Brief ⁽¹⁾

HB 3046 pertains to school finance and does two main things:

• Creates the 16-member Joint Committee on School Finance Reform and directs it, by January 14, 2002, to submit a report and proposed legislation for a new school finance program; and
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• Repeals the current School District Finance and Quality Performance Act on June 30, 2002.

Composition of the Joint Committee. The composition of the Joint Committee consists of the following persons or their designees:

• Chair and Ranking Minority Member of the House and Senate Committees on Education;
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• Chair and Ranking Minority Member of the House Committee on Taxation and Senate Committee on Assessment and Taxation;
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• Chair and Ranking Minority Member of the House Committee on Appropriations and Senate Committee on Ways and Means;
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• Speaker and Minority Leader of the House; and
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• President and Minority Leader of the Senate.

The task assigned to the Joint Committee is:

• Review the financing provisions of the School District Finance and Quality Performance Act and categorical school aid programs;
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• Evaluate the recommendations of the Governor's Task Force on K-12 Funding: Financing for Results (due in December 2000);
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• Consider the recommendations of the State Board of Education regarding school district configuration (due in January 2001);
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• Review systems of financial support of public education funding in other states;
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• Solicit recommendations from the general public and from public education interest organizations on principles of an optimal school finance plan; and
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• Submit a report and proposed legislation to the Legislature on or before January 14, 2002, for a school finance program to be the successor of the current program.

Organization. The Joint Committee organizes on January 8, 2001, and elects a Chair and Vice Chair, one of whom is a member of the House; the other, a member of the Senate.

The Joint Committee meets upon call of the Chair and may meet anywhere in Kansas. Nine members constitute a quorum of the Committee. Committee actions require a majority vote of all of the members.

The Legislative Coordinating Council is authorized to provide professional services to the Joint Committee.

Duration. The Joint Committee organizes on January 8, 2001, and expires on January 30, 2002.

Current School Finance Law. The provisions of the School District Finance and Quality Performance expire on June 30, 2002.

Background

HB 3046 was introduced at the request of the House Committee on Appropriations. In lieu of conducting a formal hearing on the bill, the House Committee on Education held a general discussion of the measure and, upon conclusion thereof, recommended the bill for passage.

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