Summary#
HCR-5036 is an enacted Kansas concurrent resolution that set a temporary adjournment schedule for the House and Senate. It required both chambers to adjourn after the March 27, 2026, session and reconvene on April 9, 2026; its stated purpose is to provide for that adjournment.
- The House and Senate had to adjourn together for the stated period.
- The Chief Clerk of the House, the Secretary of the Senate, and employees selected by the Director of Legislative Administrative Services had to attend to their duties each day during the adjournment, except Sundays. Their work included receiving messages from the Governor and conducting other required business.
- Legislators generally could not receive subsistence allowances (payments for living costs) for days during the adjournment when both chambers were adjourned for more than two days, except Sundays.
- Legislators attending specified committee meetings, or other legislative meetings authorized in the ways listed in the resolution, could receive travel expenses and subsistence allowances as provided by law.
What it means for you#
- Legislators: The resolution limited subsistence allowances during the adjournment, but allowed travel expenses and subsistence for the specified meetings and other meetings that met its authorization conditions.
- Legislative staff: The named officers and selected employees had to keep working during the adjournment, except Sundays.
- Kansas residents: The resolution set a temporary schedule and staff duties. It does not directly change residents’ rights, taxes, or public services.
Money#
No cost estimate is in the supplied material.
- The resolution requires certain legislative staff to attend to their duties during the adjournment, but gives no staffing cost or estimate.
- It limits subsistence allowances for legislators on most covered adjournment days, while allowing expenses and allowances for qualifying meetings.
- It does not provide an estimate of the net effect on public spending. The underlying rules and amounts in the law it cites were not supplied.
What is unclear#
- The resolution does not name the additional employees selected by the Director of Legislative Administrative Services.
- “Other business as may be required” is not specified.
- The resolution refers to existing law for travel expenses and subsistence allowances, but the supplied material does not show the amounts or other rules under that law.
- It does not explain how the effect on total spending was calculated.
Case for#
- The resolution set a clear adjournment and reconvening date for both chambers.
- Requiring designated staff to remain available could allow the Legislature to receive messages from the Governor and handle other required business while the chambers were adjourned.
- Limiting subsistence allowances during the adjournment could reduce payments for days when legislators were not attending qualifying meetings.
Case against#
- The resolution requires staff work during the adjournment but gives no estimate of the cost or the number of employees involved.
- It allows expenses and allowances for several kinds of meetings, including other meetings authorized by specified officials, without setting further limits in the resolution.
- The resolution does not explain what counts as “other business” or how the meeting exceptions would be applied.