Bill Summary – FastDemocracy

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 Proffitt, Director                                                                           Laura Kelly, Governor


                                                  February 16, 2021


          The Honorable Russell Jennings, Chairperson
          House Committee on Corrections and Juvenile Justice
          Statehouse, Room 151B-S
          Topeka, Kansas 66612
          Dear Representative Jennings:
                    SUBJECT:      Fiscal Note for HB 2274 by House Committee on Corrections and Juvenile
                                  Justice
                  In accordance with KSA 75-3715a, the following fiscal note concerning HB 2274 is
          respectfully submitted to your committee.
                  Under current law, the penalty for the crime of “buying sexual relations” is either a class
          A person misdemeanor or a level nine, person felony. HB 2274 would increase the penalty in all
          cases from a class A person misdemeanor to a severity level nine, person felony. The bill would
          also remove provisions related to how prior convictions are counted.
                  The Office of Judicial Administration states enactment of the bill would remove provisions
          related to how prior convictions are counted, which could result in less time spent by court
          employees in determining how many prior convictions are present. In addition, because the bill
          would make the penalty always a severity level nine, person felony, the Office indicates there
          would be less time spent by court employees in determining whether a misdemeanor or felony was
          committed. According to the Office, a fiscal effect cannot be estimated.
                 The Kansas Sentencing Commission indicates enactment of the bill could have an effect
          on prison admissions and beds; however, the Commission does not have enough information to
          estimate an effect, but any effect would be negligible. The Department of Corrections states there
          would be no fiscal effect on Department operations if the bill is enacted. Any fiscal effect
          associated with HB 2274 is not reflected in The FY 2022 Governor’s Budget Report.
The Honorable Russell Jennings, Chairperson
Page 2—HB 2274

       The Kansas Association of Counties states enactment of the bill could affect the number
individuals held in county jails, which would bring an increase in the daily rate, as well as potential
medical expenses.


                                                       Sincerely,

                                                       Adam Proffitt
                                                       Director of the Budget
cc: Jay Hall, Association of Counties
    Randy Bowman, Corrections
    Scott Schultz, Sentencing Commission
    Debbie Thomas, Judiciary
Statutes affected: 
As introduced: 21-6421