Ways and Means Committee (Kansas)

Ways and Means Committee (Kansas)
Name	Ways and Means Committee (Kansas)
Chamber	Kansas House of Representatives
Jurisdiction	Appropriations and state finance

Ways and Means Committee (Kansas)

The Ways and Means Committee (Kansas) is a standing committee of the Kansas House of Representatives responsible for state appropriations, budgetary review, and fiscal oversight. It works alongside bodies such as the Kansas Senate Committee on Ways and Means, the Kansas Division of the Budget, the Office of the Governor of Kansas, the Kansas Department of Administration, and the Kansas Legislature leadership to shape funding for agencies including the Kansas State Department of Education, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and the Kansas Department for Children and Families.

Overview

The committee conducts hearings, prepares budget reports, and crafts appropriation bills in coordination with the Legislative Coordinating Council (Kansas), the Kansas Legislative Research Department, the Kansas Judicial Branch, the Kansas State Treasurer, and the Kansas Attorney General. Members liaise with chief executives from the University of Kansas, Kansas State University, Wichita State University, the Kansas Board of Regents, and local officials from counties such as Sedgwick County, Kansas and Johnson County, Kansas. Interaction with national entities like the United States Department of Education, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, and the National Conference of State Legislatures informs comparative fiscal policy and grant matching.

Jurisdiction and Powers

The committee's jurisdiction covers appropriation measures affecting agencies including the Kansas Department of Transportation, the Kansas Highway Patrol, the Kansas Department of Revenue, and the Kansas Lottery. It reviews fiscal notes prepared by the Kansas Legislative Research Department, issues provisos tied to statutes such as the Kansas Taxpayer Protection Act and collaborates with the Kansas Economic Policy Institute and the Kansas Chamber of Commerce during budget deliberations. Statutory authority is exercised under the rules of the Kansas House of Representatives and interpreted in the context of decisions from the Kansas Supreme Court, the United States Supreme Court, and precedent from state fiscal boards like the State Budget Committee (Kansas).

Membership and Leadership

Membership is drawn from representatives elected in districts across Kansas, including lawmakers from cities such as Topeka, Kansas, Wichita, Kansas, Overland Park, Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas, and Kansas City, Kansas. Leadership typically includes a chair, vice-chair, and ranking minority member who coordinate with caucus leaders from the Kansas Republican Party, the Kansas Democratic Party, and independents who have served alongside governors like Laura Kelly and past chief executives including Sam Brownback, Jeff Colyer, and Mark Parkinson. Committee staff receive support from the Legislative Administrative Services, clerks from the Kansas House Clerk's Office, and policy analysts from the Kansas Legislative Research Department.

Legislative Process and Major Activities

The committee processes the state budget through stages including introduction, subcommittee review, mark-up, and conference with the Kansas Senate Committee on Ways and Means, culminating in passage of the annual appropriations bill and supplemental budgets. It holds public hearings with testimony from officials such as the Kansas Commissioner of Education, the Kansas Secretary of Transportation, the Kansas Secretary of Health and Environment, and representatives from entities like the Kansas Hospital Association and the Kansas Association of Counties. Major activities have included negotiations over funding for the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System, responses to rulings in cases like Gannon v. Kansas, and allocations tied to federal acts including the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and the Stimulus packages during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Budgetary Impact and Notable Legislation

The committee has shaped appropriations affecting programs under the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, the Kansas Department of Corrections, and the Kansas Department of Commerce, and has overseen funding adjustments to the Kansas School Funding Formula and initiatives at institutions such as the Wichita State University Innovation Campus. Notable legislation influenced by the committee includes state budget bills, tax policy changes interacting with statutes like the Kansas Income Tax Act, appropriations for infrastructure projects tied to the Kansas Turnpike Authority, and grants supporting research at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research and the Kansas Bioscience Authority.

History and Organizational Changes

Origins of the committee trace to early appropriations practices in the Territory of Kansas and transitions through constitutional changes in the Kansas Constitution. Over time, procedural reforms influenced by entities like the National Conference of State Legislatures and rulings from the Kansas Supreme Court led to changes in committee staffing, subcommittee structure, and fiscal reporting. Organizational shifts have reflected responses to fiscal crises associated with administrations of Kathleen Sebelius at the national level, state budget shortfalls during the Great Recession, and the fiscal stimulus periods of the 2010s and 2020s, prompting redefinitions of priorities with stakeholders including the Kansas Association of School Boards, the Kansas Health Institute, and regional economic development organizations.

Category:Kansas Legislature