The Kansas State Finance Council (SFC) is a joint executive-legislative body that handles certain fiscal and administrative matters, primarily when the Legislature is not in session. It was created by statute (K.S.A. 75-3708) and serves as a mechanism for limited legislative delegation of authority over specific budget, expenditure, and related actions.
Membership and Structure
The Council has nine members:
- The Governor (who serves as chairperson)
- President of the Senate
- Speaker of the House of Representatives
- Majority Floor Leader of the Senate
- Minority Floor Leader of the Senate
- Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Ways and Means
- Majority Floor Leader of the House of Representatives
- Minority Floor Leader of the House of Representatives
- Chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations
The Secretary of Administration serves as the non-voting secretary of the Council (responsible for administrative support, such as preparing minutes and agendas) but is not a member.
A quorum requires the chairperson plus five or more other members. Approval of most matters requires the Governor’s approval plus a majority vote of the legislative members (typically five of the eight legislative votes), unless a statute or budget proviso requires a higher threshold (e.g., unanimous vote or six legislative votes).
Primary Duties and Powers
The SFC acts on matters that statutes characterize as legislative delegations. These are generally exercised only when the Legislature is not in session (with some exceptions authorized by law or proviso). Key functions include:
- Increasing expenditure limitations on special revenue funds imposed by legislative act.
- Granting approval for state agencies to receive, spend, or transfer federal grants, funds from other sources, or interagency moneys (under K.S.A. 75-3711a and related provisions), when not otherwise specifically authorized by law.
- Exercising functions related to the State Emergency Fund (including allocations and expenditures for emergencies or extraordinary circumstances, such as weather-related disasters; certain actions require a unanimous vote of the full Council under K.S.A. 75-3713).
- Increasing limitations on expenditures from reappropriated balances in State General Fund accounts.
- Increasing limitations on the number of personnel positions paid from appropriations.
- Other specific statutory functions, such as those related to certificates of indebtedness (K.S.A. 75-3725a, which requires six affirmative legislative votes plus the Governor), certain disaster-related or emergency management actions (e.g., under K.S.A. 48-938), and other matters expressly delegated by statute or budget provisos.
- Approving specific distributions or allocations directed by the Legislature (common recent examples include implementing state employee pay plans by determining agency-by-agency amounts, or approving certain university/regents funding distributions or bond-related actions when required by proviso).
The Governor separately handles certain related executive functions (such as appeals from decisions of the Secretary of Administration, approval of some Department of Administration rules and regulations, and allocations for unanticipated needs under specific guidelines). Matters not characterized as legislative delegations are generally handled by the Governor rather than the full Council.
Operational Notes
- The Council meets upon the call of the chairperson (Governor) as needed.
- Legislative members receive compensation and expense allowances for attendance.
- Notice, agendas, and minutes are provided to members and made available through legislative channels (including notice to all legislators via the Director of Legislative Administrative Services).
- It frequently addresses interim fiscal adjustments, federal fund approvals, emergency expenditures, and implementation details of budget actions that the full Legislature has authorized but left for further refinement.
In practice, the SFC provides a streamlined way for legislative leaders and the Governor to address time-sensitive fiscal matters between regular sessions while maintaining bipartisan legislative involvement (via majority and minority leaders plus the main budget committee chairs). Exact items on any agenda depend on current statutes, appropriations bills, and emerging needs. For the most current statutory details, consult K.S.A. 75-3708, 75-3711, 75-3711c, and related sections, along with recent budget bills and meeting materials from the Kansas Legislature.
