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Bill Information
How do I download Adobe Acrobat Reader?
Acrobat Reader is a free software that lets you view and print
Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files. You will need to visit
the Adobe Web site. Adobe has easy to follow instructions on their
site, which will walk you through the rest of the process.
http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
Why are the bills presented in PDF format rather than HTML?
PDF format was selected due to the importance of preserving the
format and the data contained within the bills. Adobe PDF is a
universal file format that preserves all of the fonts, formatting,
colors, and graphics of any source document, regardless of the
application and platform used to create it. PDF files are compact
and can be shared, viewed, navigated, and printed exactly as intended by anyone
with a free Adobe Acrobat® Reader™. http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
What if I need an alternative version of the bills?
On October 26, 2000, ITEC passed ADA Guidelines
for the State of Kansas in Policy 1210.
The purpose was to establish the State of Kansas position
regarding accessibility requirements for public and inter/intra-agency
access to Web-based information available from Web sites for Kansas
State government agencies and organizations. We are moving forward
to complying with this policy and to assist our partners with
disabilities. In the meantime, if you need alternative versions
of the bills other than pdf, please contact Anthony Fadale, the
ADA Coordinator, at 785-296-3011.
Why is the PDF blank when I try to open it?
This is a known problem that Microsoft has identified with
their browser Internet Explorer. Details regarding this problem
may be found at:
Adobe Acrobat .pdf Files Appear as a Blank Window
Some other ideas we can suggest:
- Click on your refresh/reload button to see if the blank page
will appear.
- Right-click on the pdf link and choose "save target as"
to save the file on the hard drive.
- Open the saved file in Acrobat.
What if I'm experiencing problems with my current browser?
Here are some links for available browser upgrades.
How do I cut, copy and paste with Adobe Acrobat?
Many of you may only require specific parts of a legislative document.
If this bill is in a PDF format, you still have the ability to
select certain information and paste that into a word processing
document. The
Adobe Acrobat Reader
provides for an icon that allows you to select
the text that you desire and then allows for an icon to copy that
text. Once the text is copied you may paste that information into
your word processing document for further use. Please be aware
certain formatting issues may result in the transition of this
data.
Who do I contact for further information?
You can contact Kansas.gov with your technical
questions. If you need an alternative version of the bills, please
contact Anthony Fadale, the ADA Coordinator, at 785-296-3011 or via email
at anthony.fadale@state.ks.us
Why do I have to pay for some of the legislative information?
Kansas.gov
is a fee funded state agency that provides
electronic government to the citizens of Kansas. As a fee funded
agency, we do not receive any tax dollars and must totally fund
our operation through user fees. More than 95% of the information
on the legislative site is provided at no cost. However, there
are some applications that have a fee attached. Revenue collected
from these services are used to support the ongoing development
of the state's Internet applications.
I need a copy of a particular bill signed by the governor.
Where can I get it?
http://www.kslegislature.org/legsrv-bills/enrolledBills.do
Can find out how a legislator voted on a particular bill?
Yes; however, there are several steps involved in tracking this information.
-
- Find date and pate number of House/Senate journal where final action was taken.
- Using Single Bill Tracking, look up the full bill history of the bill. (Remember to
select the radio button Full History of the bill).
- Depending upon whether you are looking for a house or senate member's vote, find the
line that has final action for the appropriate chamber.
- Here is an example of how one entry might appear:
03/27/2003 S FA: Passed as am.; Yeas 39 Nays 0-SJ 404
- Make note of the date and the page number of the journal.
In the preceding example, the date is 3/27/2003, and the
page number is Senate Journal 404.
- Keep in mind that the entries may vary slightly depending upon the type
of final action that was taken or the type of vote you are looking for. Below are some examples:
FA: Final Action
EFA: Emergency Final Action
Adpt CCR: Adopt Conference Committee Report
Concurred: Concurred with the other chamber's amendments
- Go to the Journals, select House
or Senate and the date. A PDF document will be retrieved.
- Press Ctrl F, and in the Find box, type in the bill number to perform a search. If there were
several actions on the bill on that selected day, you might have to perform the search again, or check
the page number.
How can I track a bill?
Single Bill Tracking
is an application that allows users to follow the history of any
bill introduced to the Kansas Legislature. By entering a bill
number, the bill tracking application will provide you with either
a full history of the bill, or a summary of the last three actions
taken on the bill.
Can I track multiple bills at once?
Yes. Multi-Bill Tracking
is a subscriber-based application that allows users
to obtain the history of up to five bills at one time. By entering
the bill numbers, the multi-bill tracking application will provide
you with either a full history of the bills, or a summary of the
last three actions taken on the bills.
What are pre-filed bills?
Pre-filed Bills
are bills
that are written and published before the legislative session
begins so they may be introduced to the appropriate chamber once
the session has convened. Pre-filed bills are just like regular
bills introduced throughout the session in every other way.
What is a bill history?
A bill history is a brief summary of all actions that have been
taken on that particular bill since its introduction to the legislature.
This includes all actions taken by the House or Senate, any committee
actions and any actions taken by the Governor. In addition, histories
may also show any actions taken by the legislative staff.
How do I obtain a list of the bills introduced the previous day?
The bill number and title are published in the current day's House/Senate
calendar under Reference of Bills. They are also published in the previous
day's House/Senate journal under Introduction of Bills.
When are the bills updated?
Bills are released from the state printing office on a daily basis.
A bill will show up on this site one business day after it is
introduced into the legislature. The majority of the time, these
bills will be available by 8:00 a.m. that morning. If a bill isn't
available by that time on the following business day, please contact
our Help Center.
What is "Email A Bill Link?"
Email A Bill Link is a feature that allows you to send anyone a link to a Kansas
legislative bill through email. You also have the option to include your comments
about the bill in your email. This feature is available only with enrolled bills,
vetoed bills and full text of bills (excluding keyword search). It does not
include bill tracking or history.
To use the Email a Bill feature, you must search by bill number. Once links to bills
are displayed, there will be a corresponding "Email this Bill" link. Click the "Email this
Bill" link and enter the recipient's email address, your name and your email address. Then
click Send this Link. Your recipient will receive the link to the bill, along with
your comments, in an email.
How do I indicate a change has been made to a bill?
Fonts indicate changes made to bills and resolutions as they pass through the House of Representatives and the Senate. Each different font style on the pdf indicates a specific type of change that was made to that item. To learn more, check out the font description page at http://www.kslegislature.org/legsrv-bills/showFonts.do
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