SESSION OF 2021
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON HOUSE BILL NO. 2052
As Amended by House Committee of the Whole

Brief*
HB 2052, as amended, would amend the State
Governmental Ethics Law to permit legislative assistants and
committee assistants to accept gifts from legislators.
The bill would require the Director of Legislative
Administrative Services (LAS) to provide a form to legislators
to report such gifts provided to legislative assistants or
committee assistants and would require legislators to
complete and submit such completed form back to LAS.
The bill would be in effect upon publication in the
Kansas Register.

Background
The bill was introduced in the House Committee on
Elections by Representative Bergquist.

House Committee on Elections
In the House Committee hearing on January 21, 2021,
the Executive Director of the Kansas Governmental Ethics
Commission (Commission) provided neutral testimony. He
testified the Commission supports only legislation that
specifically comes from the Commission’s legislative
recommendations, but the Commission does not oppose this
bill. He noted the bill includes a previous Commission
____________________
*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
recommendation, but because that recommendation was not
enacted in the 2020 Session, the Commission did not include
it in its current recommendations. He testified the bill would
not raise concerns of corruption or improper favor, and the
Commission has not taken action against legislative or
committee assistants who have accepted such gifts in the
past.
No proponent or opponent testimony was provided to
the Committee.
The House Committee amended the bill to increase the
total value of the gifts that may be received from $120 per
fiscal year to $150 per fiscal year.

House Committee of the Whole
The bill appeared on General Orders on February 3,
2021. Following debate and discussion, the bill was
withdrawn from the Calendar and rereferred to the House
Committee on Elections.

House Committee on Elections
In the House Committee hearing on February 9, 2021,
the Director of LAS submitted neutral testimony on the bill,
providing additional information to the Committee regarding
potential tax implications for legislative or committee
assistants who receive such gifts. A representative of the
Department of Administration (Office of Accounts and
Reports) provided written-only neutral testimony.
No other testimony was provided.
The House Committee modified its previous amendment
to increase the total value of gifts that may be received from
$150 to $500.

2- 2052
 The House Committee further amended the bill to:
● Require LAS, at the end of each legislative
session, to provide legislators a form to report any
money (or equivalent) provided as a gift to a
legislative or committee assistant;
● Require legislators to fill out and submit such
completed form to LAS; and
● Change the effective date of the bill to publication
in the Kansas Register.
House Committee of the Whole
The House Committee of the Whole amended the bill to
remove the $500 per fiscal year limit on gifts to legislative or
committee assistants.

Fiscal Information
According to the fiscal note prepared by the Division of
the Budget on the bill, as introduced, the bill would have no
fiscal effect.
Ethics; gifts; Legislature


3- 2052


Statutes affected:
As introduced: 46-235
As Amended by House Committee: 46-235
As Further Amended by House Committee: 46-235
{As Amended by House Committee of the Whole}: 46-235