Kansas Bills

SB 227 modifies Kansas's tax credit for historic building restoration by creating tiered credit rates based on city population size and project cost. Property owners restoring historic structures in cities with under 50,000 residents receive a 40% credit for projects costing $5,000 or more, while larger cities offer 25-30% credits. The bill also allows taxpayers to transfer unused credits to other entities and carry forward excess credits for up to five years. This directly affects property owners, developers, and nonprofits undertaking historic preservation in Kansas communities.

This bill requires candidates for elected office in Kansas to sign a notarized acceptance form when nominated by a political party or through an independent petition. It limits each candidate to accepting only one nomination per election cycle - preventing them from simultaneously pursuing multiple nomination paths (e.g., both a party nomination and an independent bid). The law applies to all state and local offices and mandates that nominees submit this notarized declaration before being certified as candidates. These changes streamline nomination procedures and ensure candidates commit to a single candidacy path per election.

HB 2263 is a procedural bill that designates specific highway segments and bridges for memorial naming. It renames a future K-10 highway interchange as the "Kris Norton memorial interchange," portions of K-5, US-160, and US-77 highways as "Rep Marvin S. Robinson memorial highway," "CPL Monte Wayne Forrest memorial highway," and "POW MIA memorial highway," respectively, and designates a bridge in Clay County as the "POW MIA memorial bridge." The bill also redesignates a portion of the "Harry Darby memorial highway" to align with Interstate 635. This legislation has no policy or funding implications - it solely modifies official names for commemorative purposes.

SB 5 prohibits Kansas election officials and government agencies from using federal funds for election administration or election-related activities (like voter registration) without prior legislative approval. It amends state law to require that any federal election funding must be explicitly authorized by a state appropriation act. Exceptions include funds for election security and fees collected directly by election officials under existing law. Violating this prohibition would be a felony. The bill directly affects county election officers and state election administrators who handle federal election funds.

SB 269 ties future reductions to Kansas income and privilege tax rates to two conditions: state revenue collections must exceed inflation-adjusted targets from fiscal year 2024, and the budget stabilization fund must hold at least 15% of prior-year tax receipts. If both conditions are met, the state treasurer calculates proportional tax rate cuts (down to a 4% minimum rate for lower brackets) for the next tax year. The bill directly affects Kansas taxpayers subject to income and privilege taxes, including businesses like banks and trust companies. It modifies tax rate calculation rules in state law but does not change current rates or provide immediate tax relief.

SB 29 removes local health officials' authority to prohibit public gatherings during infectious disease outbreaks. It revokes the power of county health boards, local health officers, and the secretary of health to order isolation, quarantine, or impose penalties for violations. The bill also creates a legal right for employees to sue employers who fire them for following health guidelines or based on vaccination status. This legislation directly affects public health officials, employers, and residents by limiting emergency health measures and expanding employee protections. It amends multiple Kansas statutes related to public health authority and disease control.

SB 14 ensures that state budget appropriations automatically continue year-to-year if the legislature does not amend, lapse, or eliminate them by July 1. It allows the Department of Administration to adjust budget structures for accounting purposes if the biennial budget isn't enacted by June 30. The bill also requires State Finance Council approval for temporary fund reallocations between accounts (backed by future revenues) and mandates proportional reductions in state funding if federal program funding is cut. Additionally, it requires special approval for state funds exceeding federal matching needs to secure federal dollars.

SB 250 allows manufacturers to provide personalized experimental treatments based on a patient's genetic profile to individuals with life-threatening or severely debilitating illnesses who have exhausted all FDA-approved options. It requires patients to receive detailed written consent from their physician outlining treatment options, risks, and financial responsibilities, and mandates that patients cover costs unless the manufacturer agrees otherwise. The bill explicitly states manufacturers aren't required to provide treatments, insurers aren't obligated to cover them, and patients bear all costs - including potential liability for unpaid expenses. It also requires patient consent for any commercial use of their biological samples and clarifies that this law doesn't alter existing insurance coverage requirements.

Based on the bill text provided (noting the title appears inconsistent with the actual content), SB 21 amends Kansas insurance law to require third-party administrators to hold client funds in separate fiduciary accounts, one per payor, preventing commingling of funds from multiple clients. It mandates detailed accounting to payors, restricts fund withdrawals to specific purposes (like paying claims or returning premiums), and requires immediate disclosure to the insurance commissioner if an administrator files for bankruptcy under Chapter 9 or 11. This directly affects insurance third-party administrators and the payors (such as insurance companies or policyholders) who use their services. The bill repeals previous sections and takes effect upon publication.

SB 199 designates the existing fallen firefighters memorial at the Kansas Firefighters Museum in Wichita as the state's official memorial and replaces the former advisory committee with a new nine-member Kansas Fallen Firefighters Memorial Council. The council, appointed by the governor, will manage memorial funds for construction, repairs, and honoring firefighters, and may seek donations. The bill also changes fireworks sales rules: it limits seasonal retailers to a defined fireworks season while allowing permanent retailers to sell consumer fireworks year-round, requiring them to register with the state fire marshal. Additionally, it creates new license categories for fireworks distributors and restricts sales of "For Professional Use Only" fireworks to licensed sellers.

The bill titled "SB 44: Declaring antisemitism..." is mislabeled in your query. The actual bill text provided is **not about antisemitism** but rather an amendment to Kansas's scholarship program. This bill expands eligibility for the Kansas Promise Scholarship program to include more private postsecondary institutions in Kansas, sets income limits ($100,000 for families of 1-2, $150,000 for families of 3, plus $4,800 per additional member), caps lifetime awards at 68 credit hours or $20,000, and limits annual program funding to $10 million. It modifies definitions of "eligible institution," "promise eligible program," and "scholarship award" to clarify how funds are calculated and distributed to public and private colleges. The bill was enacted after passing the legislature and receiving gubernatorial approval in April 2025. *(Note: The bill's stated title about antisemitism does not match the provided text, which exclusively addresses scholarship program changes.)*

SB 50 establishes a uniform 5% annual interest rate for repayment obligations on certain Kansas scholarship and grant programs, effective July 1, 2025. It allows the Kansas Board of Regents to recover collection costs (like court fees and attorney costs) and charge administrative fees for processing applications. The bill requires students receiving Adult Learner Grants to sign agreements directly with the Board of Regents instead of their educational institutions. Additionally, it sunsets the low-income family postsecondary savings program in 2028 and reduces the number of required audits for that program.