Requiring registration of agents and political organizations representing countries of concern.

Session of 2026
HOUSE BILL No. 2759
By Committee on Federal and State Affairs
Requested by Representative Schmoe
2-6
AN ACT concerning the state governmental ethics laws; requiring
registration of agents and political organizations representing countries
of concern and foreign principals; amending K.S.A. 46-214a and
K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 46-288 and repealing the existing sections.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
New Section 1. The legislature hereby finds that:
(a) The voters, citizens and policymakers of Kansas are entitled to
transparency in the political and propaganda activities of organizations that
may be controlled by or under the influence of foreign countries hostile to
the interests of Kansas and the United States;
(b) in an increasingly globalized world, determining whether an
organization's political and propaganda activities are funded by hostile
foreign interests is often difficult; and
(c) legislation is needed to ensure the transparency necessary to allow
voters, citizens and policymakers to evaluate whether political and
propaganda activities are funded by potentially hostile foreign actors.
New Sec. 2. As used in sections 2 through 4, and amendments
thereto:
(a) "Agent" means any person:
(1) Who acts as an agent, employee, representative or servant for a
foreign principal, or otherwise acts at the order, request or under the
direction or control of a foreign principal;
(2) whose actions are financed, in whole or in part, by such foreign
principal; and
(3) who engages in political activity.
(b) "Country of concern" means:
(1) (A) People's republic of China, including the Hong Kong special
administrative region;
(B) republic of Cuba;
(C) islamic republic of Iran;
(D) democratic people's republic of Korea;
(E) Russian federation; and
(F) Bolivarian republic of Venezuela.
(2) "Country of concern" does not include the republic of China
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(Taiwan).
(c) "Foreign principal" means:
(1) The government of a country of concern;
(2) a political party of a country of concern or any member of such
political party;
(3) a nonresident alien of a country of concern;
(4) a partnership, association, corporation, organization or any other
combination of persons organized under the laws of or having its principal
place of business in a country of concern; and
(5) a partnership, association, corporation, organization or any other
combination of persons organized under the laws of this state that is at
least 20% beneficially owned by one of the entities described in paragraph
(1), (3) or (4).
(d) "Foreign-supported political organization" means a political party
or a partnership, association, corporation, organization or any other
combination of persons organized under the laws of this state that has,
within the past five years, received money or any other thing of value from
a foreign principal or an agent of a foreign principal and that engages in
political activity.
(e) "Political activity" means:
(1) Lobbying;
(2) lobbying activities directed at the actions of the governing body of
a political subdivision of this state; and
(3) advocating for or opposing the nomination or election of a
candidate for any office, the recall of any elected official or any proposed
constitutional amendment or other question submitted to the electors of
this state or any political subdivision thereof.
New Sec. 3. (a) No person shall act as an agent of a foreign principal
unless such person registers with the commission by submitting a
registration statement and any required supplemental documents.
Registration statements shall be submitted in such form and manner as
prescribed by the commission. Each registration statement shall include
the following material information:
(1) The agent's name, principal business address, all other business
addresses wherever located and all residence addresses wherever located,
if any;
(2) a comprehensive statement of the nature of the agent's business;
(3) a statement of the character of the business and other activities of
each foreign principal for whom the agent is acting, assuming or
purporting to act or has agreed to act. For any foreign principal that is not
a natural person, such statement shall also describe the ownership of such
foreign principal and the control structure under which such foreign
principal is supervised, directed, owned, controlled, financed or
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subsidized, in whole or in part, by any other foreign principal;
(4) the amount, form, time of receipt, payor and purpose of each
payment, disbursement, contribution or thing of value, if any, that the
agent has received within the immediately preceding 60 days from each
foreign principal;
(5) a description of every activity the agent is performing, is
assuming or purporting to perform or has agreed to perform for any other
person, including such agent, other than a foreign principal that requires
registration as a lobbyist;
(6) the name, business and residence addresses and, if an individual,
the nationality of any person other than a foreign principal for whom the
agent is acting, assuming or purporting to act or has agreed to act that
requires registration as a lobbyist;
(7) the amount, form, time of receipt, payor and purpose of each
payment, disbursement, contribution or thing of value, if any, that the
agent has received within the immediately preceding 60 days from each
person described in paragraph (6);
(8) the amount, form, time of payment, payee and purpose of each
expenditure made by the agent during the immediately preceding 60 days
in furtherance of or in connection with any of the activities described in
paragraphs (3) and (5);
(9) the amount, form, time of payment, payee and purpose of each
expenditure made by the agent during the immediately preceding 60 days
to advocate for or oppose the nomination or election of a candidate for any
office, the recall of any elected official or any proposed constitutional
amendment or other question submitted to the electors of this state or any
political subdivision thereof; and
(10) such other statements, information or documents as the
commission deems necessary.
(b) The information provided in any registration submitted pursuant
to subsection (a) shall be updated at such times as are required by rules
and regulations adopted by the commission, which shall require updates be
submitted at least once each quarter.
(c) The requirements of this section shall be in addition to any
registration and reporting requirements that are applicable to an agent
under the state governmental ethics law.
New Sec. 4. (a) Each foreign-supported political organization shall
register with the commission by submitting a registration statement and
any required supplemental documents. Registration statements shall be
submitted in such form and manner as prescribed by the commission. Each
registration statement shall include the following material information:
(1) The name and address of the organization and the names, titles
and addresses of all officers and directors of the organization;
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(2) if the organization is affiliated with or a chapter of a national
organization, the name and address of such national organization and the
names and addresses of such national organization's officers and directors;
(3) the amount, form, time of payment, payee and purpose of each
expenditure made by the organization within the immediately preceding 12
months for political activities; and
(4) the amount, form, time of receipt, payor and purpose of each
payment, disbursement, contribution or thing of value, if any, that the
organization has received from a foreign principal or an agent of a foreign
principal during the immediately preceding 12 months.
(b) The information provided in any registration submitted pursuant
to subsection (a) shall be updated at such times as are required by rules
and regulations adopted by the commission, which shall require updates be
submitted at least once each quarter.
(c) The requirements of this section shall be in addition to any
registration and reporting requirements that are applicable to an agent
under the state governmental ethics law.
Sec. 5. K.S.A. 46-214a is hereby amended to read as follows: 46-
214a. K.S.A. 46-215 through 46-293 and K.S.A. 46-237a , and
amendments thereto, and sections 1 through 4, and amendments thereto,
shall be known and may be cited as the state governmental ethics law.
Sec. 6. K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 46-288 is hereby amended to read as
follows: 46-288. The commission, in addition to any other penalty
prescribed under K.S.A. 46-215 through 46-286, and amendments thereto,
may assess a civil fine, after proper notice and an opportunity to be heard,
against any person for a violation pursuant to K.S.A. 46-215 through 46-
286, and amendments thereto, and sections 1 through 4, and amendments
thereto, in an amount not to exceed $5,000 for the first violation, not to
exceed $10,000 for the second violation and not to exceed $15,000 for the
third violation and for each subsequent violation. All fines assessed and
collected under this section 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
public disclosure commission fee fund.
Sec. 7. K.S.A. 46-214a and K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 46-288 are hereby
repealed.
Sec. 8. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
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