AG Derek Schmidt, SOS Scott Schwab propose consolidation of charities regulation

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt and Secretary of State Scott Schwab will ask the Kansas Legislature to approve legislation reorganizing the state’s regulation of charitable organizations.

Under current law, the Secretary of State is responsible for administering the registration of charitable organizations, solicitors and fund raisers, while the Attorney General’s Office enforces violations of the charities statutes and prosecutes fraudulent solicitations. When the Legislature convenes next month, Schmidt and Schwab will recommend legislation consolidating registration and enforcement required by the Charitable Organizations and Solicitations Act in the Consumer Protection Division of the Office of the Attorney General.

“We think this is a basic good-government proposal,” Schmidt said. “It makes more sense to have a single agency responsible for both the registration of charities and enforcement of violations of the charities law. The current divided responsibility seems to be a case of ‘we’ve always done it that way,’ but we think we can do better and have a more-efficient system and that would benefit all Kansans.”

“We’re pleased our agencies collaborated to achieve this efficiency,” Schwab said. “Combining regulatory and enforcement responsibilities in a single agency is a commonsense and long overdue step. Donors and charitable organizations will benefit from streamlining charitable organization oversight."