Whole
The House Committee of the Whole amended the bill to
add the provisions authorizing the “Support the Troops”
license plate.


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SB 342 (Sedgwick County Zoo License Plate)
SB 342 was introduced by the Senate Committee on
Federal and State Affairs at the request of Senator Blasi.
Senate Committee on Transportation
In the Senate Committee hearing on SB 342, a
representative of the Sedgwick County Zoo provided
proponent testimony, who provided the history of the Zoo,
the status of the number of animals and species in the Zoo,
and the benefits of the Zoo for the surrounding area and
Kansas at large. No other testimony was provided.

SB 400 (Sporting KC License Plate)
SB 400 was introduced by the Senate Committee on
Transportation at the request of a representative from
Sporting KC.
Senate Committee on Transportation
In the Senate Committee hearing on SB 400,
representatives of Sporting KC and the Victory Project
provided proponent testimony. The proponents stated how
the funds collected from the Sporting KC license plate would
be provided to the Victory Project which helps children with
financial and physical challenges to participate in soccer
clubs through Soccer-for-All grants, attend Major League
Soccer matches, and interact with Sporting KC team
members. The Victory Project also provides the Emerging
Sports Leaders Scholarship for postsecondary education.
The proponents also noted that several 2026 World Cup
matches will be held in Kansas City, Missouri, providing
regional economic benefits. No other testimony was provided.
Fiscal Information


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 According to the fiscal notes from the Division of the
Budget on SB 349, SB 342, and SB 400, as introduced,
KDOR:
● Estimates the enactment of each of the three bills
included in SB 359, as amended by the Senate
Committee on Transportation, would increase its
expenditures by $2,340 in FY 2025 for
administrative costs relate to designing and
manufacturing the new license plate;
● Would collect, for each, a fee of up to $5,000 for
plate development from the sponsor; and
● Indicates that each of these license plates would
be subject to the $40 specialized plate application
fee and the $40 personalized plate application fee
if the applicant chooses to personalize the license
plate.
Any fiscal effect associated with enactment of SB 359,
as amended, is not reflected in The FY 2025 Governor’s
Budget Report.
An updated fiscal note incorporating the provisions
added by the Senate Committee of the Whole, the House
Committee on Transportation, and the House Committee of
the Whole was not immediately available.
Distinctive license plates; Kansas City Chiefs; Sporting Kansas City; Kansas City
Royals; Kansas City Current; Sedgwick County Zoo; Topeka Zoo; support the troops;
sports; zoos; military


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Statutes affected:
{As Amended by House Committee of the Whole}: 8-1
Enrolled: 8-1