Session of 2025
SENATE BILL No. 136
By Senator Holscher
1-31
AN ACT concerning campaign finance; limiting contributions to $5,000
per year to political committees that are made for the purpose of
independent expenditures; requiring accounting, reporting and auditing
of such contributions; amending K.S.A. 25-4147, 25-4148 and 25-4153
and repealing the existing sections.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. K.S.A. 25-4147 is hereby amended to read as follows: 25-
4147. (a) (1) Every treasurer shall keep detailed accounts of all
contributions and other receipts received and all expenditures made by or
on behalf of the treasurer's candidate or committee.
(2) In addition to any other accounts or records required by law,
every treasurer of a political committee that receives one or more
contributions for the purpose of making independent expenditures, as
defined in K.S.A. 25-4148c, and amendments thereto, shall keep an
account of any contribution received for the purpose of making such
expenditures. In addition to any other requirements, such account shall
contain the name of the contributor and the total contributions from each
contributor.
(b) (1) Accounts of any treasurer may be inspected under conditions
determined by the commission, and shall be preserved for a period to be
designated by the commission.
(2) In addition to inspections pursuant to paragraph (1), accounts of
any treasurer of any political committee that receives one or more
contributions for the purpose of making independent expenditures shall be
subject to an annual audit at a time to be determined by the commission.
The audit shall be conducted by a Kansas auditor approved by the
commission at the political committee's expense. The scope and method of
the audit shall be approved by the commission and shall include, but not
be limited to, the compliance by the political committee with the
provisions of K.S.A. 25-4153(j), and amendments thereto.
(c) An individual may serve as treasurer for a candidate, candidate
committee, party committee or political committee or of any two or more
such committees or candidates.
(d) Every person who receives a contribution for a candidate,
candidate committee, party committee or political committee more than
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 SB 136 2
five days prior to the ending date of any period for which a report is
required by K.S.A. 25-4148, and amendments thereto, on demand of the
treasurer, or in any event on or before the ending date of the reporting
period, shall remit the same and render to the treasurer an account thereof,
including the amount, the name and address of the person, if known,
making the contribution and the date received.
(e) No contribution or other receipt received by a candidate,
candidate committee, party committee or political committee shall be
commingled with personal funds of the candidate or the treasurer or other
officers or members of such committee.
(f) No candidate, candidate committee, party committee or political
committee shall receive any contribution or other receipt from a political
committee unless accompanied by the full name of the organization with
which the political committee is connected or affiliated or, name or
description sufficiently describing the affiliation or, if the political
committee is not connected or affiliated with any one organization, the
trade, profession or primary interest of the political committee as reflected
by the statement of purpose of such organization.
Sec. 2. K.S.A. 25-4148 is hereby amended to read as follows: 25-
4148. (a) Every treasurer shall file a report prescribed by this section.
Reports filed by treasurers for candidates for state office, other than
officers elected on a state-wide basis, shall be filed in both with the office
of the secretary of state. Reports filed by treasurers for candidates for
state-wide office shall be filed electronically and only with the secretary of
state. Reports filed by treasurers for candidates for local office shall be
filed in the office of the county election officer of the county in which the
name of the candidate is on the ballot. Except as otherwise provided by
subsection (h), all such reports shall be filed in time to be received in the
offices required on or before each of the following days:
(1) The eighth day preceding the primary election, which report shall
be for the period beginning on January 1 of the election year for the office
the candidate is seeking and ending 12 days before the primary election,
inclusive;
(2) the eighth day preceding a general election, which report shall be
for the period beginning 11 days before the primary election and ending 12
days before the general election, inclusive;
(3) January 10 of the year after an election year, which report shall be
for the period beginning 11 days before the general election and ending on
December 31, inclusive;
(4) for any calendar year when no election is held, a report shall be
filed on the next January 10 for the preceding calendar year;
(5) a treasurer shall file only the annual report required by subsection
(4) for those years when the candidate is not participating in a primary or
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 SB 136 3
general election.
