§ 9-555 — Citation of act; definitions

(a) K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 9-555 through 9-596, and amendments thereto, shall be known and may be cited as the Kansas money transmission act.
(b) As used in the Kansas money transmission act:
(1) "Act" means the Kansas money transmission act.
(2) "Acting in concert" means persons knowingly acting together with a common goal of jointly acquiring control of a licensee whether or not pursuant to an express agreement.
(3) "Authorized delegate" means a person designated by a licensee to engage in money transmission on behalf of the licensee.
(4) "Average daily money transmission liability" means the amount of the licensee's outstanding money transmission obligations in Kansas at the end of each day in a given period of time added together and divided by the total number of days in the given period of time. For any licensee required to calculate "average daily money transmission liability" pursuant to this act, the given period of time shall be the calendar quarters ending March 31, June 30, September 30 and December 31.
(5) "Closed loop stored value" means stored value that is redeemable by the issuer only for goods or services provided by the issuer or the issuer's affiliates or franchisees of the issuer or the franchisees's affiliates, except to the extent required by applicable law to be redeemable in cash for its cash value.
(6) "Commissioner" means the state bank commissioner, or a person designated by the state bank commissioner to enforce this act.
(7) "Control" means the power to:
(A) Vote directly or indirectly at least 25% of the outstanding voting shares or voting interests of a licensee or person in control of a licensee;
(B) elect or appoint a majority of key individuals or executive officers, managers, directors, trustees or other persons exercising managerial authority of a person in control of a licensee; or
(C) exercise, directly or indirectly, a controlling influence over the management or policies of a licensee or person in control of a licensee.
(8) "Eligible rating" means a credit rating from any of the three highest rating categories provided by an eligible rating service. Each rating category may include rating category modifiers such as plus or minus for Standard & Poor or the equivalent for any other eligible rating service. "Eligible rating" shall be determined as follows:
(A) Long-term credit ratings shall be deemed eligible if the rating is equal to A- or higher by Standard & Poor or the equivalent from any other eligible rating service.
(B) Short-term credit ratings are deemed eligible if the rating is equal to or higher than A-2 or SP-2 by Standard & Poor or the equivalent from any other eligible rating service. If ratings differ among eligible rating services, the highest rating shall apply when determining whether a security bears an eligible rating.
(9) "Eligible rating service" means any nationally recognized statistical rating organization that has been registered by the securities and exchange commission or any organization designated by the commissioner through order or rules and regulations as an eligible rating service.
(10) "Federally insured depository financial institution" means a bank, credit union, savings and loan association, trust company, savings association, savings bank, industrial bank or industrial loan company organized under the laws of the United States or any state of the United States, when such bank, credit union, savings and loan association, trust company, savings association, savings bank, industrial bank or industrial loan company has federally insured deposits.
(11) "In Kansas" means the:
(A) Physical location of a person who is requesting a transaction in person in the state of Kansas; or
(B) person's residential address or the principal place of business for a person requesting a transaction electronically or by telephone if such residential address or principal place of business is in the state of Kansas.
(12) "Individual" means a natural person.
(13) "Key individual" means any individual ultimately responsible for establishing or directing policies and procedures of the licensee, including, but not limited to, an executive officer, manager, director or trustee.
(14) "Licensee" means a person licensed under this act.
(15) "Material litigation" means litigation, that according to United States generally accepted accounting principles, is significant to a person's financial health and would be a required disclosure in the person's annual audited financial statements, report to shareholders or similar records.
(16) "Money" means a medium of exchange that is authorized or adopted by the United States or a foreign government. "Money" includes a monetary unit of account established by an intergovernmental organization or by agreement between two or more governments.
(17) "Monetary value" means a medium of exchange, whether or not redeemable in money.
(18) (A) "Money transmission" means any of the following:
(i) Selling or issuing payment instruments to a person located in Kansas;
(ii) selling or issuing stored value to a person located in Kansas;
(iii) receiving money for transmission from a person located in Kansas; or
(iv) payroll processing services.
