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SENATE BILL No. 325
AN ACT concerning motor vehicles; relating to vehicle registrations; creating the vehicle
services modernization task force; directing such task force to study, evaluate and
recommend improvements for vehicle services provided by state agencies or entities
on behalf of the state; providing certain limitations on the expenditure of county
treasurer motor vehicle fee funds; authorizing county treasurers to charge certain
increased fees for vehicle registration transactions; amending K.S.A. 8-145d and
K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 8-145 and repealing the existing sections.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
New Section 1. (a) There is hereby established the vehicle services
modernization task force. The task force shall consist of:
(1) The following nine voting members:
(A) The chairperson of the senate committee on transportation or
the chairperson's designee;
(B) the chairperson of the house of representatives committee on
transportation or the chairperson's designee;
(C) the ranking minority member of the senate committee on
transportation or the ranking member's designee;
(D) the ranking minority member of the house of representatives
committee on transportation or the ranking member's designee;
(E) one member of the senate appointed by the president of the
senate;
(F) one member of the senate appointed by the majority leader of
the senate;
(G) one member of the house of representatives appointed by the
speaker of the house of representatives;
(H) one member of the house of representatives appointed by the
majority leader of the house of representatives; and
(I) one member of the senate or the house of representatives
jointly appointed by the minority leaders of the senate and the house of
representatives; and
(2) the following six nonvoting members:
(A) The director of vehicles;
(B) one county treasurer from a county with a population under
15,000 people appointed by the Kansas county treasurers association;
(C) one county treasurer from a county with a population between
15,000 and 100,000 people appointed by the Kansas county treasurers
association;
(D) one county treasurer from a county with a population over
100,000 people appointed by the Kansas county treasurers association;
(E) one member appointed by the Kansas automobile dealers
association; and
(F) one member appointed by the Kansas motor carriers
association.
(b) Members of the task force shall be appointed by September 1,
2026. Any vacancy in the membership of the task force shall be filled
by appointment in the same manner prescribed by this section for the
original appointment.
(c) The chairperson of the senate committee on transportation or
the chairperson's designee and the chairperson of the house of
representatives committee on transportation or the chairperson's
designee shall serve as co-chairpersons of the task force.
(d) (1) Meetings of the task force shall be held in Topeka. The task
force may meet at any time upon call of either co-chairperson of the
task force. The first meeting of the task force shall be held on or before
December 15, 2026.
(2) A majority of voting members shall constitute a quorum of the
task force. All actions of the task force may be taken by a majority of
members present when there is a quorum.
(3) Members of the task force shall not receive compensation,
SENATE BILL No. 325—page 2
except that members of the legislature attending task force meetings
shall be paid compensation, travel expenses and subsistence expenses
or allowances as provided in K.S.A. 75-3212, and amendments thereto.
(4) 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.
(e) The vehicle services modernization task force shall:
(1) Evaluate vehicle services related to vehicle registrations and
titling provided by the division of vehicles, county treasurers and
contractors of the division of vehicles;
(2) make recommendations for methods to modernize such vehicle
services, including improvements to fee structures and payments,
procedures for such services and the technology needed to administer
such services;
(3) make recommendations for any statutory or regulatory changes
necessary for implementation of such modernization methods; and
(4) study, evaluate or make any other recommendations related to
vehicle services provided by state agencies or other entities on behalf of
the state.
(f) The task force shall prepare and submit a report on or before
January 10, 2028, to the senate committee on transportation and the
house of representatives committee on transportation concerning the
findings and recommendations of the task force pursuant to subsection
(e).
(g) The provisions of this section shall expire on January 31, 2028.
Sec. 2. K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 8-145 is hereby amended to read as
follows: 8-145. (a) All registration and certificates of title fees shall be
paid to the division of vehicles, a contractor of the division or the
county treasurer of the county in which the applicant for registration
resides or has an office or principal place of business within this state.
The division, contractor or the county treasurer shall issue a receipt to
the applicant for such fees paid.
(b) (1) The county treasurer, division or contractor shall deposit
$.75 out of each license application, $.75 out of each application for
transfer of license plate and $2 out of each application for a certificate
of title, collected under this act, in a special fund, which fund is hereby
appropriated for the use of the county treasurer, division or contractor
in paying for necessary help and expenses incidental to the
administration of duties in accordance with the provisions of this law.
