Q. What are K.A.R.s?

A. Regulations are enacted by an agency to implement or interpret legislation. Statutory requirements for filing administrative regulations are found in the rules and regulations filing act, K.S.A. 77-415 et seq. All Kansas Administrative Regulations (K.A.R.s) are filed in the Secretary of State’s office. We publish the regulations in the Kansas Register (the state’s official newspaper) and in the online K.A.R.

Q. How are K.A.R.s filed?

A. A state agency must take a number of steps in order to file regulations. Each agency is given authority via statute to enact rules and regulations. The agency writes the regulations. Then, depending on if the regulations are federally mandated and how much the regulation will cost to implement, the regulation must be submitted for two to three approvals. Each regulation must be submitted to the Department of Administration for grammar, spelling and organization and to the Attorney General’s office for legality. Other regulations will need to receive a third approval from the Director of the Budget. The Secretary of State’s office files and publishes the final rules and regulations.

Proposed rules and regulations and a hearing notice are submitted to the Secretary of State’s office for publication of the hearing notice in the Kansas Register. An agency emails kssos.regulations@ks.gov the following:

• one Microsoft Word version of the notice of hearing on the proposed regulation(s),
• one PDF or copy of the stamped proposed regulation(s),
• one PDF or copy of the economic impact statement stamped by the Director of the Budget (if required), and
• one PDF or copy of the environmental benefit statement (if applicable).

The notice must be published in the Kansas Register at least 60 days prior to the date of the hearing. The agency may receive comments during this notice period and may make revisions to the regulations as a result of those comments. When the agency is satisfied that the regulations are in the proper final form, it adopts and files the regulations. To file the adopted regulations with our office the agency sends us:

• the original certificate of adoption or certified roll call vote,
• the original and one copy of the approved and adopted regulations,
• the economic impact statement updated with the time, date, location, and number of people in attendance at the public hearing, and
• the final “clean” version of the regulations with stricken language and underlining removed in Microsoft Word format emailed to kssos.regulations@ks.gov.

If all requirements are met, the regulations are published in the Kansas Register and become effective 15 days after publication, unless a later date is specified in the body of the regulation.

For more detailed information regarding the filing of administrative regulations, please see the Department of Administration’s Policy and Procedure Manual for the filing of Kansas Administrative Regulations.

Q. How do I find the current version of a regulation?

A. The most current version of all adopted regulations filed in the Secretary of State's office can be found in the online K.A.R. All new, amended, or revoked regulations filed in the Secretary of State's office are published in the Kansas Register before being incorporated into the online K.A.R. An index of regulations adopted and published in the Register with future effective dates is updated weekly and refers the reader to the volume and issue of the Register in which the regulation can be found.

Q. How do I access the K.A.R.s online?

A. Effective temporary and permanent Kansas Administrative Regulations can be accessed on the online K.A.R. page. The regulations may be searched by agency, article, regulation number, or keyword(s). Online K.A.R. users also have the option to view proposed regulations currently open for comment, to subscribe to receive notifications of proposed permanent regulation changes, or to view adopted regulations with a future effective date.

Q. How do I find proposed regulations currently open for comment?

A. Please click here to go to a new page listing proposed regulations currently open for comment with a Notice of Public Hearing on Proposed Kansas Administrative Regulations on file with the Secretary of State and published in the Kansas Register. You will be able to view a PDF of the notice of hearing, proposed regulations, and economic impact statements and will have the option of emailing comments to the agency administering the regulations.

Q. How do I subscribe to receive notifications of proposed regulation changes?

A. Please click here and enter your email address to access a page that allows you to subscribe to receive notification of proposed regulation changes for one or multiple agencies.

Q. Who do I contact for additional information?

A. If you have additional questions, contact the Administrative Regulations and Publications Director at 785-296-2665 or via email at kssos.regulations@ks.gov.

Q. What is the Kansas Register?

A. The Kansas Register is the official state newspaper of Kansas. This weekly journal contains everything from new state laws being enacted to various public notices. Other items available in the Kansas Register include:

• Notices of hearings on proposed administrative regulations of state agencies
• Full text of newly adopted administrative regulations
• Meeting schedule of legislative interim committees
• Legislative bills and resolutions introduced
• Monthly list of forfeited corporations
• Summaries of Attorney General’s opinions
• Notices of municipal bond sales/redemptions
• Invitations for bids/requests for proposals
• Notices to bidders for state purchases
• Requests for architectural and engineering services
• Governmental Ethics Commission advisory opinions
• Governor’s Executive Orders and Executive Directives
• Many other legal and public notices/announcements

Q. When is the Kansas Register published?

A. The Kansas Register is published every Thursday, 52 weeks a year.

Q. How do I access the Kansas Register online?

A. Current and past issues are available in HTML and PDF format on the Kansas Register page.

Q. How do I submit items for the Kansas Register?

A. Items should be emailed as an attachment in Microsoft Word to kansasregister@ks.gov. Please include a billing address, contact person, phone number and desired publication date in the email message, or attach a Kansas Register submission form.

Submissions for the Kansas Register are due one week prior to the desired publication date (subject to change around holidays).

Q. What does it cost to publish an item in the Kansas Register?

A. The price for publishing in the Kansas Register is $7 per column inch or portion thereof. You will be billed after publication. Affidavits of publication are available upon request. If you have questions concerning price, contact the Kansas Register Editor at 785-368-8095 or via email at kansasregister@ks.gov.

Q. Who do I contact for additional questions?

A. If you have additional questions, contact the Kansas Register Editor at 785-368-8095 or via email at kansasregister@ks.gov.

Q. What are Kansas Statutes Annotated (K.S.A.)?

A. The Kansas Statutes are laws passed by the Legislature.

Q. How do I obtain K.S.A.s?

A. Statutes are published by the Kansas Revisor of Statutes but distributed by our office. To place an order for K.S.A.s, contact our Publications Division at 785-296-BOOK (2665) or use Order Form LS. You may mail the form with payment to the Secretary of State’s Office, Attn: Publications Division, Memorial Hall, 1st Floor, 120 SW 10th Ave., Topeka, KS 66612-1594.

Q. Can I access statutes online?

A. The Kansas Statutes are available on the Kansas Legislature website and on the Revisor of Statutes website.

Q. What are Kansas Session Laws?

A. Enacted bills are published in the Session Laws of Kansas. Generally, the new laws become effective July 1 of each year.

Q. How do I obtain the Session Laws?

A. To place an order for Session Laws, contact our Publications Division at 785-296-BOOK (2665) or use Order Form LS. You may mail the form with payment to the Secretary of State’s Office, Attn: Publications Division, Memorial Hall, 1st Floor, 120 SW 10th Ave., Topeka, KS 66612-1594.

Q. Can I access Session Laws online?

A. Session Laws can be accessed on the Secretary of State’s website at the Session Laws main page. Archived Session Laws can be found on the Kansas Legislature website.

Q. Who do I contact for additional information?

A. If you have additional questions, contact the Administrative Regulations and Publications Director at 785-296-0082, or via email at sos_lawbooks@ks.gov.