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 http://budget.kansas.gov Adam Proffitt, Director Laura Kelly, Governor Division of the Budget February 1, 2023 The Honorable Will Carpenter, Chairperson House Committee on Federal and State Affairs 300 SW 10th Avenue, Room 346-S Topeka, Kansas 66612 Dear Representative Carpenter: SUBJECT: Fiscal Note for HB 2043 by House Committee on Federal and State Affairs In accordance with KSA 75-3715a, the following fiscal note concerning HB 2043 is respectfully submitted to your committee. HB 2043 would direct the Kansas Secretary of State to develop a voter registration program to offer voter registration services through the Kansas Department for Children and Families, the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, and the Department of Labor. This program would offer applicants for services the opportunity to register to vote. The Secretary of State would also be required to work with the Kansas State Department of Education to develop a voter registration program to offer voter registration services at each accredited high school in Kansas. HB 2043 would also require the Kansas Department of Corrections to offer inmates the opportunity to register to vote at the time of discharge. The bill would amend existing law concerning voting without being qualified to specify that a person who is ineligible to vote and who becomes registered to vote under the provisions of this bill, in the absence of willful misrepresentation, would be presumed to be not at fault and would not be subject to criminal prosecution. The Secretary of State indicates that the fiscal effect of HB 2043 would depend on whether the voter registration program would be paper-based or electronic. If the program was paper based, the bill would be implemented within the agency’s existing resources. However, if the program is electronic, the agency estimates it could expend at least an additional $300,000 from agency fee funds in FY 2024 for the vendor to update the statewide voter registration database. The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services indicates that HB 2043 would require additional work to be performed by its providers and contractors of non-Medicaid services The Honorable Will Carpenter, Chairperson Page 2—HB 2043 which could increase administrative costs. The agency’s operational costs would increase as a result of amending its contracts for the increased administrative costs of the providers and contractors; however, it is unable to estimate a fiscal effect. According to the Kansas Department of Labor, enactment of HB 2043 would result in the need for programming of the current Interactive Voice Response system and its website to incorporate a question as to whether the individual would like to register to vote at the end of the benefit application process. However, the agency anticipates that any expense incurred could be absorbed within existing resources. The Kansas Department for Children and Families indicates HB 2043 would not have a fiscal effect. The Kansas State Board of Education indicates that any fiscal effect to the school districts would be negligible. The Department of Corrections indicates that it would include a flyer or other similar information in the final discharge papers of a parolee or person on conditional release on how to register to vote. The agency would depend on the Secretary of State to provide the flyer or other similar information to include. Therefore, HB 2043 would not have a fiscal effect on the Department of Corrections. Any fiscal effect associated with HB 2043 is not reflected in The FY 2024 Governor’s Budget Report. The Kansas Association of Counties indicates HB 2043 would not have a fiscal effect on local governments. Sincerely, Adam Proffitt Director of the Budget cc: Sandy Tompkins, Office of the Secretary of State Kim Holter, Department for Children & Families Dawn Palmberg, Department of Labor Leigh Keck, Department for Aging & Disability Services Craig Neuenswander, Department of Education Jay Hall, Kansas Association of Counties Randy Bowman, Department of Corrections Amy Penrod, Department of Health & Environment