Kansas Bills

HB 2531 modifies Kansas' School Sports Head Injury Prevention Act to allow licensed chiropractors (with approved postgraduate concussion training) to evaluate and provide written clearance for school athletes removed from sports due to suspected head injuries. This directly affects student-athletes, their parents/guardians (who must sign annual concussion forms), and school districts (which must distribute concussion information). The key change expands the list of eligible healthcare providers beyond medical doctors to include qualified chiropractors, while maintaining the requirement that athletes cannot return to play without provider clearance. The bill updates existing law (K.S.A. 72-7119) to include this provision, effective after July 1, 2011.

HB 2583 requires commercial motor vehicle drivers operating in Kansas to carry specific identification documents (including a valid license, work visa, and proof of citizenship like a passport or birth certificate) and demonstrate English language proficiency sufficient to communicate with the public, understand traffic signs, respond to officials, and complete reports. It applies to all commercial drivers in Kansas, including nonresidents, and mandates that violations result in a class B misdemeanor and fines. Fines collected from violations must be deposited into the state’s human trafficking victim assistance fund. The bill modifies Kansas’ commercial driver licensing laws to add these requirements and outlines procedures for employers to handle vehicles during violations, such as transferring cargo if a compliant driver isn’t available within 12 hours.

HB 2469 expands a tax credit for railroad track maintenance in Kansas, allowing eligible businesses to apply the credit against income tax, premium taxes, or privilege fees - not just income tax as before. It directly affects class II/III railroads and rail siding owners (eligible taxpayers), as well as their customers (e.g., businesses using short-line rail) and vendors (e.g., maintenance service providers). Unused credits can be transferred to other businesses paying those specific taxes within five years, with a cap of $5,000 per mile of track or $5,000 per rail siding annually, and a total annual limit of $8.72 million. The bill changes how these credits are applied and shared, making them more flexible for qualifying rail-related businesses.

HB 2550 requires Kansas hospitals participating in the federal 340B drug pricing program to submit annual reports starting January 1, 2027, to the Kansas Department of Insurance. The reports must detail how hospitals use 340B savings for community services, compare drug acquisition costs under 340B to other pricing sources, and provide specific financial data on drug expenditures, payments to pharmacies, and program administration. The Department of Insurance must publish these reports publicly on its website. This bill applies directly to Kansas hospitals designated as 340B entities under federal law, aiming to increase transparency around how these savings are utilized.

HB 2576, known as Erin's Law, requires Kansas school districts to implement annual teacher training and age-appropriate student instruction on identifying and reporting child sexual abuse starting in the 2026-2027 school year. The law mandates that all teachers receive training covering prevention, identifying abuse signs, and reporting procedures, while all K-12 students must receive age-appropriate instruction on recognizing abuse and knowing how to report it, including resources for support. Parents or guardians may opt their children out of the student instruction. The training and instruction may use resources like the Erin's Law Foundation curriculum or other approved materials.

SB 359 raises the mandatory retirement age for certain Kansas judges from 75 to 78 years. It requires judges to complete more years of service to qualify for a reduced contribution rate (lowering their payroll deduction from 6% to 2% of salary after meeting specific service thresholds) and increases the maximum retirement benefit from 70% to 80% of a judge's final average salary. These changes apply to judges in the Kansas public employees retirement system, affecting their retirement eligibility, contribution requirements, and benefit calculations. The bill amends Kansas statutes K.S.A. 20-2603, 20-2608, and 20-2610.

HB 2445 creates a Kansas tax deduction for residents who pay expenses to health care sharing ministries (nonprofit organizations that facilitate voluntary medical expense sharing among members with shared beliefs, not insurance). It allows eligible Kansas taxpayers to subtract qualified health care sharing expenses (including membership fees and administrative costs) from their state income tax calculation. The bill also specifies that money received from these ministries to cover medical costs is not considered taxable income for Kansas tax purposes. This applies only to Kansas residents who are members of qualifying ministries for at least one month during the tax year, effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2026.

SB 406 directs Kansas' governor to approve short-term workforce training programs for federal Pell grant eligibility, as defined by federal law (Public Law 119-21). It requires the State Workforce Development Board to establish a clear process for programs to apply for approval, appeal denials, and coordinate with other state/federal workforce programs to avoid duplicate funding. The bill mandates the Board to align state and federal funding to support these programs while ensuring all actions comply with existing federal Pell grant rules. This affects workforce training programs seeking federal Pell grant access, not individual students or employers.

HB 2606 modifies the legal definition of "conviction" within Kansas' commercial driver's license regulations. This change would affect commercial drivers whose license status is impacted by legal violations, as the updated definition clarifies what constitutes a "conviction" for licensing purposes. The bill amends Section 8-2,128 of Kansas law to revise the specific language describing when a legal determination qualifies as a conviction (e.g., including fines, plea agreements, or release condition violations). This definition update would directly influence how driver disqualifications are determined under the state's commercial licensing system. The bill is currently in committee referral stage, with a hearing scheduled for February 4, 2026.

SB 409 requires health insurance plans in Kansas to cover diagnostic and supplemental breast examinations for breast cancer without any out-of-pocket costs (like deductibles or copays) for policyholders. This applies to exams used to evaluate suspicious findings detected during screening or other exams, as well as exams for high-risk individuals (e.g., those with family history or dense breast tissue). The law takes effect January 1, 2027, for new or renewed plans, with HSA-qualified plans still required to cover these as preventive care under federal law. It does not affect existing coverage but mandates no cost-sharing for these specific exams when provided under the defined guidelines.

SB 410 expands Kansas' financial institutions information security law to require earned wage access service providers to comply with cybersecurity standards. It adds "earned wage access service registrants" to the list of covered entities - like credit services and mortgage companies - that must follow the state's information security rules. This means companies offering early access to earned wages (e.g., via apps or payroll services) must now implement security measures to protect customer data. The bill directly affects these providers by mandating adherence to existing cybersecurity requirements under Kansas law. The change applies to all such registrants operating in Kansas, aligning them with other financial service entities.

HB 2446 removes a requirement in Kansas election law that political advertisements must list the treasurer's name in their disclosures. Instead, ads only need to include the name of the sponsoring organization's chairperson or the responsible individual. This change applies to all paid political ads for state or local elections, including print, broadcast, and digital communications. The bill amends Kansas statutes K.S.A. 25-2407 and 25-4156 to delete the specific reference to treasurers in attribution rules.