The county treasurer shall receive extra compensation for the services
performed in administering the provisions of this act, which
compensation shall be in addition to any other compensation provided
by any other law, except that the county treasurer shall receive as
additional compensation for administering the motor vehicle title and
registration laws and fees, a sum computed as follows: The county
treasurer, during the month of December, shall determine the amount to
be retained for extra compensation not to exceed the following amounts
each year for calendar year 2006 or any calendar year thereafter: The
sum of $110 per hundred registrations for the first 5,000 registrations;
the sum of $90 per hundred registrations for the second 5,000
registrations; the sum of $5 per hundred for the third 5,000
registrations; and the sum of $2 per hundred registrations for all
registrations thereafter. In no event, however, shall any county treasurer
be entitled to receive more than $15,000 additional annual
compensation.
(2) If more than one person shall hold the office of county
treasurer during any one calendar year, such compensation shall be
prorated among such persons in proportion to the number of weeks
SENATE BILL No. 325—page 3
served. The total amount of compensation paid the treasurer together
with the amounts expended in paying for other necessary help and
expenses incidental to the administration of the duties of the county
treasurer in accordance with the provisions of this act, shall not exceed
the amount deposited in such special fund. Any balance remaining in
such fund at the close of any calendar year shall be withdrawn and
credited to the general fund of the county prior to June 1 of the
following calendar year.
(3) The special fund created for county treasurers pursuant to this
subsection shall be expended in accordance with any policies related to
expenditures for personnel or pay plans and other p urchasing policies
approved by the board of county commissioners.
(c) The county treasurer, division or contractor shall remit the
remainder of all such fees collected, together with the original copy of
all applications, to the secretary of revenue. The secretary of revenue
shall remit all such fees 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 state highway
fund, except as provided in subsection (d).
(d) (1) Three dollars and fifty cents of each certificate of title fee
collected and remitted to the secretary of revenue, shall be remitted to
the state treasurer who shall credit such $3.50 to the Kansas highway
patrol motor vehicle fund. Three dollars of each certificate of title fee
collected and remitted to the secretary of revenue, shall be remitted to
the state treasurer who shall credit such $3 to the VIPS/CAMA
technology hardware fund.
(2) For repossessed vehicles, $3 of each certificate of title fee
collected shall be retained by the contractor or county treasurer who
processed the application.
(3) Three dollars and fifty cents of each reassignment form fee
collected and remitted to the secretary of revenue, shall be remitted to
the state treasurer who shall credit such $3.50 to the Kansas highway
patrol motor vehicle fund. Three dollars of each reassignment form fee
collected and remitted to the secretary of revenue, shall be remitted to
the state treasurer who shall credit such $3 to the VIPS/CAMA
technology hardware fund.
(4) Four dollars of each division of vehicles modernization
surcharge collected and remitted to the secretary of revenue, shall be
remitted to the state treasurer who shall credit such $4 to the state
highway fund.
(5) Two dollars of each Kansas highway patrol staffing and
training surcharge collected and remitted to the secretary of revenue,
shall be remitted to the state treasurer who shall credit such $2 to the
Kansas highway patrol staffing and training fund.
(6) One dollar and twenty-five cents of each surcharge collected
and remitted to the secretary of revenue pursuant to K.S.A. 8-1,177,
and amendments thereto, shall be remitted to the state treasurer who
shall credit such $1.25 to the state general fund.
(7) Fees collected in K.S.A. 8-135 and 8-145, and amendments
thereto, that are collected by the division for commercial motor
vehicles or vehicles that are part of a commercial fleet, shall be
remitted to the state treasurer, who shall credit such amounts to the
commercial vehicle administrative fund.
(8) Fees collected in K.S.A. 8-135 and 8-145, and amendments
thereto, that are collected by the division for vehicles that are part of a
fleet rental pursuant to K.S.A. 8-1,189, and amendments thereto, shall
be remitted to the state treasurer, who shall credit such amounts to the
fleet rental vehicle administration fund.
SENATE BILL No. 325—page 4
(9) Fees collected in K.S.A. 8-143, and amendments thereto, for
those motorcycles that are all-electric motorcycles pursuant to K.S.A.
