§ 46-2801 — J. Russell (Russ) Jennings joint committee on corrections and juvenile justice oversight; membership; duties and functions

(a) There is hereby created the joint committee on corrections and juvenile justice oversight. On and after July 1, 2023, such committee shall be named the J. Russell (Russ) Jennings joint committee on corrections and juvenile justice oversight. The joint committee shall be within the legislative branch of state government and shall be composed of not more than seven members of the senate and seven members of the house of representatives.
(b) The senate members shall be appointed by the president and the minority leader. The two major political parties shall have proportional representation on such committee. In the event application of the preceding sentence results in a fraction, the party having a fraction exceeding 0.5 shall receive representation as though such fraction were a whole number.
(c) The seven representative members shall be appointed as follows:
(1) Two members shall be members of the majority party who are members of the house committee on appropriations and shall be appointed by the speaker;
(2) two members shall be members of the majority party who are members of the house committee on judiciary and shall be appointed by the speaker; and
(3) three members shall be members of the minority party who are members of the house committee on appropriations or the house committee on judiciary and shall be appointed by the minority leader.
(d) Any vacancy in the membership of the joint committee shall be filled by appointment in the manner prescribed by this section for the original appointment.
(e) All members of the joint committee shall serve for terms ending on the first day of the regular legislative session in odd-numbered years. The joint committee shall organize annually and elect a chairperson and vice-chairperson in accordance with this subsection. During odd-numbered years, the chairperson shall be one of the representative members of the joint committee elected by the members of the joint committee and the vice-chairperson shall be one of the senate members elected by the members of the joint committee. During even-numbered years, the chairperson shall be one of the senate members of the joint committee elected by the members of the joint committee and the vice-chairperson shall be one of the representative members of the joint committee elected by the members of the joint committee. The vice-chairperson shall exercise all of the powers of the chairperson in the absence of the chairperson. If a vacancy occurs in the office of chairperson or vice-chairperson, a member of the joint committee, who is a member of the same house as the member who vacated the office, shall be elected by the members of the joint committee to fill such vacancy.
(f) A quorum of the joint committee shall be eight. All actions of the joint committee shall be by motion adopted by a majority of those present when there is a quorum.
(g) The joint committee may meet at any time and at any place within the state on the call of the chairperson, vice-chairperson and ranking minority member of the house of representatives when the chairperson is a representative or of the senate when the chairperson is a senator.
(h) The provisions of article 12 of chapter 46 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, and amendments thereto, applicable to special committees shall apply to the joint committee to the extent that such provisions do not conflict with the specific provisions of this section applicable to the joint committee.
(i) In accordance with K.S.A. 46-1204, and amendments thereto, the legislative coordinating council may provide for such professional services as may be requested by the joint committee.
(j) The joint committee may introduce such legislation as it deems necessary in performing its functions.
(k) In addition to other powers and duties authorized or prescribed by law or by the legislative coordinating council, the joint committee shall:
(1) Monitor the inmate population and review and study the programs, activities and plans of the department of corrections regarding the duties of the department of corrections that are prescribed by statute, including the implementation of expansion projects, the operation of correctional, food service and other programs for inmates, community corrections, parole and the condition and operation of the correctional institutions and other facilities under the control and supervision of the department of corrections;
(2) monitor the implementation of juvenile justice reform and the work of the juvenile justice oversight committee created in K.S.A. 75-52,161, and amendments thereto, including the responsibility for the care, custody, control and rehabilitation of juvenile offenders and the condition and operation of the state juvenile correctional facilities;
(3) review and study the adult correctional programs and activities and facilities of counties, cities and other local governmental entities, including the programs and activities of private entities operating community correctional programs and facilities and the condition and operation of jails and other local governmental facilities for the incarceration of adult offenders;
(4) review and study the juvenile offender programs and activities and facilities of counties, cities, school districts and other local governmental entities, including programs for the reduction and prevention of juvenile crime and delinquency, the programs and activities of private entities operating community juvenile programs and facilities and the condition and operation of local governmental residential or custodial facilities for the care, treatment or training of juvenile offenders; and
(5) make an annual report to the legislative coordinating council as provided in K.S.A. 46-1207, and amendments thereto, and such special reports to committees of the house of representatives and senate as are deemed appropriate by the joint committee.

Legislative History

L. 1997, ch. 156, § 114; L. 1999, ch. 156, § 21; L. 2003, ch. 27, § 1; L. 2006, ch. 193, § 2; L. 2014, ch. 115, § 197; L. 2023, ch. 21, § 1; July 1.