(b) Each report required by this section shall state:
(1) Cash on hand on the first day of the reporting period;
(2) the name and address of each person who has made one or more
contributions in an aggregate amount or value in excess of $50 during the
election period together with the amount and date of such contributions,
including the name and address of every lender, guarantor and endorser
when a contribution is in the form of an advance or loan and, in the case
of political committees that receive one or more contributions for the
purpose of independent expenditures, as defined in K.S.A. 25-4148c, and
amendments thereto, the aggregate amount contributed by each
contributor;
(3) the aggregate amount of all proceeds from bona fide sales of
political materials such as, but not limited to, political campaign pins,
buttons, badges, flags, emblems, hats, banners and literature;
(4) the aggregate amount of contributions for which the name and
address of the contributor is not known;
(5) each contribution, rebate, refund or other receipt not otherwise
listed;
(6) the total of all receipts;
(7) the name and address of each person to whom expenditures have
been made in an aggregate amount or value in excess of $50, with the
amount, date, and purpose of each;, the names and addresses of all persons
to whom any loan or advance has been made; and when an expenditure is
made by payment to an advertising agency, public relations firm or
political consultants for disbursement to vendors, the report of such
expenditure shall show in detail the name of each such vendor and the
amount, date and purpose of the payments to each;
(8) the name and address of each person from whom an in-kind
contribution was received or who has paid for personal services provided
without charge to or for any candidate, candidate committee, party
committee or political committee, if the contribution is in excess of $100
and is not otherwise reported under subsection (b)(7), and the amount, date
and purpose of the contribution;
(9) the aggregate of all expenditures not otherwise reported under this
section; and
(10) the total of expenditures.
(c) In addition to the requirements of subsection (b), every treasurer
for any political committee and party committee shall report the following:
(1) (A) The name and address of each candidate for state or local
office for whom an expenditure in the form of an in-kind contribution has
been made in an aggregate amount or having a fair market value in excess
of $300, with the amount, date and purpose of each. The report shall show
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 SB 136 4
in detail the specific service or product provided; and
(B) the name and address of each candidate for state or local office
who is the subject of an expenditure which that:
(i) Is made without the cooperation or consent of a candidate or
candidate committee;
(ii) expressly advocates the nomination, election or defeat of such
candidate; and
(iii) is an aggregate amount or having a fair market value in excess of
$300.
(2) The report shall state the amount, date and purpose of the
expenditure in the form of an in-kind contribution. The report shall show
in detail the specific service or product provided. The reporting
requirements imposed by this subsection shall be in addition to all other
requirements required by this section.
(d) Treasurers of candidates and of candidate committees shall
itemize the purchase of tickets or admissions to testimonial events by a
person who purchases such tickets or admissions in an aggregate amount
or value in excess of $50 per event, or who purchases such a ticket or
admission at a cost exceeding $25 per ticket or admission. All other
purchases of tickets or admissions to testimonial events shall be reported
in an aggregate amount and shall not be subject to the limitations specified
in K.S.A. 25-4154, and amendments thereto.
(e) If a contribution or other receipt from a political committee is
required to be reported under subsection (b), the report shall include the
full name of the organization with which the political committee is
connected or affiliated or, a description of the connection to or affiliation
with such organization. If, the committee is not connected or affiliated
with any one organization, the report shall state the trade, profession or
primary interest of the political committee as reflected by the statement of
purpose of such organization.
(f) The commission may require any treasurer to file an amended
report for any period for which the original report filed by such treasurer
contains material errors or omissions. The notice of the errors or omissions
shall be part of the public record. The amended report shall be filed within
30 days after notice by the commission.
(g) The commission may require any treasurer to file a report for any
period for which the required report is not on file. The notice of the failure
to file shall be part of the public record. Such report shall be filed within
five days after notice by the commission.
(h) For the purpose of any report required to be filed pursuant to
subsection (a) by the treasurer of any candidate seeking nomination by
convention or caucus or by the treasurer of the candidate's committee or by
the treasurer of any party committee or political committee, the date of 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 SB 136 5
convention or caucus shall be considered the date of the primary election.
(i) If a report is sent by certified or registered mail on or before the
day it is due, the mailing shall constitute receipt by that office.
(j) Any report required by this section may be signed by the candidate
in lieu of the candidate's treasurer or the treasurer of the candidate's
committee.
