April 03, 2006
Sebelius acts to protect Kansas seniors
Medicare drug plan providers required to register with Insurance Dept.
With thousands of Kansas seniors trying to decide which Medicare prescription drug plan is right for them, Governor Kathleen Sebelius today signed a law that will make sure prescription plans provide information to the Kansas Insurance Department.
“We have to make sure prescription plans operating in our state are acting in the best interests of Kansas seniors. I know from my time as insurance commissioner that, when it comes to consumer protection, information is critical,” said Sebelius.
SB 405 requires any stand-alone Medicare Part D prescription drug plan doing business in Kansas to register with the Kansas Insurance Department. This will allow the Department to obtain additional information about the plans and protect Kansas seniors.
The bill also allows the insurance commissioner to waive some requirements for plans, and accept different solvency standards than those in current law so as to accommodate federal standards. It also allows the commissioner to retain authority to review foreign companies’ certificates of authority. This bill will take effect upon publication in the statute book.
Today, the Governor also signed five other bills. Governor Sebelius has now signed into law 78 bills and vetoed two during the 2006 Legislative Session.
Rewarding service on a jury
SB 407 allows the board of county commissions to set juror compensation at an amount of not less than $10 but no more than $50 per day. Currently compensation is set at $10 per day across the state. This bill will take effect after publication in the statute book.
Amending the Kansas Air Quality Act
SB 361 expedites the appeals process for the issuance of Prevention of Significant Deterioration Construction Air Permits, variances and renewal for variances from emission standards by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. It provides that the Court of Appeals shall have original jurisdiction to review any agency final action. This bill will take effect after publication in the Kansas register.
Clarification on operation of Kansas Payment Center
SB 420 clarifies the standards for operation of the Kansas Payment Center set forth in statute. It creates a limited power of attorney permitting the KPC to endorse and deposit support checks payable to individual non-IV-D custodial parents or their successor in interest (in response to a 2005 Kansas Supreme Court case). It also directs that all payments received by the KPC that cannot be matched to any account or payee or returned to the payor shall be transferred to the State Treasurer as unclaimed property, unless the payment or a portion thereof is considered federal revenue, and then it will remain with SRS. Finally, it eliminates the sunset provision enacted in 1997. This bill will take effect after publication in the statute book.
Dept. of Ag to add additional fee for acquisition of federal phytosanitary certificates
SB 500 allows the Department of Agriculture to add any additional fee charged by the United States government for the acquisition of federal phytosanitary certificates. This bill will take effect after publication in the statute book.
Changing definition for “county roads”
SB 510 is a technical cleanup from the road classification statutes amended in 2005. It changes the definition of “county roads” to include certain federal aid classified routes as defined in the Code of Federal Regulations and make these roads and other urban roads eligible for federal aid should the county board of commissioners wish to use federal funds on these streets. This bill will take effect after publication in the statute book.
