CHAPTER 134 HOUSE BILL No. 2570* An Act concerning organization of public safety agencies; establishing the task force on consolidation of public safety agencies. Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:

      Section  1. (a) There is hereby established a task force on consolida-
tion of public safety agencies. The task force shall be composed of the
following members:

      (1) One member of the house of representatives committee on ap-
propriations appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

      (2) one member of the house of representatives committee on judi-
ciary appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;

      (3) one member of the house of representatives appointed by the
minority leader of the house of representatives;

      (4) one member of the senate committee on ways and means ap-
pointed by the president of the senate;

      (5) one member of the senate committee on judiciary appointed by
the president of the senate;

      (6) one member of the senate appointed by the minority leader of
the senate;

      (7) two representatives of local law enforcement, appointed by the
governor; and

      (8) three persons appointed by the governor, except that no current
member of the legislature of the state of Kansas shall be eligible for
appointment pursuant to this subparagraph (a)(8).

      (b) The member of the task force appointed by the speaker of the
house of representatives from the house committee on appropriations
shall call and preside at the first meeting of the task force. At such meeting
the members of the task force shall elect a chairperson and vice-chair-
person. The task force shall meet on the call of the chairperson. The task
force shall meet at least quarterly and at other times necessary to perform
its functions. If a vacancy occurs on the task force, the vacancy shall be
filled in the same manner as the original appointment.

      (c) Members of the task force on consolidation of public safety agen-
cies shall receive compensation and travel expenses and subsistence ex-
penses or allowances as provided in subsection (e) of K.S.A. 75-3223 and
amendments thereto, when attending meetings of such task force.

      (d) The task force on consolidation of public safety agencies may
meet at any time and at any place within the state on the call of the
chairperson.

      (e) It shall be the duty of the task force to review the feasibility and
efficiencies that would be achieved by consolidating all public safety func-
tions of agencies including, but not limited to, the highway patrol, the
office of state fire marshall, the ombudsman of corrections, the juvenile
justice authority, the parole board, the Kansas bureau of investigation,
the board of emergency medical services, the division of emergency man-
agement of the office of adjutant general, the department of corrections,
the Kansas sentencing commission, and the alcohol beverage control pro-
gram of the department of revenue into a cabinet level department.

      (f) If the task force recommends consolidation of some or all of the
state agencies, or functions of state agencies specified in subsection (e),
is feasible and would create efficiencies, the task force shall present rec-
ommendations on the proposed organization and budgetary ramifications
of consolidating such agencies or functions of agencies into a cabinet level
department.

      (g) The staff of the office of revisor of statutes, the legislative research
department and the division of legislative administrative services shall
provide such assistance as may be requested by the task force.

      (h) The task force shall submit a final report of its findings and rec-
ommendations to the legislative budget committee, the joint committee
on corrections and juvenile justice and to the governor on or before Jan-
uary 1, 2001.

 Sec.  2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the Kansas register.

Approved May 5, 2000.
 Published in the Kansas Register May 18, 2000.
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