Brief⁽¹⁾

S.B. 324, as amended by the House Kansas 2000 Select Committee, amends several statutes relating to the University of Kansas Hospital Authority. The amendments clarify that the Authority:

• is exempt from paying the payroll assessment paid by state agencies for sick and annual leave payments;



• is not covered by the drug screening program administered by the Department of Administration;



• has the authority to adopt new employee compensation plans in the future; and



• has the authority to adopt new retirement plans in the future.

The bill also prohibits members of the Authority's Board of Directors from exercising any power, duty, or function prior to their confirmation by the Senate or until authorized by the Confirmation Oversight Committee. In addition, the bill clarifies the terms of office for members appointed to the initial Board by the Governor.

Background

The University of Kansas Hospital Authority was created by the 1998 Legislature to assume the operation of the University of Kansas Medical Center's hospital program. The Authority is an independent instrumentality of the state and not a state agency. A representative of the Authority appeared in support of the bill.

As introduced, the bill would also have exempted from taxation pension or retirement payments from any retirement plan established on behalf of the Authority. The Senate Committee amendments remove this provision. The other Senate Committee amendment is technical.

The House Kansas 2000 Select Committee amendments add the provisions of S.B. 56 concerning the Authority's Board of Directors to the bill.

1. *Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at http://www.ink.org/public/legislative/bill_search.html