Kansas Bills

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2234: Substitute for HB 2234 by Committee on Taxation - Providing a sales tax exemption for purchases made by Junction City main street, inc.

HB 2234 creates a sales tax exemption for purchases made by Junction City Main Street, Inc., a local nonprofit organization focused on downtown revitalization. The bill amends Kansas tax law (K.S.A. 79-3606) to explicitly include this organization under existing exemptions for nonprofit entities using purchases for their primary purposes. This means Junction City Main Street, Inc. will no longer pay state sales tax on qualifying goods or services purchased directly for its operations. The exemption is specific to this organization and does not alter broader tax policy.

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 61: Requiring an electric public utility to pay a landowner's attorney fees when a party appeals the appraisers' award and the jury renders a verdict that is greater than the appraisers' award in an eminent domain action.

SB 61 modifies Kansas law to require electric public utilities to cover a landowner's attorney fees in eminent domain cases when the landowner appeals the court-appointed appraisers' valuation and wins at trial. Specifically, if a jury or master rules in the landowner's favor with a higher award than the appraisers' original valuation, the court must award the landowner's attorney fees as court costs. This applies only to electric utilities (like power companies) during land acquisition, changing the prior rule that allowed courts discretion ("may allow") to a mandatory requirement ("shall allow"). The bill directly affects electric utilities facing landowner appeals and landowners challenging valuation in eminent domain proceedings.

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2132: Substitute for Substitute for HB 2132 by Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care - Determining when a law enforcement officer may or shall take a child into custody.

HB 2132 modifies Kansas' child welfare laws to prevent the removal of children from their homes solely due to poverty. It requires that cases involving financial hardship must demonstrate multiple specific factors (not just one) to justify removal, and prohibits removal based only on lack of financial resources. The bill also mandates courts to consider parental participation in services when deciding whether to remove a child. These changes directly affect children and families in poverty who might otherwise face foster care placement due to economic circumstances. The law amends Kansas Statutes 38-2202, 38-2234, and 38-2243.

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2017: Requiring the return of advance voting ballots by 7:00 p.m. on the day of the election.

HB 2017 changes the deadline for receiving mailed advance voting ballots in Kansas. It requires that all mail-in advance ballots be received by county election offices by 7:00 p.m. on election day itself, rather than allowing them to arrive up to three days after the election as previously permitted. This directly affects voters who submit ballots by mail, as their ballots must now be postmarked and received by the county office by the election day deadline. The bill amends Kansas Statute 25-1132 to establish this new 7:00 p.m. election day deadline for mailed ballots.

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2300: Establishing limitations for land transactions for wind and solar energy projects and allowing a consumer to revoke such land transaction under the Kansas consumer protection act.

HB 2300 amends Kansas' Consumer Protection Act to add specific rules for wind and solar energy land leases. It defines these transactions as consumer contracts, giving landowners the right to revoke agreements and requiring written consent before sales pitches to vulnerable consumers (like those in hospitals or care facilities). The bill prohibits contract clauses blocking recording of communications or disclosing contract terms to authorities, and restricts door-to-door sales targeting residents of care facilities without verified consent. These changes directly protect landowners from aggressive sales tactics for renewable energy projects.

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 202: Transferring teachers from the KPERS 3 cash balance plan to the KPERS 2 plan and defining teachers for purposes of KPERS.

SB 202 transfers all current and future teachers in Kansas from the KPERS 3 retirement plan (established in 2015) to the older KPERS 2 plan (established in 2009). It affects all teachers, including those currently enrolled in KPERS 3, with the transfer automatic on January 1, 2026, and new teachers hired on or after July 1, 2025, starting directly in KPERS 2. The bill ensures teachers retain all prior service credit and benefits under the new plan, with no reduction in benefits compared to their previous plan, and employer contributions will offset the administrative costs of the transfer.

