[As Amended by House Committee of the Whole]

         
As Amended by House Committee

         
As Amended by Senate Committee
         
Session of 1999
         
SENATE BILL No. 319
         
By Committee on Federal and State Affairs
         
2-15
         

12             AN  ACT concerning counties; relating to the enforcement of county res-
13             olutions; amending K.S.A. 20-310a and K.S.A. 1998 1999 Supp. 19-
14             101d and, 19-4707 and 20-310a and repealing the existing section
15             sections.
16      
17       Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
18             Section  1. K.S.A. 1998 1999 Supp. 19-101d is hereby amended to
19       read as follows: 19-101d. (a) (1) The board of county commissioners of
20       any county shall have the power to enforce all resolutions passed pursuant
21       to county home rule powers, as designated by K.S.A. 19-101c 19-101a,
22       and amendments thereto. Such resolutions may be enforced by enjoining
23       violations thereof or by prescribing penalties for violations of such reso-
24       lutions, either by fine, or by confinement in the county jail, or by both
25       such fine and confinement. Unless otherwise provided by the resolution
26       that defines and makes punishable the violation of such resolution, the
27       penalty imposed shall be in accordance with the penalties established by
28       law for conviction of a class C misdemeanor. In no event shall the penalty
29       imposed for the violation of a resolution exceed the penalties established
30       by law for conviction of a class B misdemeanor.
31             (2) Prosecution for any such violation shall be commenced in the
32       district court in the name of the county and, except as provided in sub-
33       section (b), shall be conducted in the manner provided by law for the
34       prosecution of misdemeanor violations of state laws. Writs and process
35       necessary for the prosecution of such violations shall be in the form pre-
36       scribed by the judge or judges of the courts vested with jurisdiction of
37       such violations by this act, and shall be substantially in the form of writs
38       and process issued for the prosecution of misdemeanor violations of state
39       laws. Each county shall provide all necessary supplies, forms and records
40       at its own expense.
41             (b)  (1) In addition to all other procedures authorized for the enforce-


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  1       ment of county codes and resolutions, in any county with a population in
  2       excess of 150,000, the prosecution for violation of codes and resolutions
  3       adopted by the board of county commissioners may be commenced in
  4       the district court in the name of the county and may be conducted, except
  5       as otherwise provided in this section, in the manner provided for and in
  6       accordance with the provisions of the code for the enforcement of county
  7       codes and resolutions.
  8             (2) For the purposes of aiding in the enforcement of county codes
  9       and resolutions, the board of county commissioners may employ or ap-
10       point code enforcement officers for the county who shall have power to
11       sign, issue and execute notices to appear and uniform citations or uniform
12       complaints and notices to appear, as provided in the appendix of forms
13       of the code contained in this act to enforce violations of county codes and
14       resolutions, but shall have no power to issue warrants or make arrests.
15       All warrants shall be issued and arrests made by law enforcement officers
16       pursuant to and in the manner provided in chapter 21 of the Kansas
17       Statutes Annotated.
18             (3) The board of county commissioners may employ or appoint at-
19       torneys for the purpose of prosecuting actions for the enforcement of
20       county codes and resolutions, and such attorneys shall have the duties,
21       powers and authorities provided by the board as necessary to prosecute
22       actions under the code.
23             (4) All costs for the enforcement and prosecution of violations of
24       county codes and resolutions, except for compensation and expenses of
25       the district court judge, shall be paid from the revenues of the county
26       and, the board of county commissioners may establish a special law en-
27       forcement fund for the purpose of paying for the costs of code enforce-
28       ment within the county. In addition, the board of county commissioners
29       is hereby authorized to levy a tax of not to exceed 1/2 mill upon all taxable
30       tangible property within such county to pay the costs of code
31       enforcement.
32             (c) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (b), any action com-
33       menced in the district court for the enforcement of county codes and
34       resolutions, wherein a person may be subject to detention or arrest or
35       wherein an accused person, if found guilty, would or might be deprived
36       of such person's liberty, shall be conducted in the manner provided by
37       law for the prosecution of misdemeanor violations of state laws under the
38       Kansas code of criminal procedure and not under the code for the en-
39       forcement of county codes and resolutions. 
40        Sec.  2. K.S.A. 1998 1999 Supp. 19-4707 is hereby amended
41       to read as follows: 19-4707. (a) Except as provided in subsection
42       (b), no person shall be assessed costs for enforcement and prose-
43       cution of violations of county codes and resolutions pursuant to this


