Governor signs bill to promote energy efficiency in new buildings
Homebuilders, realtors and contractors to follow updated energy guidelines

While most drivers know the fuel efficiency of their vehicle, homes and businesses actually use more energy overall than do cars and trucks.  Yet most homeowners don’t know how energy efficient their home is.

A bill signed today by Governor Kathleen Sebelius will change that by requiring homebuyers to receive information about the energy efficiency of a house.  The bill also adopts energy efficiency standards for new commercial and industrial buildings.

“Of all the costs associated with owning a home, energy costs are often the most overlooked.  Now homebuyers will have an opportunity to see how energy efficient a house is before making a purchase,” said Sebelius.  “Additionally, the new standards for business and industry will help us meet our goal of reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.”

The bill, HB 2036, requires homebuilders or realtors to disclose information about the energy efficiency of new homes to potential homebuyers. This information must be made available prior to purchase, whenever the house is shown and at any other time upon request. This bill also updates the Kansas Energy Efficiency Disclosure form to provide homebuyers with information in a user-friendly format that allows for comparison with current international and national standards.

Finally, the bill adopts the 2006 International Energy Conservation Code as the energy efficiency standard for new commercial and industrial structures.

This bill was among 12 signed today by Governor Sebelius, all of which will go into effect after publication in the statute book. To date, Sebelius has signed 109 bills during the 2007 Legislative Session, and vetoed one.

Requiring purchase of flex-fuel vehicles by state agencies

SB 262 requires motor vehicles purchased by state agencies to be capable of using E85 fuel when that particular vehicle is available with an E85 engine and the cost of that vehicle is $250 or less than the cost of its standard-engine model. This provision does not apply to the purchase of diesel-fueled vehicles, vehicles purchased in conformity with federal requirements or vehicles purchased for the Kansas Highway Patrol.

Protecting service men and women from predatory insurance practices

Sub. for HB 2108 grants the Insurance Commissioner the authority to adopt rules and regulations to protect service members of the United States Armed Forces from dishonest and predatory insurance practices. The Insurance Commissioner may identify and declare certain practices to be false, misleading, deceptive or unfair. The rules and regulations adopted under the provisions of this bill would not apply to federal insurance programs.

Allowing second enrollment counts in schools with children of military personnel

HB 2159 allows school districts to conduct a second count of students who are dependents of full-time active members of the military service or dependents of the military reserve who have been ordered to active duty for at least 30 consecutive days. The additional counts will take place on February 20, 2008, and February 20, 2009.

Extending the sunset for recouping security costs for utilities

HB 2034 extends the sunset provision of the law that authorizes the Kansas Corporation Commission to allow electric and gas utilities to recover from their customers prudent expenditures for security measures.  The current statute was set to expire on July 1, 2007; the new sunset date is now July 1, 2011

Allowing the Adjutant General to hire non-military police and security forces

HB 2068 allows the Adjutant General to appoint security and TAG law enforcement officers to protect all National Guard property and equipment, wherever it may be located in the state, and for the protection of persons and property associated with the National Guard.  The TAG law enforcement officers appointed by the Adjutant General will be required to have successfully completed law enforcement training and certification.  They will have all of the general law enforcement powers, rights, privileges, protections and immunities when acting within such jurisdiction.  Previously, military police were utilized to secure the perimeter and interior of the National Guard Headquarters Complex, however many Guard units have been activated and deployed, decreasing available security personnel.

Land transfers among state agencies

HB 2539 authorizes the transfer of property by several state agencies:

• The Board of Regents will sell and convey, on behalf of Emporia State University, the Anderson Library in Emporia, as well as a 14-acre tract currently owned by Kansas State University, to the Kansas State University Foundation.
• The Kansas State Fair will transfer ownership of a 1.1 acre tract to the City of Hutchinson for water treatment purposes. If the City of Hutchinson ceases to use the property for water treatment purposes, ownership will return to the Kansas State Fair.
• The Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services will transfer the road adjacent to the Osawatomie State Hospital to the City of Osawatomie, which is a correction to the transfer between the state hospital and the city approved last year.

Changes to nursing licensure statutes

SB 105 changes the statutory language regarding license renewal notification by the Board of Nursing from “mail an application” to “send a notice”.  Additionally, the bill changes the statutory language concerning continuing education so specified licensees are no longer required to complete continuing nursing education for the first renewal period after licensure. Finally, the bill requires a licensee to notify the Board of Nursing, within 30 days, of any final conviction of those felonies and misdemeanors specified in rules and regulations to be promulgated by the Board.

Repealing of the 120 day non-licensed period for nurses

SB 106 repeals current law allowing graduates of approved nursing schools to practice nursing for up to 120 days prior to receiving the results of their first licensure examination. Advances in technology now provide immediate results of the licensure examination, thus removing the need for a waiting period.

Calculating life insurance reserves

SB 255 amends the Standard Valuation Law to provide for the use of lapse rates in the calculation of reserves for universal life insurance contracts issued after December 31, 2006. The allowance of lapse rates for calculation applies to contracts providing death benefits which remain in effect if the specified conditions in the contract are met by the contract owner. The lapse rates applied in the calculation of the value can exceed 2 percent per year.

Allowing the KCC to review natural gas exit cap related disputes

Sub. for SB 325 allows the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) to review disputes over access, service or abandonment of natural gas exit taps. The bill stipulates that the complaining party must meet certain requirements, such as the ability to acquire the system and certain financial criteria. To require service, the KCC will ensure the exit taps meet certain requirements set forth in the bill.

Maintaining IMPACT fund levels for future years

Sub. for SB 334 sets the amount currently available in the Investments in Major Projects and Comprehensive Training (IMPACT) fund as the standard amount from now on.  Previous projects which were offered IMPACT funds include the retention of the Applebee’s corporate headquarters in Lenexa, the continued expansion of Farmers Insurance in Olathe, the retention and expansion of the U.S. Postal Service’s encoding center in Wichita, the recruitment of Capital One’s corporate headquarters to Overland Park, the expansion of Hospira’s labs in McPherson, expansion of Cessna’s manufacturing operations in Independence, recruitment of Prescription Solutions’ pharmaceutical distribution center to Overland Park, recruitment of the Target distribution facility to Topeka and the expansion of Optima Bus manufacturing operations in the Wichita area.

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