HB 2344

 Session of 2025
                       HOUSE BILL No. 2344
          By Committee on Commerce, Labor and Economic Development
                     Requested by Representative Tarwater
                                     2-7
1 AN ACT concerning economic development; relating to international
2   trade; establishing the Kansas-Ireland trade commission to advance,
3   promote and encourage business and other mutually beneficial
4   activities between Kansas and Ireland; creating the Kansas-Ireland
5   trade commission fund.
6
7 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
8     Section 1. (a) There is hereby established the Kansas-Ireland trade
9 commission. The commission shall consist of 13 members as follows:
10     (1) The chairperson of the senate standing committee on commerce
11 and the chairperson of the house of representatives standing committee on
12 commerce, labor and economic development, as appointed by the
13 president of the senate and the speaker of the house of representatives,
14 respectively;
15     (2) two members of the senate, one of whom shall be appointed by
16 the president of the senate and one of whom shall be appointed by the
17 minority leader of the senate. The appointees shall have interest in the
18 well-being of trade relations between Kansas and Ireland and current or
19 past involvement in businesses engaged in international trade, preferably
20 with Ireland, or organizations that promote international trade or Irish
21 affairs; and
22     (3) two members of the house of representatives, one of whom shall
23 be appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives and one of
24 whom shall be appointed by the minority leader of the house of
25 representatives. The appointees shall have interest in the well-being of
26 trade relations between Kansas and Ireland and current or past
27 involvement in businesses engaged in international trade, preferably with
28 Ireland, or organizations that promote international trade or Irish affairs;
29     (4) six members, two of whom shall be selected by the governor, two
30 by the speaker of the house of representatives and two by the president of
31 the senate. The two members selected by the governor, speaker of the
32 house of representatives and president of the senate, respectively, shall
33 each be a representative of either:
34     (A) A Kansas postsecondary public education institution;
35     (B) the Irish American community in Kansas who is interested in
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1 furthering trade between Kansas and Ireland;
2     (C) a Kansas industry engaged in or seeking to engage in trade with
3 Ireland; or
4     (D) a Kansas business association, trade organization, economic
5 development organization or chamber of commerce currently engaged in
6 or interested in engaging in the furtherance of trade with Ireland; and
7     (5) the secretary of commerce or the secretary's designee who has
8 responsibilities with respect to international trade.
9     (b) No public postsecondary educational institution, industry,
10 business association, trade organization or chamber of commerce shall
11 have more than one representative serving as a member of the
12 commission. Not more than two representatives of the Kansas Irish
13 community shall serve on the commission and, if more than one such
14 representative is appointed to serve, such representatives shall not be
15 members of the same political party.
16     (c) (1) Legislative members shall serve for a term corresponding to
17 the two-year biennial legislative session in which they are appointed to the
18 council and remain members of the legislature to retain membership on the
19 council. Vacancies of legislative members shall be filled for the unexpired
20 portion of the term in the same manner as the original appointment. The
21 appointing authority for a legislative member may remove a member and
22 substitute such member with another appointee at any time. Legislative
23 members may be reappointed.
24     (2) All nonlegislative members shall serve a term of three years.
25 Vacancies of nonlegislative members shall be filled for the unexpired
26 portion of the term in the same manner as the original appointment. The
27 appointing authority for the nonlegislative member may remove a member
28 and substitute such member with another appointee at any time.
29 Nonlegislative members may be reappointed.
30     (d) Members of the commission attending meetings of such
31 commission or attending a subcommittee meeting thereof authorized by
32 such commission shall be paid compensation, subsistence allowances,
33 mileage and other expenses as provided in K.S.A. 75-3223, and
34 amendments thereto, for each day or part thereof in which such member
35 attended a meeting authorized by the commission. Members shall be
36 reimbursed for other necessary and reasonable expenses actually incurred
37 in the performance of the member's official duties. A members'
38 compensation and expenses incurred from the attendance at meetings of
39 the commission and any administrative expenses of the commission shall
40 be paid from any account of the state general fund of the department of
41 commerce as designated by the secretary of commerce.