3

  1       code, except for witness fees and mileage as set forth in K.S.A. 19-
  2       4726 and amendments thereto.
  3             (b) The court shall assess as a cost in each case filed for viola-
  4       tions of county codes and resolutions, a $1 assessment an amount as
  5       determined by the board of county commissioners[, but such amount
  6       shall not exceed $60]. The judge or clerk of the court shall remit at
  7       least monthly to the state treasurer all $1 from 25% of each such
  8       assessments assessment received. The balance of each assessment shall
  9       be deposited in the county general fund. The state treasurer shall de-
10       posit the entire amount of the remittance in the state treasury and
11       credit 50% $.50 of each individual court cost to the protection from
12       abuse fund established pursuant to K.S.A. 74-7325 and amendments
13       thereto and 50% $.50 of each individual court cost to the crime
14       victims assistance fund established pursuant to K.S.A. 74-7334 and
15       amendments thereto. The balance of the state treasury deposit shall
16       be credited to the judiciary operations account of the state general
17       fund. Moneys placed in the judiciary operations account of the
18       state general fund pursuant to this subsection shall be in addition
19       to any state general fund money and shall not be used to offset any
20       state general fund money.
21             Sec.  3. K.S.A. 20-310a is hereby amended to read as follows:
22       20-310a. (a) Upon the application of the administrative judge of a
23       judicial district to the departmental justice of that district, for good
24       cause shown, or in the absence, sickness or disability of a district
25       judge or district magistrate judge in any judicial district, a judge
26       pro tem may be appointed whenever the departmental justice for
27       such judicial district has not assigned a district judge from another
28       judicial district, as provided in K.S.A. 20-319, and amendments
29       thereto.
30             (b) Any judge pro tem appointed pursuant to this section shall
31       be a regularly admitted member of the bar of this state. The ap-
32       pointment of any such judge pro tem shall be made by the admin-
33       istrative judge or, in the absence of the administrative judge, by the
34       departmental justice for the judicial district.
35             (c) Any judge pro tem appointed pursuant to this section shall
36       have the full power and authority of a district judge with respect
37       to any actions or proceedings before such judge pro tem, except that
38       any judge pro tem appointed pursuant to subsection (d) or (e) shall
39       have only such power and authority as provided therein. A judge
40       pro tem shall receive such compensation as is prescribed by the
41       district court, subject to the budget limitations of such district
42       court.
43             (d) Subject to the budget limitations of the district court, the


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  1       administrative judge of any judicial district may appoint one or
  2       more judges pro tem for the limited purpose of hearing the original
  3       trials of actions filed pursuant to the small claims procedures act
  4       or other action within the jurisdiction of a district magistrate judge
  5       as provided in K.S.A. 20-302b, and amendments thereto. Any such
  6       judge pro tem shall have only such judicial power and authority as
  7       is necessary to hear such actions. Any party aggrieved by any order
  8       of a judge pro tem under this subsection may appeal such order and
  9       such appeal shall be heard by a district judge de novo. If the appeal
10       is a small claims action, the appeal shall be under K.S.A. 61-2709,
11       and amendments thereto. If the appeal is an action within the ju-
12       risdiction of a district magistrate judge, the appeal shall be under
13       K.S.A. 20-302b, and amendments thereto.
14             (e) Subject to the budget limitations of the district court, the
15       administrative judge of any judicial district in which the board of
16       county commissioners is authorized to use the code for the enforce-
17       ment of county codes and resolutions as provided in subsection (b)
18       of K.S.A. 19-101d, and amendments thereto, may appoint one or
19       more judges pro tem for the limited purpose of hearing such cases.
20       Any such judge pro tem shall have only such power and authority
21       as is necessary to hear such actions, and shall have the power to
22       compel appearances before the court, to hold persons in contempt
23       for failure to appear, to order abatements of nuisances resulting from a
24       person's failure to comply with county codes or resolutions and to order
25       such costs of abatement to be assessed against the parcel of property on
26       which the nuisance was located, and to issue bench warrants for ap-
27       pearances. Such judge pro tem shall receive the salary and other
28       compensation set by resolution of the board of county commission-
29       ers which shall be paid from the revenues of the county general fund
30       or other fund established for the purpose of financing code
31       enforcement.
32             (f) The administrative judge of each judicial district shall report
33       to the judicial administrator of the courts: (1) The dates on which
34       any judge pro tem served in such district, (2) the compensation paid
35       to any judge pro tem, and (3) such other information as the judicial
36       administrator may request with regard to the appointment of judges
37       pro tem. The reports shall be submitted annually on or before Jan-
38       uary 15 on forms provided by the judicial administrator.
39        K.S.A. 1999 Supp. 20-310a is hereby amended to read as follows:
40       20-310a. (a) Upon the application of the chief judge of a judicial
41       district to the departmental justice of that district, for good cause
42       shown, or in the absence, sickness or disability of a district judge
43       or district magistrate judge in any judicial district, a judge pro tem


