Session of 2025 SENATE BILL No. 221 By Committee on Judiciary 2-5 AN ACT concerning the judicial council; changing the membership from four resident lawyers to one resident lawyer from each congressional district; amending K.S.A. 20-2201 and repealing the existing section. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas: Section 1. K.S.A. 20-2201 is hereby amended to read as follows: 20- 2201. (a) A judicial council is hereby established and created which shall be an independent agency in the judicial branch of government, shall submit its budget separately and may adopt its own pay plan and personnel rules. (b)(1) The judicial council shall be composed of one justice of the supreme court, one judge of the court of appeals, two district judges of different judicial districts, four resident lawyers, the chairperson of the judiciary committee of the house of representatives or the chairperson's designate designee, and the chairperson of the judiciary committee of the senate, and, subject to the provisions of K.S.A. 75-4315c, and amendments thereto, one resident lawyer from each congressional district. (2) The provisions of paragraph (1), as amended by this act, shall not affect the office of any member of the judicial council appointed prior to July 1, 2025. On and after July 1, 2025, as positions become vacant on the judicial council, appointments shall be made to comply with the provisions of paragraph (1), as amended by this act. (c) (1) All members except the members of the legislature shall be appointed by the chief justice of the supreme court for a term of four years and until a successor shall have been appointed and qualified. (2) The terms of the members of the legislature, and all other members, shall terminate upon such member ceasing to belong to the class from which such member was appointed. All vacancies except those of the members of the legislature shall be filled by appointment by the chief justice for the unexpired term. Upon vacancy, the places of the members of the legislature shall be filled by their successors. Sec. 2. K.S.A. 20-2201 is hereby repealed. Sec. 3. 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 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34