Kansas Bills

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2472: Enacting the forming open and robust university minds or FORUM Act, prohibiting postsecondary educational institutions from certain actions concerning freedom of speech, expression and association, providing exceptions thereto, providing for monetary damages, and requiring the submission of a report to the legislature and the governor.

HB 2472, the FORUM Act, prohibits Kansas public colleges and universities from restricting free speech, expression, or association on campus. It bans designated "free speech zones" and requires all outdoor campus areas to be treated as public forums, while preventing viewpoint-based discrimination in student organization benefits or speaker access. The bill allows individuals to sue institutions for violations, with courts able to award up to $5,000 per violation and cover legal costs if the violation wasn’t in good faith. Institutions must also submit annual reports to the legislature detailing speech restrictions, disruptions, or legal actions taken.

Topics ✓ Education

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2492: Requiring the county election officer to call a special election to fill a vacancy within the governing body of a municipality if the position remains vacant after 60 days.

HB 2492 requires Kansas cities and counties to fill vacant seats on their governing bodies (like city councils or boards) within 60 days. If the governing body fails to appoint someone to fill the vacancy by that deadline, it must pass a resolution directing the county election officer to hold a special election within 45 days. The election, managed by the county election officer, follows standard filing rules, and the winner assumes the seat upon certification. This applies to all Kansas municipalities except those already using their own procedures to fill vacancies within 60 days. The bill amends Kansas Statute 12-104a to establish this timeline and process.

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2499: Requiring persons convicted of or given diversion agreements for driving under the influence offenses to attend victim impact panel programs.

HB 2499 requires individuals convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) or placed in diversion programs for DUI offenses to attend victim impact panel programs. These panels, run by approved nonprofit organizations, must be attended in person unless a court approves an online alternative due to impracticality. The bill permits nonprofits to charge up to $100 for the program and applies to all DUI convictions under Kansas law (K.S.A. 8-2,144 and 8-1567) starting January 1, 2027. It directly affects DUI offenders who face this requirement as part of their sentencing or diversion terms.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Transportation

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2498: Classifying crimes related to driving under the influence and driving a commercial vehicle under the influence as person crimes.

HB 2498 reclassifies driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol or drugs while operating a commercial vehicle as a "person crime" in Kansas, increasing penalties for these offenses. It raises penalties for repeat convictions (e.g., second offense becomes a class A misdemeanor with a 90-day minimum jail term) and mandates pre-sentence alcohol/drug evaluations for all offenders. The bill also adds a 1-month jail enhancement if a driver with children under 18 is in the vehicle during the offense. These changes directly affect commercial drivers convicted of DUI, with stricter sentencing and additional requirements for repeat offenses and child endangerment.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice ✓ Transportation

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2451: Prohibiting the use of public assets by government officers and employees to advocate for or against proposed amendments to the constitution of the state of Kansas and ballot questions submitted to qualified electors.

HB 2451 prohibits state and local government employees from using public resources - such as funds, vehicles, equipment, or work time - to advocate for or against state constitutional amendments or ballot questions. It directly affects government officers and employees, banning them from using their official positions to promote or oppose these issues through materials like mailers, social media, or physical signage. The bill allows neutral information sharing on official websites but exempts incumbents campaigning for re-election and certain commission duties. Violations would be classified as class C misdemeanors.

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2494: Allowing a nonpartisan candidate to include such candidate's political party affiliation on the ballot with such candidate's name.

HB 2494 allows candidates running for nonpartisan offices in Kansas to voluntarily include their political party affiliation on election ballots alongside their name. This change modifies Kansas election law (K.S.A. 25-613) to permit nonpartisan candidates to add party labels, which is currently not allowed for such races. The bill directly affects voters and candidates in nonpartisan elections by providing additional information about candidates' party ties. It does not alter how partisan candidates' party affiliations appear on ballots. The bill is currently in committee after its January 2026 introduction.

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 357: Establishing the intercity passenger rail service program and making transfers annually to the passenger rail service revolving fund.

