Kansas Bills

SB 403 creates two new distinctive license plates in Kansas for "Pheasants Forever" and "Quail Forever," supporting conservation groups. Kansas residents with eligible passenger vehicles or light trucks can apply for these plates by paying an extra $25-$100 fee (determined by the organizations) to their county treasurer, in addition to standard registration costs. The plates are non-transferable and require annual renewal with the same fee. This bill directly affects Kansas vehicle owners who choose to support these wildlife conservation initiatives through their license plate selection.

HB 2509 amends Kansas law to explicitly include "licensed advanced practice registered nurse" (specifically those authorized as nurse-midwives) in the definition of "healthcare provider" under the Healthcare Provider Insurance Availability Act. This change directly affects advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) who practice as nurse-midwives, ensuring they qualify under the same professional liability insurance requirements as other defined healthcare providers. The bill modifies K.S.A. 40-3401 to add new subsections (S) and (U) to the definition, aligning APRNs with existing categories like physicians and nurses. This adjustment ensures APRNs are covered by the state's framework for professional liability insurance availability, without altering insurance benefits or costs. The bill is currently pending in the Health and Human Services Committee.

HB 2562 expands eligibility for disability license plates and placards in Kansas by allowing physical therapists to certify a person's disability. It directly affects Kansas residents with disabilities who need accessible parking or transportation accommodations. The bill amends existing law to include physical therapists (as defined in Kansas law) among healthcare professionals authorized to provide the required documentation. This change simplifies the certification process without altering fees, placard types, or the requirement to display the international symbol of access. The bill maintains existing rules for permanent/temporary placards and identification cards.

HB 2552 requires courts and court services officers to complete and submit presentence investigation reports and court journal entries using standardized forms approved by the Kansas Sentencing Commission. This applies to all felony cases in Kansas, directly affecting judges, court staff, and the Sentencing Commission. The bill mandates that these documents follow Commission-prescribed formats instead of current practices, ensuring consistency in recording sentencing details like criminal history, sentence types, and supervision terms. It amends existing statutes (21-6813, 22-3426, etc.) to enforce this procedural standard. The bill focuses solely on documentation requirements, not sentencing outcomes or policy changes.

HB 2466 extends Kansas's angel investor tax credit program expiration from 2026 to 2031, allowing eligible investors to claim tax credits for investments in qualified Kansas businesses through 2031. The bill directly affects angel investors who make cash investments in Kansas startups or small businesses and the businesses receiving those investments. It maintains the existing structure where investors can claim up to 50% of their investment as a tax credit, with annual limits (capping at $8 million in total credits per year for 2026-2031). The extension ensures the program remains active without altering credit rates or annual caps, providing continued incentive for early-stage business funding in Kansas.

SB 356 protects gun shops (federal firearms licensees) from civil lawsuits if they return a customer's firearm at the end of a temporary storage agreement. The bill specifically applies when a gun owner leaves a legally owned firearm with a licensed shop for a set period, and the shop returns it per the agreement's terms. It creates immunity from lawsuits for this return, unless the shop acted unlawfully during the agreement. This directly affects gun shops and customers using firearm storage services, removing a potential legal risk for standard returns. The law does not change gun ownership rules or create new restrictions.

SB 398 is a proposed Kansas bill that would change rules for expert witness testimony in court. It requires parties introducing expert testimony (the "proponent") to prove, before testimony is allowed, that the expert's specialized knowledge is more likely than not to help the judge or jury understand the evidence or decide a fact in the case. The bill adds specific requirements: the testimony must be based on sufficient facts, use reliable methods, and the expert must have properly applied those methods to the case. This would apply to qualified expert witnesses in civil and criminal cases where specialized knowledge is offered as testimony. The bill is currently pending in the Judiciary Committee after being introduced on January 27, 2026.

SB 321 is a ceremonial bill that names a specific highway junction in Johnson County as the "Representative Robert M Tomlinson memorial interchange." It directly honors the late state representative by designating the intersection of I-35, U.S. Highway 69, and 18th Street Expressway. The bill requires the Kansas Department of Transportation to install commemorative signs at the location after following existing signage procedures. This is a purely symbolic measure with no policy changes, funding, or new requirements for residents or government operations.

This bill removes the requirement for hunters to sign across the face of migratory waterfowl stamps. It increases the maximum fee for nonresident migratory waterfowl stamps from $8 to $100 (while keeping resident fees at $25). The change directly affects nonresident hunters who purchase these stamps for waterfowl hunting in Kansas. The bill repeals the previous signature requirement and fee structure in the state code.

HB 2511 amends Kansas law to allow moneys earned from agricultural activities (like farming or grazing) on state-owned properties - such as wildlife areas managed by the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks - to be pooled into a single state agricultural production fund. Instead of requiring separate accounts for each property, the bill permits these funds to be used for the management of *all* state-owned properties, including parks, forests, and other lands. The key change eliminates the previous requirement for property-specific accounts, centralizing funding under the state treasurer for broader management costs. This directly affects how the state handles revenue from agricultural operations on public lands, streamlining budgeting for property upkeep.

HB 2560 authorizes Kansas State University's state board of regents to sell a specific 1.3-acre parcel of university-owned property in Manhattan (Fraternity Knoll Addition, Lot 3) to fund housing improvements. The bill details the exact property boundaries and requires proceeds from the sale to be deposited into Kansas State University's housing repair and improvement fund. It mandates attorney general review of legal descriptions before any sale and exempts the transaction from certain state property laws. This is a routine administrative action affecting only this specific property and university housing finances, not a broad policy change.

HB 2485 allows the chief executive of Kansas' state board of regents to negotiate repayment terms for students who owe money on state scholarships, grants, or other financial aid. It prohibits the state from providing any additional aid to students who currently have outstanding repayment obligations under these programs. This directly affects students who have received state-funded aid but now owe money, requiring them to settle those debts before qualifying for new financial assistance. The bill amends existing law to clarify the board's authority to handle repayments and enforce the eligibility restriction.