SESSION OF 2025
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON SENATE SUBSTITUTE FOR
HOUSE BILL NO. 2054
As Amended by Senate Committee on Federal
and State Affairs
Brief*
Senate Sub. for HB 2054, as amended, would amend
provisions in the Campaign Finance Act (Act) to increase
limits on certain campaign contributions and eliminate limits
on contributions made by party committees to candidates.
Contributions to Campaigns
The bill would increase aggregate limits for each of the
following campaigns for each primary and general election:
●For the pair of offices of Governor and Lieutenant
Governor or other statewide offices, from $2,000 to
$4,000;
●For the office of the House of Representatives,
district judge, district attorney, or a candidate for
local office whose jurisdiction has a population less
than 50,000, from $500 to $1,000; and
●For the office of state senator or member of the
State Board of Education, or a candidate for local
office whose jurisdiction has a population of 50,000
or more, from $1,000 to $2,000.
____________________
*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
https://klrd.gov/ The bill would eliminate the limit on contributions made
to any candidate in the form of money or U.S. currency.
[Note: Current law limits these contributions to $100 for each
primary or general election.]
Applicability
Under continuing law, these limits apply to:
●Persons except party committees, the candidate,
or the candidate’s spouse; and
●Political committees.
The bill would eliminate contribution limits made by party
committees to candidates for each general election. [Note:
Party committees would be subject to the contribution limits
listed above for a primary election at which two or more
candidates are seeking the party nomination.]
The bill would also clarify that no expenditures made by
a party committee in support of a candidate, with or without a
candidate’s cooperation or consent, would constitute a
contribution.
Contributions to Party Committees
The bill would increase aggregate limits on contributions
by persons other than a party committee and by a national
party committee to:
●$50,000 per calendar year to a state party
committee, congressional district party committee,
recognized political committee for the Senate, and
recognized political committee for the House of
Representatives; and
●$20,000 per calendar year to a county party
committee.
2- 2054 [Note: Current law provides the following limits on
contributions to party committees:
●Contributions by a person other than a national
party committee or a political committee to a state
party committee must not exceed $15,000 per
calendar year;
●Contributions by a person other than a national
party committee or a political committee to any
other party committee must not exceed $5,000 per
calendar year;
●Contributions by a national party committee to a
state party committee must not exceed $25,000
per calendar year;
●Contributions by a national party committee to any
other party committee must not exceed $10,000
per calendar year; and
●Contributions by a political committee to a party
committee must not exceed $5,000 per calendar
year.]
Receipt of Contributions
The bill would allow a candidate or their committee to
accept a contribution for both the primary and general
election prior to the date of the primary election if the
candidate or their committee uses an acceptable accounting
method to distinguish between which contributions are
received for the primary election and which are for the
general election.
The bill would provide examples of acceptable
accounting methods, including, but not limited to, the
designation of separate accounts for each election or the
establishment of separate books and records for each
election. The bill would require the authorized records of a
3- 2054 candidate or their committee show the cash on hand prior to
the primary election was, at all times, equal to or greater than
the amount of contributions received and designated for the
general election minus any disbursements made for the
general election.
Definition of “Jurisdiction”
The bill would define the term “jurisdiction” to mean:
●The city, county, or school district if the candidate is
seeking election to a local office that is elected at-
large in such city, county, or school district; and
●The electoral district if the candidate is seeking
election as a member of a governing body that has
member districts.
Effective Date
The bill would be in effect upon publication in the
Kansas Register.
Background
The Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs
recommended a substitute bill incorporating the above-
described provisions regarding campaign contributions
(amended provisions of SB 177).
HB 2054, as amended by the House Committee on
Elections, would have amended the Act to increase campaign
contribution limits and eliminate limits on contributions to
party committees. The provisions were not retained in the
substitute bill.
4- 2054 SB 177 (Campaign Contributions)
The bill was introduced by the Senate Committee on
Federal and State Affairs at the request of Senator
Thompson.
Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs
In the Senate Committee hearing, proponent testimony
was provided by a representative of the Kriegshauser Ney
Law Group, who stated contribution limits in Kansas have not
been updated since 1990, and the bill would increase
contribution limits and help ensure that the state does not
have unconstitutionally low limits. The conferee stated
adjusting the contribution limits based on inflation would also
work to prevent contribution limits from becoming
unconstitutionally low in the future. The conferee further
discussed reasons to either limit contributions to party
committees or limit contributions from party committees to
candidates.
Written-only proponent testimony was provided by a
member of the Shawnee City Council.
Written-only opponent testimony was provided by four
private citizens.
No other testimony was provided.
The Senate Committee amended the bill to:
●Remove provisions providing for automatic
increases to campaign contribution limits based on
the Consumer Price Index (CPI);
●Increase contribution limits to party committees to
$50,000 per calendar year;
5- 2054 ●Add a provision specifying no expenditure made by
a party committee in support of a candidate, with or
without the candidate’s cooperation or consent,
would constitute a contribution; and
●Add a provision allowing candidates to receive
contributions for primary and general elections
before the primary election date and provide for
acceptable accounting methods to do so.
Senate Sub. for HB 2054 (Campaign Contributions)
Senate Committee of the Whole
Senate Sub. for HB 2054 was withdrawn from the
Senate Calendar and rereferred to the Senate Committee on
Federal and State Affairs.
Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs
The Senate Committee amended the bill to:
●Restore and increase contribution limits made by
party committees for each primary election in which
two or more candidates are seeking the party
nomination;
●Specify that contributions made to a state party
committee, congressional district party committee,
recognized political committee for the Senate, and
recognized political committee for the House of
Representatives would be limited to $50,000 per
calendar year; and
●Decrease the contribution limit made to a county
party committee from $50,000 to $20,000 per
calendar year.
6- 2054 Fiscal Information
According to the fiscal note prepared by the Division of
the Budget on SB 177, as introduced, the Governmental
Ethics Commission (Commission) indicates enactment of the
bill would require it to research and publish CPI information.
The Commission notes that if it is required to publish
information in the Kansas Register, as opposed to its website,
then enactment of the bill could increase expenditures for the
agency; however, any effect is expected to be minimal and
could be absorbed within existing resources.
The Office of the Secretary of State indicates enactment
of the bill would not have a fiscal effect on the agency.
Existing resources would be used to update training materials
for local election offices. Any fiscal effect associated with the
bill is not reflected in The FY 2026 Governor’s Budget Report.
Elections; Campaign Finance Act; campaign contributions; party committees
7- 2054