42     (e) The commission shall hold meetings at least once each quarter.
43 Meetings shall be held in Topeka, Kansas, and at the call of the
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1 chairperson.
2     (f) A majority of the members of the commission shall constitute a
3 quorum for the transaction of the business of the commission.
4     (g) The chairperson of the house of representatives standing
5 committee on commerce, labor and economic development shall serve as
6 the chairperson of the council when first organized and for the ensuing two
7 years. The chairperson of the senate standing committee on commerce
8 shall serve as the chairperson of the council for the next succeeding two
9 years, and thereafter, the office of chairperson shall continue to alternate
10 between the chambers.
11     (h) The chairperson may appoint from among the commission
12 members subcommittees and subcommittee chairpersons.
13     (i) The commission shall keep records of all proceedings, which shall
14 be public and open to inspection.
15     (j) The staff of the office of revisor of statutes, the legislative research
16 department and the division of legislative administrative services shall
17 provide such assistance as may be requested by the chairperson.
18     Sec. 2. (a) The purpose of the Kansas-Ireland trade commission shall
19 be to advance, promote and encourage business and other mutually
20 beneficial activities between Kansas and Ireland, including:
21     (1) Bilateral trade and investment;
22     (2) joint action on policy issues of mutual interest;
23     (3) business and academic exchanges;
24     (4) mutual economic support;
25     (5) mutual investment in respective infrastructure; and
26     (6) other opportunities for mutual benefit and economic growth as
27 identified by the commission.
28     (b) The commission shall report findings, activities, results and
29 recommendations concerning subsection (a) to the governor and the
30 legislature within one year of the commission's initial meeting and by
31 February 1 of each succeeding year for the activities of the preceding
32 calendar year. The report shall be in writing and may include
33 recommendations or proposed legislation as deemed appropriate by the
34 commission to effectuate the commission's purpose.
35     (c) The Kansas-Ireland trade commission shall be authorized to raise
36 funds to carry out the purposes of the commission. Such funds may be
37 raised through direct solicitation or other fundraising events, either alone
38 or with other groups, and accept gifts, grants and bequests from
39 individuals, corporations, foundations, governmental agencies and public
40 and private organizations and institutions. All such funds, gifts, grants or
41 bequests received pursuant to this section shall be deposited in the Kansas-
42 Ireland trade commission fund established in section 4, and amendments
43 thereto, and all expenditures from such fund shall be for the purposes of
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1 the commission and upon the majority vote of the commission.
2    Sec. 3. (a) There is hereby established in the state treasury the
3 Kansas-Ireland trade commission fund which shall be administered by the
4 chairperson of the Kansas-Ireland trade commission or the chairperson's
5 designee. At the request of the chairperson, the secretary of commerce or
6 the secretary's designee shall serve as the designee of the chairperson with
7 respect to administration of the fund. All moneys received from any
8 private donation, gift, grant or bequest made to the commission for the
9 purposes of this act shall be remitted to the state treasurer in accordance
10 with the provisions of K.S.A. 75-4215, and amendments thereto. Upon
11 receipt of each such remittance, the state treasurer shall deposit the entire
12 amount in the state treasury to the credit of the Kansas-Ireland trade
13 commission fund. All expenditures from the Kansas-Ireland trade
14 commission fund shall be for furthering the purposes of the Kansas-Ireland
15 trade commission upon a majority vote of the commission and in
16 accordance with appropriation acts upon warrants of the director of
17 accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by the
18 chairperson of the Kansas-Ireland trade commission or the chairperson's
19 designee.
20    (b) On or before the 10th of each month, the director of accounts and
21 reports shall transfer from the state general fund to the Kansas-Ireland
22 trade commission fund interest earnings based on:
23    (1) The average daily balance of moneys in the Kansas-Ireland trade
24 commission fund for the preceding month; and
25    (2) the net earnings rate for the pooled money investment portfolio
26 for the preceding month.
27    Sec. 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
28 publication in the statute book.