This bill establishes a scheduled break for the Kansas legislature during its 2025 regular session, requiring both the Senate and House to stop meeting on February 20, 2025, and resume on February 25, 2025. While the lawmakers are not in session, essential staff will continue working to handle messages from the governor and other necessary tasks. During this five-day gap, excluding Sundays, legislators will not receive their daily pay unless they are attending specific authorized meetings or conference committees. The resolution also clarifies that members attending these special meetings are eligible to receive travel expenses and subsistence allowances as usual.
HB 2095 establishes licensing requirements for pump installation contractors and water well contractors in Kansas, requiring them to pass exams, meet new qualifications, and maintain detailed records of installations. Contractors must submit specific data (like well location, pump specifications, and water quality test results from certified labs) to the Department of Health and Environment within set timeframes. The bill also changes license terms to begin July 1 of even-numbered years, directs penalty fines to a water program fund, and modifies existing regulations to standardize record-keeping for groundwater protection. This directly affects licensed contractors performing well-related work, including installation, repair, and water quality reporting.
HB 2015 directs Kansas' secretary for children and families to request a federal waiver from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). If approved, the waiver would allow Kansas to prohibit SNAP recipients from using benefits to purchase candy and soft drinks. The bill amends Kansas law (K.S.A. 39-709) to align with this potential restriction. This change would directly affect Kansas SNAP recipients who currently can buy these items with their benefits. The policy shift would require federal approval to modify existing SNAP purchasing rules.
HB 2112 limits water supply and wastewater treatment operator certification exam fees to no more than $25 per exam, ensuring fees match actual costs. It eliminates the option for operators to earn certification through correspondence courses, requiring classroom instruction instead. The bill affects water system operators seeking certification and the Secretary of Health and Environment, who administers the program. It amends Kansas law to cap fees and repeals provisions allowing correspondence-based certification (K.S.A. 65-4506 and 65-4513).
HB 2179 prohibits courts from imposing fines, fees, costs, or other financial obligations against juveniles or their parents, guardians, or custodians in cases under Kansas' juvenile justice system. It requires the automatic discharge of all existing court-ordered financial obligations related to juvenile cases as of July 1, 2025, and mandates the immediate release of juveniles held solely for nonpayment. The bill explicitly excludes restitution payments from this prohibition. This legislation amends multiple statutes to implement these changes across Kansas' juvenile justice code.
HB 2035 amends Kansas property tax law to include trail rides as a qualifying ranching activity for agritourism classification. This change allows ranches offering trail rides to qualify for the same lower property tax rate currently available to traditional agricultural operations. The bill specifically updates K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 79-1476 to expand the definition of "agricultural use" to cover trail rides as a ranching activity. This directly affects ranchers who operate trail ride businesses by potentially qualifying their land for reduced property tax assessments under agritourism provisions.
HB 2064 removes an existing exception in Kansas law (K.S.A. 65-3407c) that allowed oil and gas drilling operations to dispose of their solid waste through land-spreading without a solid waste permit. This change directly affects oil and gas companies in Kansas that currently use land-spreading for waste disposal. The bill requires these operations to obtain a permit from the Department of Health and Environment for such waste disposal, aligning it with standard solid waste regulations. The law amendment repeals the specific exception (previously listed as section 65-3407c(8)) for drilling waste land-spreading.
HB 2071, the "Help Not Harm Act," prohibits healthcare providers in Kansas from performing gender transition treatments (including medication or surgery) for minors whose gender identity differs from their sex assigned at birth. The bill directly affects children under 18 and healthcare providers, banning such treatments and restricting state funds from covering them or promoting gender transition. Key provisions include authorizing civil lawsuits against providers who violate the ban, requiring professional discipline for violations, and prohibiting professional liability insurance from covering related damages. The law defines "sex" as biological characteristics at birth and explicitly prohibits state facilities, employees, and programs from promoting or providing these treatments to minors.
HB 2140 creates a statewide Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) educator position within the Attorney General's office. This position must provide approved drug education curriculum - including specific content on fentanyl and opioids - to public elementary and secondary schools in Kansas. The D.A.R.E. educator is required to report annually to the legislature about curriculum changes and list the public schools participating in the program. The bill directly affects Kansas public schools and students by mandating this standardized drug education program under state oversight.
HB 2021 requires Kansas' secretary of state to create rules for "remote ballot boxes" by January 1, 2026, after consulting county election officials. These boxes - locked containers placed outside county offices or satellite sites - will allow voters to deposit advance voting ballots at specified dates, times, and locations. The rules must ensure ballot integrity and election security, covering operational details like box placement and handling procedures. The bill directly affects county election officers (who implement the rules) and voters using advance ballots, without changing voting eligibility or rights.
HB 2256 creates the "Order of the Sunflower," a new award to honor military spouses in Kansas for community service. It directs the governor to present this award to spouses who made a significant impact on their military unit, installation, community, or the state, based on nominations submitted via the governor's website. Nominations must include service dates, key accomplishments, and recommendations from the spouse's military unit command. The bill establishes a formal process for recognition but does not create new funding or alter existing laws.
Senate Resolution 1710 formally congratulates and commends educators in Kansas who have received prestigious awards for their teaching excellence. The resolution specifically honors Meredith Reid, who won the 2024 Milken Educator Award, and recognizes thirty-two other teachers who received the Kansas Horizon Award for outstanding performance in their first year of teaching. Additionally, it acknowledges six Kansas educators who were selected as National Finalists for the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Math and Science Teaching between 2021 and 2023. The resolution directs the Secretary of the Senate to send 34 copies of the document to the Commissioner of Education.
