Establishing the Kansas-Italy trade commission to advance, promote and encourage business and other mutually beneficial activities between Kansas and Italy.

Session of 2026
HOUSE BILL No. 2675
By Representative Bohi
2-3
AN ACT concerning economic development, relating to international
trade; establishing the Kansas-Italy trade commission to advance,
promote and encourage business and other mutually beneficial
activities between Kansas and Italy; establishing the Kansas-Italy trade
commission fund.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. (a) There is hereby established the Kansas-Italy trade
commission. The commission shall consist of 13 members as follows:
(1) The chairperson of the senate standing committee on commerce
and the chairperson of the house of representatives standing committee on
commerce, labor and economic development, as appointed by the
president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives,
respectively;
(2) (A) (i) two members of the senate, one of whom shall be
appointed by the president of the senate and one of whom shall be
appointed by the minority leader of the senate; and
(ii) two members of the house of representatives, one of whom shall
be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and one of
whom shall be appointed by the minority leader of the house of
representatives.
(B) Such appointees shall have interest in the well-being of trade
relations between Kansas and Italy and current or past involvement in
businesses engaged in international trade, preferably with Italy, or
organizations that promote international trade or Italian-American affairs;
(3) six members, two of whom shall be appointed by the governor,
two by the speaker of the house of representatives and two by the president
of the senate. The two members appointed by the governor, speaker of the
house of representatives and president of the senate, respectively, shall
each be a representative of either:
(A) A Kansas postsecondary public education institution;
(B) the Italian-American community in Kansas who is interested in
furthering trade between Kansas and Italy;
(C) a Kansas industry engaged in or seeking to engage in trade with
Italy; or
(D) a Kansas business association, trade organization, economic
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development organization or chamber of commerce engaged in or
interested in engaging in the furtherance of trade with Italy; and
(4) the secretary of commerce or the secretary's designee who has
responsibilities with respect to international trade.
(b) No public postsecondary educational institution, industry,
business association, trade organization or chamber of commerce shall
have more than one representative serving as a member of the
commission. Not more than two representatives of the Kansas-Italian
community appointed pursuant to subsection (a)(3)(B) shall serve on the
commission and, if more than one such representative is appointed to
serve, such representatives shall not be members of the same political
party.
(c) (1) Legislative members shall serve for a term corresponding to
the two-year biennial legislative session in which they are appointed to the
council and remain members of the legislature to retain membership on the
council. Vacancies of legislative members shall be filled for the unexpired
portion of the term in the same manner as the original appointment. The
appointing authority for a legislative member may remove a member and
substitute such member with another appointee at any time. Legislative
members may be reappointed.
(2) All nonlegislative members shall serve a term of three years.
Vacancies of nonlegislative members shall be filled for the unexpired
portion of the term in the same manner as the original appointment. The
appointing authority for the nonlegislative member may remove a member
and substitute such member with another appointee at any time.
Nonlegislative members may be reappointed.
(d) A member of the commission attending meetings of such
commission or attending a subcommittee meeting thereof authorized by
such commission shall be paid compensation, subsistence allowances,
mileage and other expenses as provided in K.S.A. 75-3223, and
amendments thereto, for each day or part thereof in which such member
attended a meeting authorized by the commission. A member shall be
reimbursed for other necessary and reasonable expenses actually incurred
in the performance of such member's official duties. A member's
compensation, allowances and expenses incurred from the attendance at
meetings of the commission and any administrative expenses of the
commission shall be paid from any account of the state general fund of the
department of commerce as designated by the secretary of commerce.
(e) The commission shall hold meetings at least once each quarter.
Meetings shall be held in Topeka, Kansas, at the call of the chairperson.
Upon the chairperson's request, the secretary of commerce shall provide
appropriate meeting facilities for the commission. Meetings shall be open
to the public.
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HB 2675 3
(f) A majority of the members of the commission shall constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business.
(g) The chairperson of the house of representatives standing
committee on commerce, labor and economic development shall serve as
the chairperson of the council when first organized and for the ensuing two
years. The chairperson of the senate standing committee on commerce
shall serve as the chairperson of the council for the next succeeding two
years, and thereafter, the office of chairperson shall continue to alternate
between the chambers.
(h) The chairperson may appoint subcommittees and subcommittee
chairpersons from among the commission members.
(i) The commission shall keep records of all proceedings. Such
records shall be public and open to inspection.
(j) 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 chairperson.
Sec. 2. (a) The purposes of the Kansas-Italy trade commission shall
be to advance, promote and encourage business and other mutually
beneficial activities between Kansas and Italy, including:
(1) Bilateral trade and investment;
(2) joint action on policy issues of mutual interest;
(3) business and academic exchanges;
(4) mutual economic support;
(5) mutual investment in respective infrastructure; and
(6) other opportunities for mutual benefit and economic growth as
identified by the commission.
(b) The commission shall report findings, activities, results and
recommendations to the governor and the legislature within one year of the
commission's initial meeting and by February 1 of each succeeding year
for the activities of the preceding calendar year. The report shall be in
writing and may include recommendations or proposed legislation as
deemed appropriate by the commission to effectuate the commission's
purposes.
(c) The commission shall be authorized to raise funds to carry out the
purposes of the commission and accept gifts, grants and bequests from
individuals, corporations, foundations, governmental agencies and public
and private organizations and institutions. All such funds, gifts, grants or
bequests received shall be deposited in the Kansas-Italy trade commission
fund established in section 3, and amendments thereto, and all
expenditures from such fund shall be for the purposes of the commission
and authorized upon the majority vote of the commission.
Sec. 3. (a) There is hereby established in the state treasury the
Kansas-Italy trade commission fund, which shall be administered by the
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chairperson of the Kansas-Italy trade commission or the chairperson's
designee. At the request of the chairperson, the secretary of commerce or
the secretary's designee shall serve as the designee of the chairperson with
respect to the administration of the fund. All moneys received from any
private donation, gift, grant or bequest made to the commission for the
purposes of this act shall be remitted to the state treasurer in accordance
with the provisions of K.S.A. 75-4215, and amendments thereto. Upon
receipt of each such remittance, the state treasurer shall deposit the entire
amount in the state treasury to the credit of the Kansas-Italy trade
commission fund. All expenditures from the Kansas-Italy trade
commission fund shall be for the purposes of the Kansas-Italy trade
commission, authorized upon a majority vote of the commission and made
in accordance with appropriation acts upon warrants of the director of
accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by the
chairperson of the Kansas-Italy trade commission or the chairperson's
designee.
(b) On or before the 10 th of each month, the director of accounts and
reports shall transfer from the state general fund to the Kansas-Italy trade
commission fund interest earnings based on:
(1) The average daily balance of moneys in the Kansas-Italy trade
commission fund for the preceding month; and
(2) the net earnings rate for the pooled money investment portfolio
for the preceding month.
Sec. 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
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