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 C. Proffitt, Director Laura Kelly, Governor


February 13, 2024


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 2700 by House Committee on Education
In accordance with KSA 75-3715a, the following fiscal note concerning HB 2700 is
respectfully submitted to your committee.
HB 2700 would create the School Library Rating System Task Force, which would
comprise nine members: one member appointed by the State Board of education; three members
appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives; two members appointed by the
President of the Senate; one member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of
Representatives; one member appointed by the Kansas Association of School Librarians; and one
member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate. The bill would outline the structure of
the Task Force, including meeting times and quorum requirements. Members of the Task Force
would be paid amounts for expenses, mileage, and subsistence expenditures.
The Task Force would be required to develop a rating system for materials, including
books, magazines, pamphlets, and audio and video recordings that are made available to students
by public school libraries. The rating system would consider the appropriateness of materials with
respect to grade level. The system would provide a clear method of rating materials so that school
district employees and parents and legal guardians can readily discern whether materials are
appropriate for a student.
On or before June 30, 2025, the Task Force would be required to approve the rating system
and submit a rating system to the State Board of Education. The Board would be required to
distribute the rating system to each school district and may provide recommendations regarding
the implementation of the rating system. The provisions of the bill for the Task Force would sunset
on June 30, 2025.
On or before September 1, 2025, the local board of education of each school district would
be required to adopt policies and procedures for the implementation of the rating system approved
by the Task Force. The rating system would be required to be fully implemented in all school
libraries operated by each school district on or before July 1, 2026. On or before January 15,
The Honorable Adam Thomas, Chairperson
Page 2—HB 2700

2026, the Board would be required to prepare and submit a report to the Governor and the
Legislature on the rating system approved and the status of the system's implementation by school
districts.
The Department of Education indicates that the required additional administrative
requirements for this bill by itself would be performed by existing staff of the agency. However,
if the combined effect of implementing this bill and other enacted legislation exceeds the
Department’s administrative resources, additional expenditures for administrative costs beyond
the Department’s current budget may be required.
Legislative Administrative Services (LAS) reports that the enactment of the bill would
require additional FY 2025 expenditures from the State General Fund totaling $15,627. This
estimate would assume four meeting days of the Task Force for four legislators and five non-
legislators. Of the total estimate, $10,312 would be for legislators, including $1,419 for salary and
wages, $2,656 for subsistence expenditures, $2,620 for mileage reimbursement, $96 for tolls,
$2,656 for enroute day expenses, and $865 for employer fringe benefits. For non-legislative
members, LAS estimates a cost of $5,315, including $1,920 for various expense reimbursements,
$3,275 for mileage reimbursement, and $120 for toll reimbursements. Any fiscal effect associated
with HB 2700 is not reflected in The FY 2025 Governor’s Budget Report.
The Kansas Association of School Boards indicates that the enactment of the bill would
require additional school district administrative costs, including implementing a new rating system
and potentially acquiring new library materials. However, a fiscal effect cannot be estimated.

Sincerely,

Adam C. Proffitt
Director of the Budget


cc: Tom Day, Legislative Services
Gabrielle Hull, Department of Education
Angie Stallbaumer, Kansas Association of School Boards