SESSION OF 2020
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON SENATE BILL NO. 275
As Amended by House Committee on
Transportation
Brief*
SB 275, as amended, would amend law regarding
penalties for driving with a suspended license. Under
continuing law, the Division of Vehicles is required to extend a
period of suspension or revocation of a driver’s license for an
additional period of 90 days. The bill would exempt a person
found guilty of driving a vehicle while that person’s license is
suspended for failure to comply with a traffic citation from
imposition of an additional 90-day suspension.
The bill would amend law regarding qualifications for a
restricted driver’s license available under certain
circumstances to a driver convicted of failure to comply with a
traffic citation. The bill would state an applicant could not
qualify unless there is no other basis for the license
suspension or cancellation except for failure to pay fines for
traffic citations. The bill would remove this qualification: the
individual has not previously received a stayed suspension as
a result of a driving while suspended conviction.
The bill would remove application fees for certain drivers
seeking restricted driving privileges in lieu of suspension for
failure to comply with a traffic citation.
The bill would amend provisions regarding reinstatement
fees for failure to comply with a traffic citation to establish the
reinstatement fee if the traffic citation is issued on and after
July 1, 2020, at $100 per case. Current law requires
reinstatement fees of $100 for each traffic citation for which
____________________
*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
the person failed to comply. The bill would state such a fee
shall be collected only after a person has been determined to
be eligible for reinstatement.
Background
The bill was introduced by the Senate Committee on
Transportation at the request of Senator Faust-Goudeau.
In the Senate Committee hearing, Senator Faust-
Goudeau provided proponent testimony, as did a Sedgwick
County commissioner; a private citizen; and representatives
of ACLU Kansas, Kansas Appleseed Center for Law and
Justice, and The Caring Center of Wichita. Written-only
proponent testimony was provided by the executive director
of Kansas Legal Services, Inc. and three private citizens.
Proponents stated the bill would allow more people whose
licenses were suspended for failing to pay fines an
opportunity to drive legally with a restricted license, maintain
employment, and care for their families. Several amendments
were proposed.
Opponent testimony was provided by a representative of
the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police, the Kansas
Sheriffs Association, and the Kansas Peace Officers
Association. A representative of the League of Kansas
Municipalities provided written-only opponent testimony. The
opponents expressed concern with a provision in the bill as
introduced which would eliminate the 90-day extension of
suspension, not just suspensions for failure to fully comply
with a traffic citation.
No neutral testimony was provided.
The Senate Committee amended the bill to exempt a
person found guilty of driving a vehicle while that person’s
license is suspended for failure to comply with a traffic citation
(i.e., failure to appear before the court or pay in full any fine
and court costs or otherwise fail to comply with a traffic
citation) from an additional 90-day suspension for being
charged with driving while the license is suspended.
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 In the House Committee on Transportation hearing,
Senator Faust-Goudeau, Representative Finney, a
representative of Kansas Legal Services, Inc., and a
representative of the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police,
Kansas Sheriffs Association, and Kansas Peace Officers
Association testified as proponents. A representative of the
Kansas Appleseed Center for Law and Justice provided
written-only proponent testimony. Representative Finney
noted the provisions to be amended by the bill overlap with
those that would be amended by HB 2547. No other
testimony was provided.
The House Committee amended the bill to include
provisions identical to those in HB 2547 regarding the
removal of non-refundable $25 application fees for restricted
driving privileges and provisions similar to those in HB 2547
changing the reinstatement fee paid to the court to be per
case rather than per charge. The House Committee included
clarification that the change regarding the reinstatement fee
would be for traffic citations issued on or after July 1, 2020.
The House Committee also amended provisions
regarding disqualification for restricted driving privileges when
a person’s driver’s license has expired during the suspension
period to specify the suspended license resulted from the
individual’s failure to comply with a traffic citation and there
was no other basis for the license suspension or cancellation
except for failure to pay fines for traffic citations.
According to the fiscal note prepared by the Division of
the Budget on SB 275 as introduced, the Office of Judicial
Administration and the League of Kansas Municipalities
indicate enactment of the bill would have a negligible fiscal
effect that could be absorbed within existing resources. The
Kansas Association of Counties indicates enactment of the
bill would have no fiscal effect, assuming individuals who
commit other offenses while their licenses are suspended will
not be jailed. The Department of Revenue (Department)
states enactment of the bill would have no fiscal effect.

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 According to the fiscal note prepared by the Division of
the Budget on HB 2547 as introduced, the Office of Judicial
Administration indicated enactment of the bill would decrease
fee revenue collection by 44 percent, or $528,726, as the bill
would change the $100 fee per charge to $100 fee per case
for reinstatement of a driver’s license. The Department
indicates enactment of the bill would increase one-time
administrative expenditures by $7,000 from the Division of
Vehicles Operating Fund (Fund). The Department indicates
removal of the $25 application fee for a request for restricted
driving privileges would result in a reduction of $166,725 from
the Fund (based on 6,669 individuals who applied for such
driving privileges in calendar year 2019 at $25 per individual).
Any fiscal effect associated with enactment of the bill is not
reflected in The FY 2021 Governor’s Budget Report.


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Statutes affected:
As introduced: 8-262, 8-2110
As Amended by Senate Committee: 8-262, 8-2110
As Amended by House Committee: 8-262, 8-2110