SB 357 establishes Kansas' intercity passenger rail service program, authorizing the Secretary of Transportation to develop connections to regional and national rail networks like the Midwest Regional Rail System. It creates a passenger rail service revolving fund that will receive $5 million annually from state funds (starting July 1, 2027) to provide loans and grants for rail infrastructure projects, including station development, track maintenance, and operational support. The fund will be managed by the Secretary and reinvested to sustain rail service growth, with interest added to the fund. This program directly affects Kansas residents by improving rail connectivity and rail service providers like Amtrak through funding for qualifying projects.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Transportation

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 350: Enacting the age-appropriate school device act to establish safety standards and requirements for the use of school-issued devices in certain grade levels and authorizing parents to opt students out of certain uses of such devices.

SB 350 establishes grade-level rules for school-issued digital devices in Kansas public schools (K-12), directly affecting students, schools, and parents. It bans digital devices entirely for K-5 (requiring print-based instruction), restricts shared device use with time limits (max 1 hour/day) and blocks social media for grades 6-8, and allows issued devices for grades 9-12 with strict safety settings (blocking social media, disabling cameras, limiting use to 90 minutes/day). The bill mandates schools to provide media literacy instruction on digital health risks and requires parental opt-out for device issuance, home use, or digital testing. Schools must delete personal data between student uses and maintain safety standards for all devices.

Topics ✗ Education ✗ Technology

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2427: Substitute for HB 2427 by Committee on Appropriations - Establishing the positions of the senate fiscal integrity auditor appointed by the president of the senate and the house of representatives fiscal integrity auditor appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives, providing for the duties of such fiscal integrity auditors including access to the state fiscal technology systems and software and reports and recommendations to certain legislative committees.

HB 2427 creates a new position for a fiscal integrity auditor in Kansas, appointed by the legislative coordinating council. The auditor will have unrestricted access to all state fiscal systems (like payroll and budget software) to examine spending for waste, fraud, or mismanagement, ensuring state agencies use funds as intended by lawmakers. The auditor must submit annual reports to legislative committees detailing findings on questionable spending, off-budget activities, and recommendations for transparency and cost savings. This bill directly affects Kansas state agencies and legislative oversight processes by adding an independent fiscal review role focused on accountability.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2512: Requiring treasurers of candidates and persons who support or oppose constitutional amendments to report lists of small donors names and addresses to the public disclosure commission and providing that such lists shall not be part of any report required to be made public.

HB 2512 requires campaign treasurers for candidates and individuals supporting/opposing constitutional amendments to collect and maintain small donor names and addresses (for contributions of $50 or less). However, it explicitly states these donor lists must not be included in any publicly disclosed campaign finance reports. This bill affects campaign treasurers by mandating the collection of this specific data while preventing its public release. The key provision creates a private record of small donors that remains confidential, separate from standard public disclosure requirements. It amends Kansas campaign finance laws (K.S.A. 25-4148 and 25-4180) to implement this restricted reporting.

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 351: Requiring correctional facilities and jails to allow inmates and prisoners to make telephone calls at no cost.

SB 351 requires all Kansas correctional facilities and jails to allow inmates and prisoners to make telephone calls at no cost to them. The bill amends Kansas statutes (12-4213, 19-1919, and 75-5210) to explicitly prohibit charging inmates for calls or forcing them to use collect accounts or prepaid services. It directly affects individuals incarcerated in Kansas state prisons, county jails, and municipal holding facilities. The key provision mandates free access to phone calls while allowing facilities to set reasonable limits on call duration and frequency. This policy change applies to all inmates in Kansas custody under state law.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2484: Eliminating the Kansas residency requirement after completing a Kansas promise scholarship program, clarifying the work requirements upon completion of such program and repealing the sunset on the program.

HB 2484 removes the requirement for Kansas Promise Scholarship recipients to live in Kansas after completing their education. It clarifies that students must work in Kansas for two years post-graduation (or continue studying in-state) but eliminates the prior residency mandate. The bill also permanently extends the program by repealing its sunset date, making the scholarship available indefinitely. This directly affects students who received or will receive the Kansas Promise Scholarship, changing their post-graduation obligations.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Education

Bill results