2008 Senate Bill 417 (Funding the state rural housing program)

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• Introduced in the Senate on January 14, 2008, to provide $4 million each year from state gambling revenues to fund the existing Rural Housing Incentive District Program, initially targeting communities that suffered recent natural disasters, and expanding eligibility in 2011 to include all rural cities. Rural cities could designate an area as an "incentive district" without conducting a public hearing on the proposal, then the winning applicants would be chosen by a corporation created by the Kansas Development Finance Authority. For a city to be eligible to receive a grant, it would have to provide matching funds of at least 10 percent for infrastructure projects and at least 50 percent for any other type of projects. Grants could not exceed $50,000 for any single-family residence.
  • Referred to the Senate Ways and Means Committee on January 15, 2008.
    • Reported to the Senate on January 25, 2008, recommending the bill be passed as amended. Senate committee changes made the priority of natural disaster projects last only until 2010 and specified that the $4 million annual funding come from the State General Fund in 2008, then from new state casino revenues in subsequent years.
  • Amendment offered by Sen. Chris Steineger on January 29, 2008, to end the housing grant program and provide it no funding after June 2015. The amendment passed in the Senate by voice vote on January 29, 2008.
• Passed in the Senate (35 to 5) on January 30, 2008, to provide $4 million annual funding for the Rural Housing Incentive District Program, with subsidies focused first on rebuilding the damage from natural disasters, and with the program paid in its second and subsequent years from new state casino revenues. [Vote Details and Comments]
• Received in the House on February 1, 2008.
  • Referred to the House Appropriations Committee on February 4, 2008.
    • Reported to the House on March 27, 2008, recommending the bill be passed as amended. House committee amendments changed all the financing to come from the State General Fund and limited grant awards to $25,000 for single-family residences.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Mitch Holmes on April 1, 2008, to allow counties, as well as rural cities, to propose housing projects to be subsidized through this program. The amendment passed in the House by voice vote on April 1, 2008.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Dennis McKinney on April 1, 2008, to allow all cities to apply for project funding rather than just rural cities. The amendment passed in the House by voice vote on April 1, 2008.
  • Amendment offered by Rep. Lee Tafanelli on April 1, 2008, to delete an exemption from the public notice and hearing requirement for local housing projects. The amendment passed in the House by voice vote on April 1, 2008.
• Passed in the House (82 to 43) on April 2, 2008, to provide $4 million annual funding for the Rural Housing Incentive District Program, with subsidies focused first on rebuilding the damage from natural disasters, and with the program funded each year from the State General Fund. [Vote Details and Comments]
• Received in the Senate on April 2, 2008.
  • Motion by Sen. Dwayne Umbarger on April 2, 2008, to not approve the House version of the bill, but to send the bill to a conference committee to negotiate the two chambers' differences. The motion passed in the Senate by voice vote on April 2, 2008.
• Received in the Senate on April 3, 2008.
  • Motion by Sen. Dwayne Umbarger on April 3, 2008, to concur with the House-passed version of the bill.
• Passed in the Senate (34 to 5) on April 3, 2008, on the motion to concur with the House version of the bill, providing $4 million annual funding for the Rural Housing Incentive District Program with subsidies focused first on rebuilding the damage from natural disasters, and with the program funded each year from the State General Fund. Passage thereby forwards the bill to the governor for her consideration. [Vote Details and Comments]
• Signed by Gov. Kathleen Sebelius on April 18, 2008.

Comments

Introduced in the Senate on January 14, 2008. Passed in the Senate (35 to 5) on January 30, 2008. New Comment