8-143(a)(3), and amendments thereto, for those motor vehicles that are
electric hybrid vehicles pursuant to K.S.A. 8-143(a)(4)(C), and
amendments thereto, for those motor vehicles that are plug-in electric
hybrid vehicles pursuant to K.S.A. 8-143(a)(4)(D), and amendments
thereto, for those motor vehicles that are all-electric vehicles pursuant
to K.S.A. 8-143(a)(4)(E), and amendments thereto, and for those truck
or truck tractors that are all-electric, an electric hybrid or a plug-in
electric hybrid with a gross weight of 12,000 pounds or less pursuant to
K.S.A. 8-143(b)(1), and amendments thereto, shall be remitted to the
state treasurer who shall credit to the state highway fund amounts
specified in K.S.A. 79-34,142, and amendments thereto, and amounts
specified in K.S.A. 79-34,142, and amendments thereto, to the special
city and county highway fund to be apportioned and distributed in the
manner provided in K.S.A. 79-3425c, and amendments thereto.
Sec. 3. K.S.A. 8-145d is hereby amended to read as follows: 8-
145d. (a) (1) In addition to the annual vehicle registration fees
prescribed by K.S.A. 8-143, 8-143b, 8-143c, 8-143g, 8-143h, 8-143i,
8-143l, 8-167, 8-172, 8-195, 8-1,103 and 8-1,108, and amendments
thereto, and K.S.A. 8-143l, and amendments thereto, any applicant for
vehicle registration or renewal thereof for registration shall pay a
service fee in the amount of $5 to the county treasurer, the division of
vehicles or a contractor of the division at the time of making such
application.
(2) (A) In addition to such service fee, the county treasurer may
charge any applicant for vehicle registration or renewal thereof for
registration, a registration transaction fee as follows: (1) In an amount
not to exceed $5 per vehicle registration or renewal thereof for
registration, when such application is made at a registration facility in a
county with multiple vehicle registration facilities as established by the
county treasurer; and (2) in an amount not to exceed $2.50 per vehicle
registration or renewal thereof for registration, when such application is
made at a registration facility in a county with a single vehicle
registration facility as established by the county treasurer in an amount
of not to exceed $5.
(B) From January 1, 2027, through December 31, 2029, upon
recommendation of a county treasurer and subject to approval by the
board of county commissioners, such transaction fee provided by
subparagraph (A) may be increased to an amount greater than $5 but
not more than $10. Any recommendation by a county treasurer for an
increased transaction fee shall be approved, rejected or modified by the
board of county commissioners on or before October 1 of the year
before such increased transaction fee shall take effect. All increases in
transaction fees approved by the board of county commissioners
pursuant to this subsection shall take effect on January 1 and remain in
effect for the entire calendar year. The provisions of this subparagraph
shall expire on January 1, 2030.
(C) On and after January 1, 2030, such transaction fee shall not
exceed $5 as provided in subparagraph (A).
(D) On or before January 10, 2028, the Kansas county treasurers
association shall submit a report to the senate committee on
transportation and the house of representatives committee on
transportation detailing the implementation of any transaction fee
increases pursuant to this subsection, the impact on county treasurer
budgets and the budget of the entire county, and the usage of any
increased transaction fees implemented by county treasurers, including
any improvements or achievements for customer service in vehicle
services transactions resulting from the increased revenue.
SENATE BILL No. 325—page 5
(b) The county treasurer, division or contractor shall deposit all
amounts received under this section in the special fund created pursuant
to K.S.A. 8-145, and amendments thereto, and such amounts shall be
used by the county treasurer, division or contractor for all purposes for
which such fund has been appropriated by law, and such additional
amounts are hereby appropriated as other amounts deposited in such
fund.
Sec. 4. K.S.A. 8-145d and K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 8-145 are hereby
repealed.
Sec. 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
I hereby certify that the above BILL originated in the
SENATE, and passed that body
__________________________
SENATE adopted
Conference Committee Report ________________
_________________________
President of the Senate.
_________________________
Secretary of the Senate.
Passed the HOUSE
as amended _________________________
HOUSE adopted
Conference Committee Report ________________
_________________________
Speaker of the House.
_________________________
Chief Clerk of the House.
APPROVED _____________________________
_________________________
Governor.