Kansas Bills

This bill renames two segments of U.S. Highway 75 in Kansas for commemorative purposes. It designates the southern stretch from Montgomery County to the Oklahoma border as the "Brig Gen George H Wark Memorial Highway" and redesignates another segment (from Kansas-Nebraska border to Kansas-Oklahoma border) as the "Purple Heart/Combat Wounded Veterans Highway." The Kansas Department of Transportation must install appropriate signage along these designated routes. This is a procedural bill with no policy changes, solely renaming existing highway segments for memorial recognition.

HB 2700, the Kansas Right-to-Repair Act, gives consumers and independent repair shops the right to access necessary parts, tools, and documentation from manufacturers to repair digital electronic equipment they own or lease. It requires manufacturers to provide these resources on "fair and reasonable terms" without forcing repairers to be authorized by the manufacturer, covering most consumer electronics, home appliances, and farm equipment sold after July 1, 2026. The law explicitly excludes medical devices, critical infrastructure systems, and motor vehicles from its requirements. Enforcement will be handled by the Kansas Attorney General, with liability protections for manufacturers who comply.

HB 2719 streamlines Kansas state rulemaking by exempting minor "technical amendments" (like fixing typos, updating references, or correcting formatting) from standard filing requirements. It also creates a priority process for certain rules needing faster adoption and clarifies that federally mandated rules don’t require Department of Budget approval. The bill removes outdated references to "revival of rules" and specifies that Department of Corrections rules are not subject to the filing act. This affects state agencies drafting administrative rules, making their process more efficient for non-substantive changes.

HB 2769 requires that members of governing bodies for local service districts (like county service districts) must be residents of those districts. This applies only if the district imposes property taxes on residents or authorizes budgets for public services within the district. The bill targets municipalities (cities, counties, or unified governments) creating such districts, ensuring local decision-makers live in the communities they serve. It does not change tax rates or services but sets a residency requirement for governing body appointments.

HB 2644 requires Kansas county appraisers to adjust property values or obtain an independent appraisal if residential or commercial property values increase by more than 5% annually for five years following a successful valuation appeal. It directly affects property owners who previously won appeals reducing their assessed value, particularly those with appeals finalized on or after January 1, 2026. The key mechanism gives appraisers two options: adjust values based on the prior appeal’s evidence or order a new appraisal by a certified appraiser. This applies only to increases not caused by new construction, changes in use, or classification. The bill aims to prevent excessive annual value jumps after appeal-driven reductions.

HB 2761 establishes a licensing system for speech-language pathology assistants (SLPAs) in Kansas, requiring them to meet specific education and training standards to practice. To become licensed, applicants must complete a bachelor's degree (or equivalent coursework) in communication sciences, 100 hours of supervised clinical experience, and meet national certification requirements. The law mandates that SLPAs work under direct or indirect supervision by a licensed speech-language pathologist and complete 12 hours of continuing education every two years for license renewal. This bill directly affects current and future SLPAs by setting clear qualifications, supervision rules, and renewal requirements for their practice.

HB 2626 expands Kansas government hiring priority for veterans to include current Kansas National Guard members and their eligible spouses. The bill amends existing law by removing the exclusion that previously prevented current National Guard members (with certain pay grades) from receiving veteran hiring preference, and adds their spouses to the preference category. An "eligible spouse" is defined as someone married to a National Guard member stationed in Kansas. This change ensures current National Guard service members and their spouses qualify for the same hiring priority already available to honorably discharged veterans. The policy applies to state, county, and city government positions requiring competence for the role.

HB 2737 creates a new "Taxpayer Agreement Act" for Kansas cities, allowing them to enter binding agreements with property developers for economic development projects. These agreements require developers to make payments (in lieu of or alongside tax increment revenues) to secure project financing, with a lien on the property that takes priority over most other liens except prior tax liens. The bill ensures cities aren’t liable for financing, bonds issued under it don’t count toward debt limits, and developers can’t challenge the lien or tax assessments. It provides an optional alternative to traditional tax increment financing but doesn’t require cities or developers to use this method.

SB 435 allows the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) board to elect its own vice chairperson, replacing the prior process where the position was appointed by the governor or legislative leaders. It requires new employers joining the Kansas Police and Firemen's Retirement System (KP&F) to pay the full actuarial rate for both past and future pension service, ensuring the system remains financially stable. The bill also repeals existing rules that permitted state and local elected officials to work after retirement without reducing their pension benefits. These changes directly affect KPERS board members, new KP&F employers, and state/local elected officials.

HB 2613 authorizes Kansas' Crime Victims Compensation Board to establish fees for medical examinations of sexual assault victims and to use funds from the Crime Victims Compensation Fund to cover these costs. The bill requires counties where alleged assaults occurred to pay the fees - never the victim or their insurance - regardless of whether the victim reports the crime to law enforcement. It also mandates that medical facilities use approved evidence collection kits during examinations and follow specific procedures for handling unreported kits. This change directly affects counties, medical facilities, and the Crime Victims Compensation Board in administering victim care.

HB 2618 requires Kansas' state board of education to submit annual reports to the legislature detailing all federal education funds received, distributed, or spent. These reports must include specific information like the purpose of each fund, how it was used, amounts involved, and plans for sustaining programs after federal funding ends. The bill repeals an existing reporting requirement (K.S.A. 72-5538) and ends certain outdated educational reporting obligations. It directly affects the state board of education (which must file reports) and the legislature (which receives the reports), streamlining oversight of federal education funding.

HB 2702 requires physician assistant license applicants in Kansas to undergo criminal background checks through fingerprinting and state/federal record checks. The law also establishes that the state board of healing arts may collect fees to cover the cost of these checks and adds provisions allowing license revocation for specific violations. This directly affects individuals seeking or maintaining physician assistant licensure by requiring background checks as part of the application process. The bill amends existing statutes to formalize these requirements and the board's authority to enforce them.