The bill proposes to rename the Kansas governmental ethics commission to the Kansas public disclosure commission, effective July 1, 2025, while transferring all existing powers, duties, and functions to the newly designated commission. It establishes a commission composed of nine members appointed by various state officials, with provisions for political party representation and the appointment of a chairperson. The bill also creates the Kansas public disclosure commission fee fund to support the commission's operations and outlines the fees for candidates filing for office. Existing rules and opinions from the former commission will remain in effect until revised or nullified, aiming to enhance the governance of campaign finance and ethics in Kansas.

Additionally, the bill amends various sections of the campaign finance law, focusing on the definitions and regulations surrounding political committees, including an increase in the reporting threshold for contributions from $100 to $1,000. It introduces new registration requirements for political committees, mandates transparency in contributions, and establishes civil penalties for late filings. The bill also modifies lobbyist registration and reporting requirements, implementing a civil penalty structure for non-compliance and ensuring that penalties are deposited into the Kansas public disclosure commission fee fund. Overall, the amendments seek to improve transparency and accountability in campaign finance, lobbying activities, and state agency budget submissions.

Statutes affected:
As introduced: 25-4119a, 25-4119b, 25-4119e, 25-4119f, 25-4142, 25-4153b, 25-4189, 25-4143, 25-4145, 25-4150, 25-4152, 25-4154, 25-4157, 25-4158a, 25-4180, 25-4186, 46-246a, 46-253, 46-263, 46-265, 46-280, 46-288, 46-295, 46-225, 74-50, 75-3036, 75-3717, 75-4302a, 75-4301, 75-4303a, 75-4301a, 75-4304, 75-4305, 75-4306, 77-440