Session of 1998
                   
HOUSE BILL No. 2983
         
By Committee on Appropriations
         
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            9             AN ACT concerning the citizens' utility ratepayer board; relating to ne-
10             gotiation of contracts for professional services; concerning the com-
11             position of the negotiating committee.
12            
13       Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
14           Section 1. (a) In accordance with the provisions of subsection (b),
15       the citizens' utility ratepayer board is hereby authorized to contract for
16       professional services, including, but not limited to, the services of engi-
17       neers, accountants, attorneys and economists, to assist in carrying out the
18       duties of the board, which assistance may include preparation and pres-
19       entation of expert testimony, when the expenses of such professional serv-
20       ices are required to be assessed under K.S.A. 66-1502 and amendments
21       thereto against the public utilities involved.
22           (b) Such contracts shall be negotiated by a negotiating committee
23       composed of the following persons: The consumer counsel of the citizens'
24       utility ratepayer board; the director of the budget or that director's des-
25       ignee; the director of accounts and reports or that director's designee;
26       and the chairperson of the citizens' utility ratepayer board or the chair-
27       person's designee. The consumer counsel of the citizens' utility ratepayer
28       board shall convene the negotiating committee for each such contract
29       and the negotiating committee shall consider all proposals by persons
30       applying to perform such contract and shall award the contract.
31           (c) Such contracts shall not be subject to the provisions of K.S.A. 75-
32       3739, and amendments thereto, or to the provisions of the acts contained
33       in article 58 of chapter 75 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated.
34           (d) As used in this section, ``person'' means an individual, firm, part-
35       nership, corporation, association or other legal entity.
36           Sec. 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
37       publication in the statute book.
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