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"I would like to offer comments on STAR Bonds and Senate Bill 434. ... The language modifies and limits the definition of"project costs" to those costs necessary to implement the tourist attraction component of a project. ... Bill adds a prohibition against using STAR Bonds to pay for ingress and egress roads to the tourist attraction. ... Places significant restrictions on the types of retail in a District. ... Caps the state's investment in a STAR Bond project dependent on the amount of local investment. ... The impact of all of these proposed changes could be significant as many of the pending projects listed above are nearing completion. ... In order to clarify legislative intent, it is suggested the references to the term "approved" be fully defined and clarify if the language is applicable to existing projects."

Written testimony regarding SB 474, "which authorizes the state finance council to approve the sale of the Kansas Bioscience Authority and its assets as a designee of the Kansas Legislature. SB 474 was amended in the Senate Committee of the Whole to incorporate important STAR Bonds reforms based on the "Ten Points for STAR Bonds Reform Memorandum" that was submitted as testimony in [the] House Committee on Taxation hearing on HB 2738."

Neutral testimony regarding HB 2738, "which would enact reforms to STAR Bonds. ... I have developed Ten Points for STAR Bond Reform that may serve as a guide to enact reform legislation."

Testimony in support of SB 295. "The agency is in favor of this addition to the eligible categories for the Community Service Program. We have observed an increase in particular types of projects proposed by local non-profits and we believe this change is necessary in order to adequately address those projects. ... The consistent increase in the number of projects proposed, dealing with technical education and housing, has led to our support for this change."

Testimony in support of HB 2417. "The Department of Commerce supports this small expansion of the Rural Opportunity Zones program. This expansion would add three counties well-positioned to take advantage of this unique tool, and it could help Cherokee, Montgomery, Sumner and Labette Counties to develop a competitive advantage over adjacent counties in Oklahoma and Missouri."

Testimony in support of HB 2722. "The Rural Housing Incentive District (RHID) Act provides a program ... that assists in the financing of public improvements to support cities and developers who are building housing in rural communities. ... HB 2722 makes a technical change clarifying that school districts located in RHIDs have the discretion to allow the incremental increase of revenue generated from the statutory 20-mill uniform school levy to be used to pay for the principal and interest on bonds issued for the RHID and for eligible project costs incurred by local governments."

Testimony in support of HB 2086, "which offers a technical change to the Tax Increment Financing (TIF) and Community Improvement District (CID) statutes. This will allow the underlying program to be better utilized by local units of government to increase economic development in Kansas and create more jobs."