Kansas Bills

HB 2331 allows Kansas district coroners to dispose of unclaimed cremated remains after a 3-year claim period (or longer if required by law) and a 30-day public notice in a local newspaper. If no family claims the remains within that timeframe, coroners may bury them in a cemetery, scatter garden, or transfer veteran remains to the Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs. The bill also shields coroners from liability for such actions, except in cases of gross negligence or willful misconduct. This directly affects coroners' procedures for handling unclaimed remains and provides clarity on disposal options for counties.

HB 2320 allows children in Kansas's Department for Children and Families (DCF) custody to attend any school district, with two key options: they can enroll in the school district where they are placed or remain in their original school. The bill requires DCF to notify the relevant school district and transfer all school records within two business days of a placement change. If a child stays in their original school, the district must create a transportation plan. This applies to all children under DCF custody who might otherwise face enrollment barriers due to placement shifts.

SB 84 expands Kansas law to treat unauthorized use of gift cards as a crime, similar to stolen financial cards. It specifically makes it illegal to steal, alter, or use gift cards without consent, or to possess gift card information (like codes) without permission. Penalties range from a misdemeanor for theft under $1,000 to a felony for amounts over $25,000 within seven days. The bill directly affects individuals who commit gift card fraud and applies to both physical and digital gift cards sold by businesses. It clarifies definitions for terms like "gift card," "closed-loop" (single-store), and "open-loop" (multi-merchant) cards to ensure consistent enforcement.

HB 2250 increases the annual assessment rate on hospital providers in Kansas from 1.83% to 6% of their net inpatient and outpatient operating revenue. This change directly affects most hospitals, requiring them to pay higher annual fees based on their previous fiscal year's revenue. The bill expands exemptions for state agencies, critical access hospitals, rural emergency hospitals, and facilities with revenues below a threshold set by the healthcare access panel. It also modifies payment deadlines to align with federal approval processes for these assessments.

SB 92 extends the deadline for Kansas' State Corporation Commission to issue a final decision on electric transmission line siting permit applications, changing the timeframe from 120 days to 180 days after an application is filed. This directly affects electric utilities seeking permits to build transmission lines, as they must now wait up to six months (instead of four) for the Commission's ruling before starting site preparation or construction. The bill amends Kansas law (K.S.A. 66-1,178) to adjust this procedural deadline, without altering requirements for applications or public hearings. This change provides more time for the Commission to review applications but does not change the process for utilities or landowners.

HB 2099 allows cities and counties in Kansas to require periodic interior inspections of privately owned residential rental properties where the owner receives government rental subsidies, such as Section 8 vouchers. This directly affects landlords receiving these subsidies, who must now allow inspections for code compliance, and tenants, who must receive reasonable notice of inspection dates. The bill requires local governments to notify tenants before inspections and permits random inspections in response to code violation complaints. It repeals the existing prohibition on routine inspections for unsubsidized housing, creating a specific exception for subsidized properties.

HB 2357 automatically seals court records in eviction cases where the rental agreement is governed by Kansas' residential landlord and tenant law (K.S.A. 58-2540 et seq.), restricting access to the tenant, involved parties, the court, and the clerk. The bill requires courts to offer mediation in such cases unless the court determines it would not help, and prohibits tenant screening agencies and landlords from collecting or sharing sealed eviction information. Sealed eviction judgments are automatically expunged (removed from public records) two years after the judgment is satisfied, unless a new judgment is entered within that period. This applies to all eviction cases under the residential landlord and tenant act, directly affecting tenants, landlords, and tenant screening entities.

HB 2124 designates specific highway segments and a bridge in Kansas for commemorative purposes. It names a portion of U.S. Highway 160 (from Argonia east to Eden Road) as the CPL Monte Wayne Forrest memorial highway, a portion of U.S. Highway 77 as the POW MIA memorial highway, and bridge No. 82-14-6.88 in Clay County as the POW MIA memorial bridge. The bill requires the state transportation secretary to install standard highway signs along these routes per existing law. This is a ceremonial designation with no new funding, regulations, or policy changes.

The provided bill text does not align with the bill title "HB 2393: Authorizing the supreme court to impose a charge to fund the costs of non-judicial personnel." Instead, the text describes a traffic law (K.S.A. 8-2107) about driver's license deposits, bonds, and fines for traffic violations - such as reckless driving or failure to appear in court. The actual content focuses on law enforcement procedures for traffic stops, not court fee authorizations. Since the context contradicts the bill title and lacks relevant details about court fees or non-judicial personnel funding, a factual summary cannot be generated. The bill text provided appears to describe a different legislative measure.

HB 2042 changes Kansas title insurance regulations by requiring title agents to make audit reports available for inspection upon request by the insurance commissioner instead of submitting them annually. It also sets the required surety bond amount for title agents at $100,000 and eliminates a "controlled business exemption" in certain counties. These changes directly affect title insurance agents operating in Kansas, particularly those in counties where the exemption previously allowed certain business arrangements. The bill modifies existing statutes to increase transparency around agent financial practices and strengthen financial safeguards for consumers.

HB 2114 updates Kansas dam and water obstruction regulations by increasing permit application fees for dam construction, modification, or stream alterations. It requires all inspections of dams to be conducted by engineers approved by the chief engineer of the Kansas Department of Agriculture and adds civil penalties of $100-$1,000 per violation for noncompliance. The bill clarifies definitions (e.g., a "dam" is defined as 25 feet tall or 6 feet tall with 50+ acre-feet storage) and creates exemptions for minor structures meeting specific size and location criteria. These changes directly affect dam owners, engineers, and developers working on water infrastructure projects requiring permits under the Watershed District Act.

HB 2116 requires cities of the second or third class and counties with under 35,000 residents to include specific contract terms from the state’s DA-146a form in all new contracts. Key provisions include banning cities/counties from agreeing to indemnify others for their own actions (Section 2) and mandating that all contracts follow Kansas law and courts (Section 3). While local governments can waive most DA-146a terms with a majority vote, they cannot omit Sections 2 and 3. This bill directly affects how smaller local governments draft contracts, ensuring standardized terms and limiting liability exposure.