(B) "Money transmission" does not include the provision of solely online or telecommunications services or network access.
(19) "Money service business accredited state" means a state agency that is accredited by the conference of state bank supervisors and money transmitter regulators association for money transmission licensing and supervision.
(20) "Multistate licensing process" means any agreement entered into by state regulators relating to coordinated processing of applications for money transmission licenses, applications for the acquisition of control of a licensee, control determinations or notice and information requirements for a change of key individuals.
(21) "Nationwide multistate licensing system and registry" means a licensing system developed by the conference of state bank supervisors and the American association of residential mortgage regulators and owned and operated by the state regulatory registry, limited liability company or any successor or affiliated entity for the licensing and registration of persons in financial services industries.
(22) (A) "Outstanding money transmission obligation" means:
(i) Any payment instrument or stored value issued or sold by the licensee to a person located in the United States or reported as sold by an authorized delegate of the licensee to a person that is located in the United States that has not yet been paid or refunded by or for the licensee or escheated in accordance with applicable abandoned property laws; or
(ii) any money received for transmission by the licensee or an authorized delegate in the United States from a person located in the United States that has not been received by the payee or refunded to the sender or escheated in accordance with applicable abandoned property laws.
(B) "In the United States" includes a person in any state, territory or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, the commonwealth of Puerto Rico or a United States military installation that is located in a foreign country.
(23) "Passive investor" means a person that:
(A) Does not have the power to elect a majority of key individuals or executive officers, managers, directors, trustees or other persons exercising managerial authority of a person in control of a licensee;
(B) is not employed by and does not have any managerial duties of the licensee or person in control of a licensee; or
(C) does not have the power to exercise, directly or indirectly, a controlling influence over the management or policies of a licensee or person in control of a licensee; and
(D) (i) Either attests to subparagraphs (A), (B) and (C) in a form and in a manner prescribed by the commissioner; or
(ii) commits to the passivity characteristics of subparagraphs (A), (B) and (C) in a written document.
(24) (A) "Payment instrument" means a written or electronic check, draft, money order, traveler's check or other written or electronic instrument for the transmission or payment of money or monetary value, regardless of negotiability.
(B) "Payment instrument" does not include stored value or any instrument that is:
(i) Redeemable by the issuer only for goods or services provided by the issuer or the issuer's affiliate or franchisees of the issuer or the franchisees' affiliate, except to the extent required by applicable law to be redeemable in cash for its cash value; or
(ii) not sold to the public but issued and distributed as part of a loyalty, rewards or promotional program.
(25) "Payroll processing services" means the receipt of money for transmission pursuant to a contract with a person to deliver wages or salaries, make payment of payroll taxes to state and federal agencies, make payments relating to employee benefit plans or make distributions of other authorized deductions from wages or salaries. "Payroll processing services" does not include an employer performing payroll processing services on the employer's own behalf or on behalf of an affiliate.
(26) "Person" means any individual, general partnership, limited partnership, limited liability company, corporation, trust, association, joint stock corporation or other corporate entity identified or recognized by the commissioner.
(27) "Receiving money for transmission" or "money received for transmission" means the receipt of money or monetary value in the United States for transmission within or outside the United States by electronic or other means.
(28) "Stored value" means monetary value representing a claim against the issuer evidenced by an electronic or digital record and that is intended and accepted for use as a means of redemption for money or monetary value or payment for goods or services. "Stored value" includes, but is not limited to, prepaid access as defined by 31 C.F.R. § 1010.100. "Stored value" does not include a payment instrument or closed loop stored value or stored value not sold to the public but issued and distributed as part of a loyalty, rewards or promotional program.
(29) "Tangible net worth" means the aggregate assets of a licensee excluding all intangible assets, less liabilities, as determined in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles.
(c) This section shall take effect on and after January 1, 2025.

Legislative History

L. 2024, ch. 64, § 1; July 1.