Session of 2000
HOUSE BILL No. 2952
By Representatives Storm, Alldritt, Ballard, Barnes,
Campbell, Crow, Ga-
tewood,
Haley, Johnston, Kirk, Phil Kline, Phill Kline, Kuether, Ma-
yans,
Pottorff, Rehorn, Showalter, Swenson and Tomlinson
2-9
12 AN ACT
concerning crimes and punishment; relating to stalking; amend-
13 ing K.S.A. 21-3438 and
repealing the existing section.
14
15 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the
State of Kansas:
16 Section
1. K.S.A. 21-3438 is hereby amended to read as follows:
21-
17 3438. (a) Stalking is an intentional,
malicious and repeated following or
18 repeated harassment of another
person and making a credible threat with
19 the intent to place such person in
reasonable fear for such person's safety.
20 Stalking is a severity
level 10, person felony.
21 (b) Any person
who violates subsection (a) when there is a temporary
22 restraining order or an injunction, or
both, in effect prohibiting the be-
23 havior described in subsection (a) against
the same person, is guilty of a
24 severity level 9, person felony.
25 (c) Any person
who has a second or subsequent conviction occurring
26 against such person, within seven years of
a prior conviction under sub-
27 section (a) involving the same victim, is
guilty of a severity level 8, person
28 felony.
29 (d) For the
purposes of this section: (1) "Course of conduct" means
30 a pattern of conduct composed of a series
of acts over a period of time,
31 however short, evidencing a continuity of
purpose and which would cause
32 a reasonable person to suffer substantial
emotional distress, and must
33 actually cause substantial emotional
distress to the person. Constitution-
34 ally protected activity is not included
within the meaning of "course of
35 conduct."
36 (2) "Harassment"
means a knowing and intentional course of conduct
37 directed at a specific person that
seriously alarms, annoys, torments or
38 terrorizes the person, and that serves no
legitimate purpose.
39
(3) "Credible threat" means a verbal or written threat
or a threat
40 implied by a pattern of conduct or
a combination of verbal or written
41 statements and conduct made with
the intent and the apparent ability to
42 carry out the threat so as to cause
the person who is the target of the
43 threat to reasonably fear for such
person's safety. The present incarcer-
44 ation of a person making the threat
shall not be a bar to prosecution under
2
1 this
section.
2 Sec. 2. K.S.A. 21-3438 is
hereby repealed.
3 Sec. 3. This act
shall take effect and be in force from and after its
4 publication in the statute book.