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| Kansas Revisor of Statutes | |
|---|---|
| Name | Kansas Revisor of Statutes |
| Formation | 19th century |
| Jurisdiction | Topeka, Kansas |
| Headquarters | Kansas State Capitol |
| Chief | Revisor |
| Parent agency | Kansas Legislature |
Kansas Revisor of Statutes is the statutory official responsible for preparing, publishing, and updating the codified laws of Kansas enacted by the Kansas Legislature. The office collaborates with legislative leaders, judicial officers, and executive agencies to ensure statutes reflect enactments such as acts passed during sessions of the Kansas House of Representatives and Kansas Senate. The Revisor’s work supports interpretation by the Kansas Supreme Court and use by attorneys at firms, prosecutors in Riley County, and clerks in municipal courts across cities such as Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas.
The origin of the Revisor office traces to mid-19th century efforts to compile territorial statutes after the Kansas–Nebraska Act and admission of Kansas to the Union. Early codifications followed models used in Missouri and Illinois and responded to litigation in venues like the United States District Court for the District of Kansas and appeals to the United States Supreme Court. Revisions accompanied constitutional developments such as amendments to the Kansas Constitution and legislative reforms initiated by governors including John St. John and George Docking. The role evolved alongside institutions such as the Kansas State Historical Society and university law schools like the University of Kansas School of Law and Washburn University School of Law.
The Revisor drafts bill language for sponsors in the Kansas Legislature, compiles session laws after enactment by the Governor of Kansas, and produces the official codification known as the Kansas Statutes Annotated used by jurists in the Kansas Court of Appeals and municipal judges. The office prepares legislative histories for measures debated in committees such as the Senate Judiciary Committee and the House Judiciary Committee, advises on statutory construction involving precedents from the Kansas Supreme Court and federal circuits like the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, and cooperates with agencies including the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and the Kansas Department of Revenue when regulatory cross-references arise.
The Revisor’s office typically comprises attorneys trained at institutions such as the University of Kansas School of Law, legislative drafters, editors, and IT personnel who maintain databases referenced by county clerks in Sedgwick County and Douglas County records. Positions interact with officers of the Kansas Bar Association and clerks from the Kansas Judicial Council, and coordinate with state librarians at the Kansas State Library. Staffing models mirror structures found in other states, relying on continuing legal education from organizations like the American Bar Association and publications distributed by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws.
The Revisor oversees publication of session laws and the annotated codification used by practitioners in law firms, prosecutors in Johnson County, and public defenders associated with state-funded offices. Official volumes historically paralleled commercial publications such as those produced by West Publishing and LexisNexis, though the Revisor provides the definitive text for citation in opinions of the Kansas Supreme Court and for petitions to the United States Supreme Court. Maintenance includes preparing slip laws, compiling annual supplements, and integrating rules from administrative bodies like the Kansas Corporation Commission and the Kansas Department for Children and Families.
Recent modernization initiatives introduced searchable online statutes, XML databases, and APIs used by courts in Shawnee County and municipal governments such as Lawrence, Kansas. The Revisor’s digital platforms interoperate with systems developed by vendors used by state legislative reference services and mirror practices from platforms serving the Library of Congress and the Government Publishing Office. These initiatives facilitate access for academic researchers at Kansas State University and public interest groups like the Kansas Policy Institute.
Appointment procedures vary by statutory provision and legislative rules; the Revisor typically is an experienced attorney familiar with legislative procedure, statutory drafting, and case law from the Kansas Supreme Court and federal decisions from the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals. Qualifications mirror expectations of positions in other states represented by bar admission in Kansas and professional experience comparable to staff counsel in the U.S. Congress or legal counsel for state executives such as the Governor of Kansas. Terms and removal are governed by state statutes and legislative rules adopted by the Kansas Legislature.
The Revisor has overseen codifications affecting major policy areas adjudicated in forums like the Kansas Supreme Court and federal courts, including statutory changes related to taxation litigated in Shawnee County tax cases, criminal code reforms impacting sentencing reviewed by the Kansas Sentencing Commission, and electoral statute updates influencing cases involving the Kansas Secretary of State. Codification projects have shaped interpretations in landmark decisions, influenced regulatory action by the Kansas Department of Agriculture, and supported statutory harmonization efforts with model acts from the Uniform Law Commission.
Category:Kansas law Category:State legal officers of the United States