Kansas Bills

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2605: Designating a portion of U.S. highway 36 as the undersheriff Brandon Gaede memorial highway.

HB 2605 designates a 3-mile stretch of U.S. Highway 36 in Phillips County (from eastern to western city limits of Phillipsburg) as the "Deputy Sheriff Brandon Gaede Memorial Highway." The bill honors Deputy Brandon Gaede, a Phillips County sheriff's deputy who died in the line of duty in 2025 while responding to an explosive incident. It requires the Kansas Department of Transportation to install standard memorial signs along the designated highway segment per state law. This is a commemorative measure with no policy changes or direct impact on residents or regulations.

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2598: Enacting the Kansas paid family leave act.

HB 2598, the Kansas Paid Family Leave Act, creates a state-run program providing up to 12 weeks of paid leave for eligible workers in Kansas to bond with a new child (birth, adoption, or foster placement), care for a family member with a serious health condition, recover from their own serious health condition, or address military family needs. It covers most full- and part-time employees who worked 26 weeks (20+ hours/week) or 175 days (less than 20 hours/week) in the prior year, plus self-employed individuals who opt into the program. Benefits will equal 67% of an employee's average weekly wage (capped at $1,000/week starting in 2028), funded through payroll deductions of employee premiums beginning January 2027. The program launches for eligible workers on July 1, 2027, with benefits paid from the Family and Medical Leave Insurance Fund.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2592: Creating the Kansas task force on artificial intelligence and emerging technologies to study such technologies and make recommendations to the legislature.

HB 2592 establishes a Kansas task force to study artificial intelligence (AI) and emerging technologies. The task force, composed of six legislative members (appointed by leadership) and five expert nonvoting members (including government officials and AI specialists), will examine AI's impacts on jobs, government efficiency, public education, and regulatory needs. It must submit its first report to the governor and legislature by December 31, 2026, with annual updates thereafter, recommending potential policy changes. The task force expires on January 1, 2028, with no direct effect on citizens beyond informing future state AI-related decisions.

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2530: Substitute for HB 2530 by Committee on Education - Providing for the transferability of credentials earned through ACT workkeys career readiness assessments towards a degree.

HB 2530 requires Kansas high schools to provide free career readiness assessments (ACT WorkKeys) to students in grades 9, 11, and 12, with participation optional. It mandates that Kansas colleges and universities accept certain WorkKeys credentials (platinum, gold, or silver) as transferable credit toward technical degrees, following American Council on Education guidelines. Schools must publish exam details online, and the state board must report annual assessment data to lawmakers. The bill directly affects Kansas public and nonpublic high school students, school districts, and postsecondary institutions.

Topics ✓ Education

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SCR 1620: Recognizing the seriousness of the national debt and the threat to national security that such debt poses.

This legislative bill is a concurrent resolution that formally recognizes the United States national debt as a serious threat to national security. It directly affects the U.S. Congress by urging them to establish a regular order for budgeting to address the growing debt. The resolution cites specific data points, such as the current debt level and projections for Social Security and Medicare depletion, to support its findings. It does not create new laws or funding but serves as an official statement of concern from the Kansas legislature.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2608: Increasing the criminal penalties for exposing another to a communicable disease and modifying the elements of such crime to include otherwise lawful or unlawful sexual intercourse or sodomy.

HB 2608 (Kansas) amends state law to make it a felony to intentionally expose someone to a life-threatening communicable disease through sexual intercourse or sodomy, regardless of whether the sexual act is lawful or unlawful. The bill expands the existing crime to specifically include these acts as prohibited conduct, alongside selling blood or sharing needles with intent to expose others. Violating this law is now classified as a severity level 7 person felony, increasing penalties from previous classifications. The bill directly affects individuals infected with life-threatening diseases who knowingly engage in sexual activity with others while intending to transmit the disease.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2597: Establishing a right to paid sick leave for Kansas employees and setting forth minimum requirements and rules for the provision of such sick leave.

