13 March 2006

Governor signs bills on highway safety, small claims courts

An initiative aimed at improving highway safety and a change to rules governing small claims courts will both become law as a result of two bills signed today by Governor Kathleen Sebelius.

The first bill, SB 373, is designed to ensure unsafe motor carriers are not allowed on Kansas roads. It implements the federal Performance and Registration Information Systems Management project in Kansas.

The Kansas Department of Revenue will have the power to revoke or suspend the vehicle registration of commercial motor vehicles when PRISM notifies the state that the motor carrier responsible for a vehicle has been prohibited from operating in interstate commerce. The implementation of this initiative will be funded through grants from the federal government.

The second bill, HB 2609, amends the Small Claims Procedure Act by deleting language that conflicted with another part of state law. The deleted section is the requirement that the Office of Judicial Administration develop a form used to submit information related to small claims. The forms will continue to be posted on the Judicial Council web site and will also be included in a new Judicial Council Publication, Kansas Legal Forms, in the near future.

These two bills will take effect upon publication in the statute book. Governor Sebelius has now signed twelve bills in the 2006 Legislative Session and vetoed none.