SESSION OF 2021
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON HOUSE BILL NO. 2001
As Amended by Senate Committee on Judiciary

Brief*
HB 2001, as amended, would create the crime of sexual
extortion, which would be defined as communicating by any
means a threat to injure the property or reputation of a
person, commit violence against a person, or distribute an
image, video, or other recording of a person that is of a
sexual nature or depicts such person in a state of nudity:
● With the intent to coerce such person to engage in
sexual contact, sexual intercourse, or conduct of a
sexual nature; or produce, provide, or distribute an
image, video, or other recording of a person in a
state of nudity, or depicting such person engaging
in conduct that is of a sexual nature. Such conduct
would be a severity level 7 person felony; or
● That causes such person to engage in sexual
contact, sexual intercourse, or conduct of a sexual
nature; or produce, provide, or distribute an image,
video, or other recording of a person in a state of
nudity or engaging in conduct that is of a sexual
nature. Such conduct would be a severity level 4
person felony.
The bill would also amend the Kansas Offender
Registration Act to add a person convicted of sexual extortion
to the definition of “sex offender” and to add sexual extortion
to the list of offenses for which conviction requires offender
registration for 15 years when one of the parties involved is
less than 18 years of age. The bill would provide registration
____________________
*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
is not required for a person adjudicated as a juvenile offender
for an act that if committed by an adult would constitute the
commission of sexual extortion.
The bill would be in effect upon publication in the
Kansas Register.

Background
The bill was introduced by Representative Owens.
House Committee on Judiciary
In the House Committee hearing on January 20, 2021,
representatives of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office,
Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence, and
Legal Momentum – The Women’s Legal Defense and
Education Fund provided proponent testimony, stating the
bill, as introduced, would address conduct that does not fit
squarely within Kansas’ current sexual conduct and blackmail
offenses. Written-only proponent testimony was submitted by
a representative of the Kansas Association of Chiefs of
Police, Kansas Peace Officers Association, and Kansas
Sheriffs Association.
No neutral or opponent testimony was provided.
On February 4, 2021, the House Committee amended
the bill to include “other recordings” within the definition of
sexual extortion and to exempt adjudicated juvenile offenders
from the registration requirement for the crime.

Senate Committee on Judiciary
In the Senate Committee hearing on March 15, 2021,
representatives of the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and
Domestic Violence and Legal Momentum – The Women’s

2- 2001
Legal Defense and Education Fund provided proponent
testimony. No other testimony was provided.
On March 15, 2021, the Senate Committee amended
the bill to make it effective upon publication in the Kansas
Register.

Fiscal Information
According to the fiscal note prepared by the Division of
the Budget on the bill, as introduced, the Office of Judicial
Administration indicates enactment of the bill could increase
the number of cases filed in district court, requiring more time
spent by court employees and judges on such cases.
Because a possible penalty for the crime is probation, court
services officers may be required to perform additional
supervision. The bill could also result in the collection of
docket fees, probation fees, and fines assessed. However,
according to the Office of Judicial Administration, a fiscal
effect cannot be determined, because the number of
additional cases is unknown.
The Kansas Sentencing Commission estimates
enactment of the bill could result in an increased occupancy
of prison beds and admissions, but a fiscal effect cannot be
estimated because no data currently exists for the crime of
sexual extortion. The current estimated available bed
capacity is 9,420 for males and 948 for females. The
Commission’s most recent ten-year projection estimates the
year-end population for available male prison capacity will be
under capacity by 1,287 inmates in FY 2021 and 1,241
inmates in FY 2022. The Kansas Department of Corrections
indicates enactment of the bill would increase adult and
juvenile facility bed utilization, but estimates there would be
no fiscal effect.
Any fiscal effect associated with enactment of the bill is
not reflected in The FY 2022 Governor’s Budget Report.
Crimes; sexual extortion; offender registration

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Statutes affected:
As introduced: 22-4902, 22-4906
As Amended by House Committee: 22-4902, 22-4906
As Amended by Senate Committee: 22-4902, 22-4906