HB 2597 requires all Kansas employers to provide employees with paid sick leave starting January 1, 2027. Employees earn at least two hours of paid sick leave for every 30 hours worked, up to a maximum of 40 hours per year, which can carry forward annually. The bill allows use for personal illness, caring for sick family members, addressing domestic violence, or handling emergencies like school closures due to weather. It applies to most employees but explicitly excludes independent contractors, with rules to be implemented by the Kansas Secretary of Labor.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 332: Excluding buyer's premiums from the sale price of property purchased at auction for real estate sales validation questionnaire and property tax valuation purposes.

SB 332 modifies Kansas property tax rules by excluding buyer's premiums paid to auctioneers (not sellers) from the sale price used for property tax valuation and the real estate sales validation questionnaire. This directly affects homeowners who purchase property at auction, as it prevents auction fees from increasing their taxable property value. The bill clarifies that premiums must be separately stated in writing and paid directly to the auction company, not the seller, to qualify for exclusion. This change ensures auction purchase prices reflect only the actual property cost for tax assessment purposes, without including additional buyer fees. The law takes effect upon publication in the statute book.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 423: Requiring certain cost-sharing assistance be applied toward a covered individual's deductible or annual out-of-pocket limit under the individual's health benefit plan.

SB 423 requires health insurers to count certain prescription drug payments toward a patient's deductible or out-of-pocket limit under their health insurance plan. It applies specifically to brand-name drugs without generic equivalents (or biosimilar options) or when a patient has met prior authorization, step therapy, or appeal requirements. This means patients’ payments for these drugs reduce the amount they must pay before full insurance coverage applies. The bill directly affects individuals enrolled in health benefit plans who use such prescription drugs.

Topics ✓ Healthcare

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 419: Enacting the Kansas intellectual rights and knowledge act, providing a civil cause of action and penalties for violations of such act and authorizing students and student associations to exercise political and ideological beliefs, values and missions.

SB 419, the Kansas Intellectual Rights and Knowledge Act (KIRK Act), requires public postsecondary institutions in Kansas to protect students' and student associations' free speech rights. It defines "expressive activity" (including protests, speeches, and guest speakers) as protected on campus, particularly in outdoor areas, and prohibits censorship unless speech constitutes severe, pervasive harassment. The bill creates a civil cause of action for students or associations to sue institutions that violate these rights, amending existing statutes to ensure compliance with First Amendment standards. It directly affects students, student groups, and university administrators at Kansas public colleges and universities.

Topics ✓ Education

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 405: Making it unlawful for a person to knowingly train artificial intelligence to encourage or support suicide or the unlawful killing of another person, provide emotional support, develop emotional relationships, act as a healthcare professional, simulate humans or encourage isolation.

SB 405 makes it illegal for developers to knowingly train artificial intelligence systems to: encourage suicide or violence, provide emotional support or act as a healthcare professional, simulate human relationships, or promote social isolation. The bill directly affects AI developers and companies creating systems that interact with users, excluding standard customer service chatbots, video game features, and basic voice assistants. Violators face civil lawsuits allowing victims to seek $150,000 in liquidated damages (or actual damages for emotional harm), attorney fees, or court-ordered injunctions to stop the AI's operation. It also permits courts to impose fines up to $50,000 per violation. The law focuses on preventing AI from engaging in harmful behaviors that mimic human interaction or exploit vulnerable users.

Topics ✗ Healthcare ✗ Technology

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 431: Establishing the remote practice of pharmacy, requiring certain conditions for such practice and limiting activities performed under such practice.

SB 431 allows Kansas pharmacies to employ remote pharmacists, interns, and technicians to perform certain pharmacy tasks from off-site locations, directly affecting pharmacies, remote workers, and patients receiving remote services. The bill requires pharmacies to maintain secure remote work devices, protect patient data confidentiality, keep detailed records of remote workers for five years, and implement annual safety policies. It prohibits remote workers from handling physical drugs, packaging, compounding, or dispensing, but permits them to process prescriptions and communicate with prescribers under supervision. All remote pharmacy operations must comply with strict security, supervision, and record-keeping rules established by the bill.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Technology

Bill results