SESSION OF 2022
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON HOUSE BILL NO. 2473
As Recommended by House Committee on
Judiciary

Brief*
HB 2473 would amend law governing the composition of
the Board of Trustees of the Douglas County Law Library
(Board).
Under current law, the Board is composed of all the
district judges of the Douglas County District Court and at
least two attorneys. The attorney members are elected for
two-year terms by a majority of attorneys residing in Douglas
County. [Note: These provisions apply to all counties except
Johnson and Sedgwick counties.]
The bill would instead apply to Douglas County the
continuing law governing the composition of Johnson and
Sedgwick counties’ law libraries’ boards of trustees. Under
these provisions, the Board would include two judges of the
district court, appointed by a consensus of all judges of the
district court, and three members of the county’s bar
association, appointed pursuant to the bar association’s
bylaws for two-year terms.

Background
The bill was introduced by Representatives Highberger
and Neelly.


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*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
House Committee on Judiciary
In the House Committee hearing on January 18, 2022, a
Douglas County District Court judge testified as a proponent,
explaining the change would bring Douglas County in line
with the current composition of Johnson and Sedgwick
counties’ law libraries’ boards of trustees and allow better use
of resources while limiting the effect of the change on
counties with fewer district court judges.
No other testimony was provided.

Fiscal Information
According to the fiscal note prepared by the Division of
the Budget on the bill, the Office of Judicial Administration
indicates enactment of the bill could have a fiscal effect on
the Judicial Branch by freeing most Douglas County District
Court judges of the obligation of being a required member of
the Board. Any fiscal effect associated with enactment of the
bill is not reflected in The FY 2023 Governor’s Budget Report.
Douglas County Law Library; board of trustees


2- 2473


Statutes affected:
As introduced: 20-3127