5

  1       may be appointed whenever the departmental justice for such ju-
  2       dicial district has not assigned a district judge from another judicial
  3       district, as provided in K.S.A. 20-319, and amendments thereto.
  4             (b) Any judge pro tem appointed pursuant to this section shall
  5       be a regularly admitted member of the bar of this state. The ap-
  6       pointment of any such judge pro tem shall be made by the chief
  7       judge or, in the absence of the chief judge, by the departmental
  8       justice for the judicial district.
  9             (c) Any judge pro tem appointed pursuant to this section shall
10       have the full power and authority of a district judge with respect
11       to any actions or proceedings before such judge pro tem, except
12       that any judge pro tem appointed pursuant to subsection (d) or (e)
13       shall have only such power and authority as provided therein. A
14       judge pro tem shall receive such compensation as is prescribed by
15       the district court, subject to the budget limitations of such district
16       court.
17             (d) Subject to the budget limitations of the district court, the
18       chief judge of any judicial district may appoint one or more judges
19       pro tem for the limited purpose of hearing the original trials of
20       actions filed pursuant to the small claims procedures act or other
21       action within the jurisdiction of a district magistrate judge as pro-
22       vided in K.S.A. 20-302b, and amendments thereto. Any such judge
23       pro tem shall have only such judicial power and authority as is
24       necessary to hear such actions. Any party aggrieved by any order
25       of a judge pro tem under this subsection may appeal such order
26       and such appeal shall be heard by a district judge de novo. If the
27       appeal is a small claims action, the appeal shall be under K.S.A.
28       61-2709, and amendments thereto. If the appeal is an action within
29       the jurisdiction of a district magistrate judge, the appeal shall be
30       under K.S.A. 20-302b, and amendments thereto.
31             (e) Subject to the budget limitations of the district court, the
32       chief judge of any judicial district in which the board of county
33       commissioners is authorized to use the code for the enforcement
34       of county codes and resolutions as provided in subsection (b) of
35       K.S.A. 19-101d, and amendments thereto, may appoint one or
36       more judges pro tem for the limited purpose of hearing such cases.
37       Any such judge pro tem shall have only such power and authority
38       as is necessary to hear such actions, and shall have the power to
39       compel appearances before the court, to hold persons in contempt
40       for failure to appear, to order abatements of nuisances resulting from
41       a person's failure to comply with county codes or resolutions and to order
42       such costs of abatement to be assessed against the parcel of property on
43       which the nuisance was located, and to issue bench warrants for ap-


6

  1       pearances. Such judge pro tem shall receive the salary and other
  2       compensation set by resolution of the board of county commis-
  3       sioners which shall be paid from the revenues of the county gen-
  4       eral fund or other fund established for the purpose of financing
  5       code enforcement.
  6             (f) The chief judge of each judicial district shall report to the
  7       judicial administrator of the courts: (1) The dates on which any
  8       judge pro tem served in such district, (2) the compensation paid
  9       to any judge pro tem, and (3) such other information as the judicial
10       administrator may request with regard to the appointment of
11       judges pro tem. The reports shall be submitted annually on or
12       before January 15 on forms provided by the judicial administrator.
13        Sec.  2. 4. K.S.A. 20-310a and K.S.A. 1998 1999 Supp. 19-101d is
14       and, 19-4707 and 20-310a are hereby repealed.
15        Sec.  3. 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
16       publication in the statute book.