Session of 2025
HOUSE BILL No. 2344
By Committee on Commerce, Labor and Economic Development
Requested by Representative Tarwater
2-7
AN ACT concerning economic development; relating to international
trade; establishing the Kansas-Ireland trade commission to advance,
promote and encourage business and other mutually beneficial
activities between Kansas and Ireland; creating the Kansas-Ireland
trade commission fund.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. (a) There is hereby established the Kansas-Ireland trade
commission. The commission shall consist of 13 members as follows:
(1) The chairperson of the senate standing committee on commerce
and the chairperson of the house of representatives standing committee on
commerce, labor and economic development, as appointed by the
president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives,
respectively;
(2) two members of the senate, one of whom shall be appointed by
the president of the senate and one of whom shall be appointed by the
minority leader of the senate. The appointees shall have interest in the
well-being of trade relations between Kansas and Ireland and current or
past involvement in businesses engaged in international trade, preferably
with Ireland, or organizations that promote international trade or Irish
affairs; and
(3) two members of the house of representatives, one of whom shall
be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and one of
whom shall be appointed by the minority leader of the house of
representatives. The appointees shall have interest in the well-being of
trade relations between Kansas and Ireland and current or past
involvement in businesses engaged in international trade, preferably with
Ireland, or organizations that promote international trade or Irish affairs;
(4) six members, two of whom shall be selected by the governor, two
by the speaker of the house of representatives and two by the president of
the senate. The two members selected by the governor, speaker of the
house of representatives and president of the senate, respectively, shall
each be a representative of either:
(A) A Kansas postsecondary public education institution;
(B) the Irish American community in Kansas who is interested in
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furthering trade between Kansas and Ireland;
(C) a Kansas industry engaged in or seeking to engage in trade with
Ireland; or
(D) a Kansas business association, trade organization, economic
development organization or chamber of commerce currently engaged in
or interested in engaging in the furtherance of trade with Ireland; and
(5) the secretary of commerce or the secretary's designee who has
responsibilities with respect to international trade.
(b) No public postsecondary educational institution, industry,
business association, trade organization or chamber of commerce shall
have more than one representative serving as a member of the
commission. Not more than two representatives of the Kansas Irish
community shall serve on the commission and, if more than one such
representative is appointed to serve, such representatives shall not be
members of the same political party.
(c) (1) Legislative members shall serve for a term corresponding to
the two-year biennial legislative session in which they are appointed to the
council and remain members of the legislature to retain membership on the
council. Vacancies of legislative members shall be filled for the unexpired
portion of the term in the same manner as the original appointment. The
appointing authority for a legislative member may remove a member and
substitute such member with another appointee at any time. Legislative
members may be reappointed.
(2) All nonlegislative members shall serve a term of three years.
Vacancies of nonlegislative members shall be filled for the unexpired
portion of the term in the same manner as the original appointment. The
appointing authority for the nonlegislative member may remove a member
and substitute such member with another appointee at any time.
Nonlegislative members may be reappointed.
(d) Members of the commission attending meetings of such
commission or attending a subcommittee meeting thereof authorized by
such commission shall be paid compensation, subsistence allowances,
mileage and other expenses as provided in K.S.A. 75-3223, and
amendments thereto, for each day or part thereof in which such member
attended a meeting authorized by the commission. Members shall be
reimbursed for other necessary and reasonable expenses actually incurred
in the performance of the member's official duties. A members'
compensation and expenses incurred from the attendance at meetings of
the commission and any administrative expenses of the commission shall
be paid from any account of the state general fund of the department of
commerce as designated by the secretary of commerce.
(e) The commission shall hold meetings at least once each quarter.
Meetings shall be held in Topeka, Kansas, and at the call of the
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chairperson.
(f) A majority of the members of the commission shall constitute a
quorum for the transaction of the business of the commission.
(g) The chairperson of the house of representatives standing
committee on commerce, labor and economic development shall serve as
the chairperson of the council when first organized and for the ensuing two
years. The chairperson of the senate standing committee on commerce
shall serve as the chairperson of the council for the next succeeding two
years, and thereafter, the office of chairperson shall continue to alternate
between the chambers.
(h) The chairperson may appoint from among the commission
members subcommittees and subcommittee chairpersons.
(i) The commission shall keep records of all proceedings, which shall
be public and open to inspection.
(j) The staff of the office of revisor of statutes, the legislative research
department and the division of legislative administrative services shall
provide such assistance as may be requested by the chairperson.
Sec. 2. (a) The purpose of the Kansas-Ireland trade commission shall
be to advance, promote and encourage business and other mutually
beneficial activities between Kansas and Ireland, including:
(1) Bilateral trade and investment;
(2) joint action on policy issues of mutual interest;
(3) business and academic exchanges;
(4) mutual economic support;
(5) mutual investment in respective infrastructure; and
(6) other opportunities for mutual benefit and economic growth as
identified by the commission.
(b) The commission shall report findings, activities, results and
recommendations concerning subsection (a) to the governor and the
legislature within one year of the commission's initial meeting and by
February 1 of each succeeding year for the activities of the preceding
calendar year. The report shall be in writing and may include
recommendations or proposed legislation as deemed appropriate by the
commission to effectuate the commission's purpose.
(c) The Kansas-Ireland trade commission shall be authorized to raise
funds to carry out the purposes of the commission. Such funds may be
raised through direct solicitation or other fundraising events, either alone
or with other groups, and accept gifts, grants and bequests from
individuals, corporations, foundations, governmental agencies and public
and private organizations and institutions. All such funds, gifts, grants or
bequests received pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the Kansas-
Ireland trade commission fund established in section 4, and amendments
thereto, and all expenditures from such fund shall be for the purposes of
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the commission and upon the majority vote of the commission.
Sec. 3. (a) There is hereby established in the state treasury the
Kansas-Ireland trade commission fund which shall be administered by the
chairperson of the Kansas-Ireland trade commission or the chairperson's
designee. At the request of the chairperson, the secretary of commerce or
the secretary's designee shall serve as the designee of the chairperson with
respect to administration of the fund. All moneys received from any
private donation, gift, grant or bequest made to the commission for the
purposes of this act shall be remitted to the state treasurer in accordance
with the provisions of K.S.A. 75-4215, and amendments thereto. Upon
receipt of each such remittance, the state treasurer shall deposit the entire
amount in the state treasury to the credit of the Kansas-Ireland trade
commission fund. All expenditures from the Kansas-Ireland trade
commission fund shall be for furthering the purposes of the Kansas-Ireland
trade commission upon a majority vote of the commission and in
accordance with appropriation acts upon warrants of the director of
accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by the
chairperson of the Kansas-Ireland trade commission or the chairperson's
designee.
(b) On or before the 10
th
of each month, the director of accounts and
reports shall transfer from the state general fund to the Kansas-Ireland
trade commission fund interest earnings based on:
(1) The average daily balance of moneys in the Kansas-Ireland trade
commission fund for the preceding month; and
(2) the net earnings rate for the pooled money investment portfolio
for the preceding month.
Sec. 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
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