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 C. Proffitt, Director Laura Kelly, Governor
Division of the Budget
February 5, 2025
The Honorable Pat Proctor, Chairperson
House Committee on Elections
300 SW 10th Avenue, Room 218-N
Topeka, Kansas 66612
Dear Representative Proctor:
SUBJECT: Fiscal Note for HB 2023 by House Committee on Elections
In accordance with KSA 75-3715a, the following fiscal note concerning HB 2023 is
respectfully submitted to your committee.
HB 2023 would create and define the crime of interference with an election official. The
bill would define “election official” as a county clerk, election commissioner, election judge,
election clerk, member of a canvassing, audit, or any other election board or any person engaged
in official election duties. The crime would be classified as a severity level 7, nonperson felony.
The crime would not apply to an enforcement action taken by an election official against an
election judge or other election official as a result of a violation of state or federal law or any rules
and regulations adopted when such enforcement action is permitted by state or federal law.
The Secretary of State would use existing resources to provide training and update manuals
for county local election officials, update the agency’s website; update public documents and
information; and work with media, political parties, candidates, law enforcement officials, and the
public to ensure knowledge of the new crime contained in HB 2023.
The Kansas Sentencing Commission estimates that enactment of HB 2023 could have an
effect on prison admissions, bed space, and workload of the Commission; however, any fiscal
effect would be negligible. The Department of Corrections indicates any fiscal effect of enactment
of the bill would be negligible.
The Kansas Judicial Branch indicates HB 2023 could increase the number of cases filed in
the district courts because it creates a new crime. These provisions of the bill would increase time
spent by district court judicial and nonjudicial personnel in processing, researching, and hearing The Honorable Pat Proctor, Chairperson
Page 2—HB 2023
cases. Since the crime committed under the bill would carry a severity level 7, nonperson felony
penalty there could be additional supervision of offenders. The enactment of the bill could increase
the collection of docket fees, fines, and supervision fees that would be deposited into the State
General Fund. The agency indicates that it is unable to estimate a fiscal effect. Any fiscal effect
associated with HB 2023 is not reflected in The FY 2026 Governor’s Budget Report.
The Kansas Association of Counties indicates that HB 2023 could have a fiscal effect on
counties if the new crime creates more investigations and prosecutions. However, the Association
is unable to estimate the fiscal effect.
Sincerely,
Adam C. Proffitt
Director of the Budget
cc: Sandy Tompkins, Office of the Secretary of State
Jay Hall, Kansas Association of Counties
Scott Schultz, Kansas Sentencing Commission
Trisha Morrow, Judiciary
Jennifer King, Department of Corrections