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Minutes for SB195 - Committee on Ways and Means
Short Title
Authorizing the children's cabinet to form a 501(c)(3) for fundraising for the Dolly Parton imagination library book gifting program.
Minutes Content for Wed, Feb 15, 2023
Chairperson Billinger opened the hearing on SB 195. David Wiese, Office of the Revisor of Statutes, provided an overview of the bill. (Attachment 10)
Melissa Rooker, Executive Director of the Children's Cabinet, spoke in support of the bill. The Cabinet is the state lead for this program and they have worked with entities across the state as sponsors. They are nine counties away from having a statewide program and there are currently 48,820 Kansas children signed up to receive books each month. The program is operating but not really in alignment with the Dollywood Foundation due to lack of the 501(c)(3) nonprofit designation. This would allow them to have the most beneficial postage rates and to foster public private partnership. Ms. Rooker responded to questions from Committee members. (Attachment 11)
Tanya Dorf Brunner, Oral Health Kansas, testified as a proponent of the bill. Oral Health Kansas has been supporting a Shawnee County program called the Brush Book Bed Program that helps create a healthy routine for children at bedtime. They can only afford to do a couple books for each child so they refer families to the Imagination Library to be able to continue to get new books. This bill would make the Brush Book Bed Program more successful. (Attachment 12)
Written only testimony in support of the bill was submitted by Nora Briggs, Executive Director of the Dollywood Foundation. (Attachment 13)
There being no further conferees, Chairperson Billinger closed the hearing on SB 195.
