Kansas 2023 2023-2024 Regular Session

Kansas Senate Bill SB27 Comm Sub / Analysis

                    SESSION OF 2023
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON SENATE BILL NO. 27
As Amended by House Committee on Insurance
Brief*
SB 27, as amended, would amend provisions in the 
Uniform Insurance Agents Licensure Act and the Public 
Adjusters Licensing Act to allow the Commissioner of 
Insurance (Commissioner) to set fees in an amount lower 
than the maximum amount of the fees established in law. The 
bill would also amend fingerprinting criteria for resident 
agents.
The bill would be in effect upon publication in the 
Kansas Register.
Resident Agents and Non-resident Agents
Resident agents. Under current law, an applicant for a 
resident agent license must pay a nonrefundable fee of $30 
to the Commissioner. The bill would instead require each 
applicant to pay the fee in an amount not to exceed $30. The 
bill would require the Commissioner, no later than December 
1, to annually set and publish the application fee for the next 
calendar year in the Kansas Register.
The bill would also amend law permitting the 
Commissioner to use information from an applicant’s 
background check, fingerprinting, and criminal history for the 
purpose of verifying identification and fitness of the applicant 
to be issued a license to require, rather than allow, the 
Commissioner to use this information in determining whether 
a license should be issued.
____________________
*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 Non-resident agents. Under current law, an applicant 
for a non-resident agent license must pay a nonrefundable 
application fee of $30 and a biennial fee of $50. The bill 
would instead require non-resident agents to pay the 
respective fees in an amount not to exceed $30 and $50. The 
bill would also require the Commissioner to annually set and 
publish this application fee for the next calendar year.
Public Adjusters
Under current law, an applicant for public adjuster 
licensure must pay an application fee of $100. The bill would 
instead require the applicants to pay a fee in an amount not 
to exceed $100. The bill would also require the Commissioner 
to annually set and publish this application fee for the next 
calendar year. 
Background
The bill was introduced by the Senate Committee on 
Financial Institutions and Insurance at the request of the 
Kansas Insurance Department (Department). [Note: A 
companion bill, HB 2090, has been introduced in the House.]
Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and 
Insurance
In the Senate Committee hearing, a representative of 
the Department provided proponent testimony, stating the 
bill would grant the Commissioner the flexibility to lower 
certain fees that are set in statute to an amount not to exceed 
what is currently provided in statute. The representative 
indicated the Commissioner would publish fees for the next 
year, so that businesses would have time to plan budgets for 
the next year.
No other testimony was provided.
2- 27 House Committee on Insurance
In the House Committee hearing, an overview of the bill 
was provided and proponent testimony submitted by the 
Department was made available.
The House Committee amended the bill to change its 
effective date to upon publication in the Kansas Register.
Fiscal Information
According to the fiscal note prepared by the Division of 
the Budget on the bill, as introduced, the Department states 
the bill would allow the Commissioner to increase and 
decrease fees annually as deemed necessary to finance 
program operations and, therefore, the Department cannot 
provide a fiscal effect. Any fiscal effect associated with the bill 
is not reflected in The FY 2024 Governor’s Budget Report.
Insurance; fees; Uniform Agents Licensure Act; Public Adjusters Licensing Act; 
publication of fees
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