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 18, 2021

        The Honorable Kellie Warren, Chairperson
        Senate Committee on Judiciary
        Statehouse, Room 441B-E
        Topeka, Kansas 66612
        Dear Senator Warren:
                  SUBJECT:        Fiscal Note for SB 220 by Senate Committee on Judiciary
               In accordance with KSA 75-3715a, the following fiscal note concerning SB 220 is respectfully
        submitted to your committee.
              SB 220 would change battery against a “school employee” to battery against a “covered
        employee.” The bill would define “utility worker” and add “utility worker” to the list of covered
        employees. Battery against a utility worker would be a severity level seven, person felony.
                The Office of Judicial Administration states that enactment of SB 220 could increase the
        number of cases filed in district court because the bill would create a new felony for battery against a
        utility worker. The new felony could result in more time spent by court employees and judges
        processing and hearing cases. According to the Office, a fiscal effect cannot be estimated until the
        Judicial Branch has had an opportunity to operate under the bill’s provisions. The Office also
        indicates enactment of the bill could result in additional revenue through fees, fines, and court costs.
                The Kansas Sentencing Commission states enactment of the bill would have an effect on
        prison admissions and beds; however, the Commission does not have enough information to estimate
        what that effect would be. The Department of Corrections states enactment of the bill would have a
        negligible fiscal effect on Department operations. Any fiscal effect associated with SB 220 is not
        reflected in The FY 2022 Governor’s Budget Report.


                                                              Sincerely,

                                                              Adam Proffitt
                                                              Director of the Budget
        cc: Debbie Thomas, Judiciary
            Randy Bowman, Corrections
            Scott Schultz, Sentencing Commission
Statutes affected: 
As introduced: 21-5413