Chairperson Smith opened the hearing for HB2474.

Adam Siebers, Office of Revisor of Statutes, provided an overview for HB2474. (Attachment 1)  Mr. Siebers stood for questions from Committee members.

Chairperson Smith noted there is no fiscal effect on state and local property tax revenues.

Proponents:

Representative Schwertfeger, Kansas House 114th District, testified as a proponent for HB2474 requesting a reasonable regulatory relief policy mechanism to be built within Kansas statutes due to reduction of property tax revenues in House District 114 over the last 3 year span. He noted there was an underground gas storage facility that decided to change and update their record assets in underground storage equipment to another location in Kansas which represented a valuation shift and loss of over $1.0 million in tax revenue which caused an economic hardship. (Attachment 2)  Representative Schwertfeger stood for questions from Committee members.

Kelly Arnberger, USD 332, Cunningham, testified as a proponent for HB2474 noting utilities that utilize resources and space in Kansas should shoulder an appropriate burden to ensure the needs of local citizens are met instead of increasing the personal property.  He stated the financial report for taxing unit in Pratt county shows the valuation dropped over the past two years by approximately 70.0 percent which is due to one company. Ms. Arnberger provided numbers regarding the assessed valuations in the community as they relate to USD 332. (Attachment 3)   Doctor Arnberger stood for questions from the Committee.

Opponent:

Written only opponent testimony was submitted by Darin Miller, Vice President, AT&T, Kansas, (Attachment 4)

There being no further conferees, Chairperson Smith closed the hearing for HB2474.