Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas Senate Bill SB299 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	Session of 2025
2	2	SENATE BILL No. 299
3	3	By Committee on Federal and State Affairs
4	4	4-10
5	5	AN ACT concerning courts; relating to the supreme court nominating
6	6	commission; requiring certain records of the commission to be released
7	7	under the open records act; amending K.S.A. 20-123 and repealing the
8	8	existing section.
9	9	Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
10	10	Section 1. K.S.A. 20-123 is hereby amended to read as follows: 20-
11	11	123. (a) When the chairperson and other members of the commission
12	12	chosen by the members of the bar have been elected, and after the names
13	13	of the nonlawyer members appointed by the governor have been certified
14	14	to the clerk of the supreme court as provided in this act, the clerk shall
15	15	make a record thereof in the clerk's office and shall notify the members of
16	16	the commission of their election and appointment. The commission shall
17	17	meet from time to time as may be necessary to discharge the
18	18	responsibilities of the commission. Such meetings shall be held at such
19	19	place as the clerk of the supreme court may arrange. Such meeting shall be
20	20	held upon the call of the chairperson, or in the event of the chairperson's
21	21	failure to call a meeting when a meeting is necessary, upon the call of any
22	22	four members of the commission. The commission shall act only at a
23	23	meeting, and may act only by the concurrence of a majority of its
24	24	members. The commission shall have power to adopt such reasonable and
25	25	proper rules and regulations for the conduct of its proceedings and the
26	26	discharge of its duties as are consistent with this act and the constitution of
27	27	the state of Kansas.
28	28	(b) (1) The supreme court nominating commission shall be and is
29	29	hereby deemed to be a public body and shall be subject to the open
30	30	meetings act, K.S.A. 75-4317 et seq., and amendments thereto.
31	31	(2) Except as provided further, the commission shall not recess for a
32	32	closed or executive meeting for any purpose. The commission, in
33	33	accordance with K.S.A. 75-4319, and amendments thereto, may recess for
34	34	a closed or executive meeting only for the purpose of discussing sensitive
35	35	financial information contained within the personal financial records or
36	36	official background check of a candidate for judicial nomination.
37	37	(3) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to supersede the
38	38	commission's discretion to close a record or portion of a record submitted
39	39	to the commission pursuant to any applicable exception to public
40	40	1
41	41	2
42	42	3
43	43	4
44	44	5
45	45	6
46	46	7
47	47	8
48	48	9
49	49	10
50	50	11
51	51	12
52	52	13
53	53	14
54	54	15
55	55	16
56	56	17
57	57	18
58	58	19
59	59	20
60	60	21
61	61	22
62	62	23
63	63	24
64	64	25
65	65	26
66	66	27
67	67	28
68	68	29
69	69	30
70	70	31
71	71	32
72	72	33
73	73	34
74	74	35
75	75	36 SB 299 2
76	76	disclosure under the open records actNotwithstanding the provisions of
77	77	K.S.A. 45-221(a)(1), and amendments thereto, no rule of the commission
78	78	or the Kansas supreme court shall be adopted that prohibits disclosure of
79	79	the records of the commission. All records of the commission, including
80	80	the names and cities of residence of the people who have been nominated
81	81	to serve on the commission or as chair of the commission, shall be open
82	82	and subject to disclosure, except that background check information or
83	83	sensitive financial information of applicants or nominees for judicial
84	84	office contained within such records may be closed by the commission.
85	85	Sec. 2. K.S.A. 20-123 is hereby repealed.
86	86	Sec. 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
87	87	publication in the statute book.
88	88	1
89	89	2
90	90	3
91	91	4
92	92	5
93	93	6
94	94	7
95	95	8
96	96	9
97	97	10
98	98	11
99	99	12