Topics ✓ Education ✓ Labor & Employment

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 52: Enacting the Kansas film and digital media industry production development act, providing a tax credit and sales tax exemption to incentivize film, video and digital media production in Kansas, establishing a program to be administered by the secretary of commerce for the purpose of developing such production in Kansas and requiring the secretary of commerce to issue reports to the legislature regarding the program.

SB 52 creates tax incentives to attract film, video, and digital media productions to Kansas. It provides an income tax credit and sales tax exemption for productions spending at least $50,000 in the state, requiring at least 10% of crew to be Kansas residents and excluding news, local ads, or non-commercial projects. The Secretary of Commerce administers the program, verifying eligibility and issuing annual reports to the legislature. This directly affects producers of eligible content like feature films, TV series, and video games meeting the spending and residency criteria.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Technology

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2202: Requiring the state board of regents and postsecondary educational institutions to provide certain pre-service teachers with essential knowledge and skills to support children affected by fetal alcohol syndrome disorder.

HB 2202 requires Kansas postsecondary education institutions training future teachers to equip pre-service educators (those studying to become licensed teachers) in early childhood, elementary, secondary, and special education with specific knowledge about fetal alcohol syndrome disorder (FASD). The bill mandates that these institutions teach trainees to recognize FASD signs and behaviors, understand its impacts on learning and behavior, and learn communication techniques for discussing suspected FASD with parents or guardians. This applies to all state universities, municipal universities, community colleges, and accredited private institutions in Kansas offering teacher preparation programs. The policy directly affects teacher training programs and future educators, aiming to improve support for children with FASD in schools.

Topics ✓ Education

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 129: Raising the mandatory retirement age for magistrate judges regularly admitted to practice law who serve in counties with a population of 10,000 or fewer people.

This bill raises the mandatory retirement age for specific magistrate judges in Kansas from 75 to 78 years old. It directly affects district magistrate judges who are regularly admitted to practice law in Kansas and serve in counties with populations of 10,000 or fewer people. The key change modifies existing law (K.S.A. 20-2608) to extend the retirement age for this group, while other retirement provisions for judges remain unchanged. The bill does not alter retirement benefits or apply to judges in larger counties.

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 160: Granting the attorney general concurrent authority to prosecute any crimes related to schools.

SB 160 grants Kansas's Attorney General concurrent authority with county or district attorneys to prosecute certain crimes involving elementary and secondary schools. Specifically, it allows the Attorney General to share prosecution power for Chapter 72 crimes (like theft, organized retail crime, or racketeering) when those crimes occur across two or more counties and are part of a broader criminal pattern affecting schools. This directly affects the Attorney General's office, local prosecutors, and school communities by expanding state-level involvement in multi-county school-related crime cases. The bill amends Kansas Statutes Annotated 75-702 to add this provision, removing the prior restriction on the Attorney General's authority for such cases.

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2126: Providing a sales tax exemption for purchases made by Kansas legal services, inc.

HB 2126 would exempt Kansas Legal Services, Inc. from paying sales tax on purchases made for its operations. The bill amends Kansas' sales tax law to add this organization to the list of entities already eligible for tax exemptions, such as hospitals and schools. The exemption covers tangible personal property and services purchased directly by the organization for its work. As a result, Kansas Legal Services, Inc. would not pay sales tax on qualifying operational purchases.

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 257: Expanding medical assistance eligibility and enacting the healthcare access for working Kansans (HAWK) act.

SB 257, the Healthcare Access for Working Kansans (HAWK) Act, would expand Kansas' medical assistance program to cover non-pregnant adults under 65 with incomes at or below 138% of the federal poverty level, effective January 1, 2026. Applicants must provide employment verification (e.g., pay stubs or W-2 forms), with exemptions for students, parents, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and those experiencing homelessness. The bill requires the state to administer benefits through a managed care system and includes a provision to phase out coverage over 12 months if federal Medicaid funding falls below 90%.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment ✓ Veterans

Bill results