Session of 2023
House Concurrent Resolution No. 5014
By Representatives Murphy, Awerkamp, Barth, Bergquist, Blew, Blex, Bloom,
Bryce, Buehler, Clifford, Collins, Corbet, Croft, Droge, Ellis, Essex, Garber,
Gardner, Goetz, Hill, Hoffman, Hoheisel, Howe, Howell, Howerton, Humphries,
Jacobs, Johnson, Kessler, Mason, Minnix, Moser, Neelly, Owens, Penn, Pickert,
Proctor, Resman, Rhiley, Roth, Sanders, Schmoe, Seiwert, C. Smith, E. Smith,
Sutton, Tarwater, Thomas, Thompson, Titus, Turner, Underhill, Waggoner,
Wasinger, White and K. Williams
3-29
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION stating findings of the legislature and
directing the joint committee on fiduciary financial institutions
oversight to study and draft legislation relating to environmental,
social and governance standards.
WHEREAS, The Kansas Legislature and the people of Kansas
acknowledge the Constitution of the State of Kansas and the Constitution
of the United States as the supreme law of the land, which cannot be
usurped in any form or by any outside forces, including those that may
come from outside the United States; and
WHEREAS, The rights and freedoms of the people of Kansas are
increasingly threatened by the alliance of large corporations, banks,
investors and governmental entities in their efforts to impose
environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards; and
WHEREAS, ESG standards are intended to alter how businesses and
investments are evaluated, so that instead of focusing on the quality of
goods and services, profits and other traditional economic metrics,
businesses and investments are instead evaluated based on various
environmental, social justice or corporation governance causes and
assigned scores, upon which they can be compared, rewarded or
potentially punished; and
WHEREAS, Central banks, governments and wealthy investors have
invested trillions of dollars into ESG-related investments; and
WHEREAS, The Glasgow Financial Alliance for Net Zero (GFANZ),
a group supported by the Biden administration, claims to have more than
450 banks, insurers and other asset managers in dozens of countries as
members, as well as $130 trillion in assets; and
WHEREAS, The widespread use of ESG standards by central banks,
financial institutions, corporations and governments threatens to restrict
individual and economic rights and to usurp legislative processes, the
Constitution of the State of Kansas and the Constitution of the United
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31 HCR 5014 2
States; and
WHEREAS, Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the
World Economic Forum, has called for a fundamental change to
Americanism when he said, "The world must act jointly and swiftly to
revamp all aspects of our societies and economies, from education to
social contracts and working conditions. Every country, from the United
States to China, must participate, and every industry, from oil and gas to
tech, must be transformed. In short, we need a 'Great Reset' of
capitalism."; and
WHEREAS, Larry Fink, the CEO of Blackrock, the world's largest
asset management company, and most powerful person on Wall Street,
promises to use ESG scores as a way to alter society. Fink has said,
"Every company and every industry will be transformed by the transition
to a net-zero world ... the question is, will you lead, or will you be led?";
and
WHEREAS, The threat to our individual freedoms from the use of
ESG standards will increase significantly if the Federal Reserve adopts a
digital currency, which could help banks and governments track all
spending across the entire United States economy; and
WHEREAS, According to a report by the accounting firm KMPG,
thousands of companies located in more than 50 countries already use
ESG standards, including 82% of large companies in the United States;
and
WHEREAS, ESG standards are designed to create a "great reset" of
capitalism and to revamp all aspects of our society and economy, from
education to social contracts and working conditions; and
WHEREAS, Free market capitalism requires a level playing field and
the ability for businesses to compete; and
WHEREAS, Various states have considered legislation to address the
risks of ESG to their citizens; and
WHEREAS, Legislative efforts to curtail the use and impact of ESG
standards have focused on divestment from financial institutions and
other businesses that discriminate against vital state sectors and the
elimination of ESG, social credit or similar metrics that allow
discrimination in the provision of goods and services to individuals and
businesses; and
WHEREAS, States, local businesses and families should be able to
control their rights, freedoms and choices; and
WHEREAS, Protecting those vital rights and freedoms is the
fundamental role of our government: Now, therefore,
Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the State of Kansas,
the Senate concurring therein: That the Joint Committee on Fiduciary
Financial Institutions Oversight, the sponsors of this resolution and the
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43 HCR 5014 3
State Treasurer, where appropriate, at the direction of the Kansas
Legislature, shall work with concerned parties to study the topic of ESG
standards and shall draft legislation that protects the State of Kansas and
its citizens from the use of ESG standards; and
Be it further resolved: That the Joint Committee on Fiduciary
Financial Institutions Oversight shall report such committee's findings
and recommendations, along with proposed legislation, to the Legislative
Coordinating Council in November 2023 and to the Kansas Legislature
on or before January 8, 2024; and
Be it further resolved: That the Secretary of State shall send an
enrolled copy of this resolution to the Chairperson of the Joint Committee
on Fiduciary Financial Institutions Oversight and the State Treasurer.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13