Sec. 3. K.S.A. 25-4153 is hereby amended to read as follows: 25-
4153. (a) The aggregate amount contributed to a candidate and such
candidate's candidate committee and to all party committees and political
committees and dedicated to such candidate's campaign, by any political
committee or any person except a party committee, the candidate or the
candidate's spouse, shall not exceed the following:
(1) For the pair of offices of governor and lieutenant governor or for
other state officers elected from the state as a whole, $2,000 for each
primary election (or, in lieu thereof, a caucus or convention of a political
party) and an equal amount for each general election.
(2) For the office of member of the house of representatives, district
judge, district magistrate judge, district attorney or a candidate for local
office, $500 for each primary election (or, in lieu thereof, a caucus or
convention of a political party) and an equal amount for each general
election.
(3) For the office of state senator or member of the state board of
education, $1,000 for each primary election (or, in lieu thereof, a caucus or
convention of a political party) and an equal amount for each general
election.
(b) For the purposes of this section, the face value of a loan at the end
of the period of time allocable to the primary or general election is the
amount subject to the limitations of this section. A loan in excess of the
limits herein provided may be made during the allocable period if such
loan is reduced to the permissible level, when combined with all other
contributions from the person making such loan, at the end of such
allocable period.
(c) For the purposes of this section, all contributions made by
unemancipated children under 18 years of age shall be considered to be
contributions made by the parent or parents of such children. The total
amount of such contribution shall be attributed to a single custodial parent
and 50% of such contribution to each of two parents.
(d) The aggregate amount contributed to a state party committee by a
person other than a national party committee or a political committee shall
not exceed $15,000 in each calendar year; and the aggregate amount
contributed to any other party committee by a person other than a national
party committee or a political committee shall not exceed $5,000 in each
calendar year.
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 SB 136 6
The aggregate amount contributed by a national party committee to a
state party committee shall not exceed $25,000 in any calendar year, and
the aggregate amount contributed to any other party committee by a
national party committee shall not exceed $10,000 in any calendar year.
The aggregate amount contributed to a party committee by a political
committee shall not exceed $5,000 in any calendar year.
(e) Any political funds which that have been collected and were not
subject to the reporting requirements of this act shall be deemed a person
subject to these contribution limitations.
(f) Any political funds which that have been collected and were
subject to the reporting requirements of the campaign finance act shall not
be used in or for the campaign of a candidate for a federal elective office.
(g) The amount contributed by each individual party committee of the
same political party other than a national party committee to any candidate
for office, for any primary election at which two or more candidates are
seeking the nomination of such party shall not exceed the following:
(1) For the pair of offices of governor and lieutenant governor and for
each of the other state officers elected from the state as a whole, $2,000 for
each primary election (or, in lieu thereof, a caucus or convention of a
political party).
(2) For the office of member of the house of representatives, district
judge, district magistrate judge, district attorney or a candidate for local
office, $500 for each primary election (or, in lieu thereof, a caucus or
convention of a political party).
(3) For the office of state senator or member of the state board of
education, $1,000 for each primary election (or, in lieu thereof, a caucus or
convention of a political party).
(h) When a candidate for a specific cycle does not run for office, the
contribution limitations of this section shall apply as though the individual
had sought office.
(i) No person shall make any contribution or contributions to any
candidate or the candidate committee of any candidate in the form of
money or currency of the United States which in the aggregate exceeds
$100 for any one primary or general election, and no candidate or
candidate committee of any candidate shall accept any contribution or
contributions in the form of money or currency of the United States which
in the aggregate exceeds $100 from any one person for any one primary or
general election.
(j) (1) (A) An individual shall not make contributions aggregating
more than $5,000 in any calendar year to a political committee for the
purpose of making independent expenditures.
(B) No political committee shall make contributions aggregating
more than $5,000 in any calendar year to another political committee for
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 SB 136 7
the purpose of making independent expenditures.
(C) No person shall make contributions aggregating more than
$5,000 in any calendar year to a political committee for the purpose of
making independent expenditures.
(2) A political committee shall use only funds received in compliance
with paragraph (1) when making independent expenditures.
(3) For purposes of this subsection, "independent expenditures"
means the same as defined in K.S.A. 25-4148c, and amendments thereto;
Sec. 4. K.S.A. 25-4147, 25-4148 and 25-4153 are hereby repealed.
Sec. 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11