Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas House Bill HB2344

Introduced
2/7/25  

Caption

Establishing the Kansas-Ireland trade commission to advance, promote and encourage business and other mutually beneficial activities between Kansas and Ireland and creating the Kansas-Ireland trade commission fund.

Summary

HB2344 establishes the Kansas-Ireland Trade Commission as a new state commission focused on strengthening economic and cultural ties between Kansas and Ireland. The commission would be made up of 13 members, including legislative leaders, legislators from both chambers, representatives of the governor and legislative leaders, and the secretary of commerce or designee. Membership is designed to include people with experience or interest in international trade, Irish affairs, Kansas industry, higher education, chambers of commerce, and the Irish American community. The commission’s stated purpose is to advance and encourage bilateral trade and investment, business and academic exchanges, policy coordination on shared issues, mutual economic support, and other opportunities for economic growth. It must meet at least quarterly, keep public records, and submit an annual report to the governor and legislature with findings, activities, recommendations, and any proposed legislation it deems appropriate. The bill also authorizes the commission to raise money through donations, grants, bequests, and fundraising events to support its work.

Impact

The bill would add a new state entity to Kansas law and create a dedicated Kansas-Ireland Trade Commission Fund in the state treasury. It also directs how the commission is staffed, how members are appointed and reimbursed, how meetings are conducted, and how money in the fund is deposited, administered, and spent. The Department of Commerce would play a central role in administering expenses and assisting the commission, and the bill would allow the commission to receive private and public contributions for its activities.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes in the provided materials, the overall tone appears supportive and promotional rather than controversial. The measure is framed as an economic development initiative intended to expand trade and cooperation with Ireland, and its structure suggests bipartisan and cross-sector participation. No formal opposition, amendments, or recorded vote outcomes are included in the available context.

Contention

The main potential points of contention are likely to be the creation of a new commission and the associated public administrative costs, including member compensation, travel, and support expenses paid from the Department of Commerce’s general fund account. Another possible issue is the commission’s authority to solicit and accept outside funds, which may raise questions about oversight and influence, though the bill requires deposits into a state fund and majority approval for expenditures. Because no committee transcript or vote record is provided, there is no documented disagreement in the available materials about these issues.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

KS HB2002

Expanding medical assistance eligibility and enacting the cutting healthcare costs for all Kansans act.

KS SCR1602

Approving the creation of a port authority in Wyandotte County Kansas.

KS SR1702

A resolution honoring the life, career and trailblazing achievements of Kansas icon Ed Dwight.

KS SCR1604

Proposing to amend section 1 of article 11 of the constitution of the state of Kansas to limit property tax valuation increases for real property and personal property mobile homes.

KS SCR1603

Proposing to amend section 1 of article 11 of the constitution of the state of Kansas to limit property tax valuation increases for residential property.

KS SB1

Modifying income tax rates for individuals, exempting all social security benefits from Kansas income tax, increasing the Kansas standard deduction and the Kansas personal exemption, increasing the income tax credit amount for household and dependent care expenses, decreasing the privilege tax normal tax, excluding internal revenue code section 1031 exchange transactions as indicators of fair market value for property tax valuation purposes, increasing the extent of property tax exemption for residential property from the statewide school levy, providing for certain transfers to the state school district finance fund and abolishing the local ad valorem tax reduction fund and the county and city revenue sharing fund.

KS HB2001

Authorizing the secretary of commerce to enter into agreements with major professional sports franchises to establish STAR bond projects for a major professional sports complex, providing for additional revenue sources, expanding the powers and discretion of the secretary and making other changes to the STAR bonds financing act to facilitate such projects, limiting the secretary’s authority to approve such projects to one year unless extended by the legislative coordinating council, authorizing the Kansas development finance authority to issue STAR bonds for such projects, transferring funds under certain circumstances from the state gaming revenues fund to the attracting professional sports to Kansas fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, and, if approved by the legislative coordinating council, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026.

KS SB8

Exempting the sale of firearms, firearms accessories, ammunition, firearm safes and firearm safety devices from the retatilers' sales tax.

KS SB2

Eliminating the income limit to qualify for the subtraction modification exempting social security benefits, increasing the income tax credit amount for household and dependent care expenses, establishing the veterans' valor property tax relief act providing for an income tax credit or refund for eligible individuals, citing the increased property tax homestead refund claim section as the homeowners' property tax freeze program, decreasing the normal privilege tax rate, increasing the extent of property tax exemption for residential property from the statewide school levy, decreasing the rate of ad valorem tax imposed by a school district; providing for certain transfers to the state school district finance fund, reducing the state rate of tax on sales of food and food ingredients and modifying the percent credited to the state highway fund from revenue collected.

KS HB2003

Establishing the veterans' valor property tax relief act providing for an income tax credit or refund for eligible individuals, modifying the definition of household income and increasing the appraised value threshold for eligibility of seniors and disabled veterans related to increased property tax claims and citing the section as the homeowners' property tax freeze program, providing property tax exemptions for certain personal property including watercraft, marine equipment, off-road vehicles, motorized bicycles and certain trailers, excluding internal revenue code section 1031 exchange transactions as indicators of fair market value, providing for certain exclusions from the prohibition of paying taxes under protest after a valuation notice appeal and providing four prior years' values on the annual valuation notice.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.