Criminal Justice

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2422: Providing that the theft of grain or hay is a severity level 6, nonperson felony.

HB 2422 reclassifies theft of grain as a felony by adding "property that is grain" to Kansas' felony theft categories under K.S.A. 21-5801(b)(9). It defines "grain" as 400 or more bushels of specific crops like corn, wheat, soybeans, or other grains meeting federal standards. Stealing grain meeting this threshold is now classified as a severity level 6 felony, a more serious offense than lower-level thefts. This directly affects individuals who steal significant quantities of grain from agricultural operations or storage facilities.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeReclassifies grain theft as severity level 6 felony, increasing criminal penalties for property crime without reform intent.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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vetoed · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2412: Requiring instruction to provide students with an understanding of communist, fascist and socialist regimes and ideologies and that students pass an American civics examination in order to graduate with a high school diploma.

This bill increases penalties for endangering children under six years old in Kansas. It reclassifies "endangering a child" for this age group from a misdemeanor to a severity level 9 felony, and raises "aggravated endangering" from a level 9 to a level 8 felony. The law directly affects caregivers - such as parents, guardians, or others responsible for a child - who knowingly or recklessly place children under six in situations endangering their life, body, or health. Key provisions include mandatory consecutive sentencing for these offenses and specific definitions related to drug-related environments.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill increases penalties for child endangerment by reclassifying offenses to higher felony levels, directly expanding criminalization and harsher sentencing per 'oppose' indicators.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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vetoed · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 254: Prohibiting aliens who are unlawfully present in the United States from receiving any state or local public benefit in accordance with applicable federal law.

SB 254 prohibits immigrants unlawfully present in the U.S. from receiving most Kansas state or local public benefits, including reduced college tuition. It requires applicants 18+ to provide proof of lawful presence (like a driver's license or federal immigration documents) before accessing benefits, and mandates state agencies to verify status through the federal DHS system. The bill also requires immigration status checks for non-citizen criminal defendants during bond hearings, creating a presumption they might flee. Exceptions include benefits required by federal law, and it explicitly excludes driver's license services from the definition of "public benefit."

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeRequires immigration status checks for non-citizen criminal defendants during bond hearings, restricting due process rights in criminal proceedings.90% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts reduced college tuition access for undocumented immigrants, directly limiting educational access as stated in the bill's summary.95% confidence ✗ ImmigrationOpposes ImmigrationRestricts undocumented immigrants' access to state benefits, requires verification of lawful presence, mandates status checks for criminal defendants95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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signed · Kansas · House Apr 9, 2026

HB 2653: Requiring the secretary of corrections to assist inmates with obtaining identification and employment-related documentation prior to release from custody.

HB 2653 requires Kansas's Secretary of Corrections to help incarcerated individuals obtain essential identification and employment documents before their release. Specifically, it mandates providing certified birth certificates, Social Security cards, and state-issued driver's licenses or ID cards (if eligible), plus job training records, work history, educational credentials, and a resume highlighting skills. This applies to all inmates released from state custody within nine months of release, excluding those transferred to other jurisdictions or deemed unable to work by the Secretary. The law also requires coordination with state agencies to streamline document access, aiming to reduce barriers to employment and reintegration after incarceration.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeHelps inmates obtain ID/employment docs pre-release, reducing reentry barriers and recidivism - key criminal justice reform goal.85% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentHelps incarcerated individuals obtain essential employment documentation (IDs, work history, resumes), removing barriers to reemployment and advancing workforce access for vulnerable workers.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Kansas · House Apr 9, 2026

HB 2613: Providing for the crime victims compensation board to establish fees chargeable for conducting examinations of persons who may be victims of sexual assault, authorizing the board to adopt rules and regulations to administer such fees and to use moneys in the crime victims compensation fund for the payment of such fees and allowing certain exceptions to the confidentiality of records and information given to the board.

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.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill ensures victims of sexual assault aren't burdened with medical exam fees, using compensation funds for costs - aligns with victim protection and civil rights in criminal justice reform.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Kansas · Senate Apr 9, 2026

SB 487: Requiring the Kansas bureau of investigation to implement a statewide offender registration system for agencies who register offenders under the offender registration act, providing for a petition to determine that an offender is indigent and authorizing a notice to appear to be issued for a violation of the act involving nonpayment of a fee.

SB 487 requires the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) to create a single statewide system for law enforcement agencies to manage offender registrations under Kansas' existing registration law. This system allows offenders to report workplace or school locations once instead of multiple times, streamlining registration. The bill also establishes a $10 technology fee for offenders (capped at $10), with funds deposited into a dedicated "offender registration technology fund" to cover system development and maintenance costs. It updates current registration rules to mandate real-time data submission to the new system and requires courts to provide clear registration instructions to offenders.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill creates centralized offender registration system to streamline reporting and funds it via $10 fee, strengthening administrative efficiency in criminal justice system92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Kansas · House Apr 9, 2026

HB 2479: Authorizing electronic monitoring with victim notification as a condition of release prior to trial for certain offenders charged with a domestic violence offense, domestic battery, stalking or violation of a protective order, modifying the culpable mental state required to commit the crime of breach of privacy and increasing the criminal penalties for certain violations of such crime, modifying the elements of the crime of blackmail related to threatened dissemination of any image, video or other recording of another identifiable person who is nude or engaged in sexual activity, describing who is a person in a position of authority for a school for the crime of unlawful sexual relations and increasing the penalties for the crimes of endangering a child and aggravated endangering a child if the child is less than six years of age.

HB 2479 allows judges to require electronic monitoring with victim notification as a condition of pretrial release for defendants charged with domestic violence, domestic battery, stalking, or violating a protective order. Victims must provide informed consent after being briefed on the monitoring system's function, risks, and their rights, including the ability to withdraw consent. Judges must consider factors like the severity of past violence, the defendant's history, weapon access, and mental health when deciding, and must define specific exclusion zones (e.g., the victim's home) the defendant must avoid. The defendant pays for monitoring costs, and alerts from the system can serve as probable cause for arrest if the defendant violates a protective order. This bill amends Kansas criminal procedure law to add this monitoring requirement as a possible release condition.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates electronic monitoring with victim consent for domestic violence pretrial release, enhancing victim safety protections in court proceedings.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice

signed · Kansas · House Apr 9, 2026

HB 2444: Providing that jail credit when consecutive sentences are imposed shall not apply to more than one case, creating special sentencing rules when a felony is committed by certain offenders while on probation, parole or postrelease supervision for a prior felony and requiring secured minimum bonds for certain defendants who commit a new felony while on probation, parole, postrelease supervision or bond for a prior felony unless the court makes certain findings.

HB 2444 changes Kansas sentencing rules by limiting jail credit for consecutive sentences to apply to only one case, preventing double-counting of pretrial jail time across multiple sentences. For individuals on probation, parole, or postrelease supervision who commit a new felony, the bill requires courts to impose a prison sentence as the default (unless specific findings justify otherwise) and prohibits certain sentencing departures. It also mandates that such defendants must post a secured bond (requiring collateral) for release, unless the court waives this requirement. These provisions apply specifically to new felony offenses committed during supervision for a prior felony.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeMandates prison as default for new felonies during supervision, restricts judicial discretion, and limits jail credit - increases mandatory sentencing without reform elements.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

signed · Kansas · House Apr 9, 2026

HB 2518: Enacting the Kansas transparency in consumer legal funding act.

HB 2518 increases criminal penalties for attempts, conspiracies, and solicitation related to breach of privacy crimes in Kansas. It modifies the required mental state for conviction and adds stricter penalties when the victim is under 18 years old. The bill amends Kansas statutes governing criminal attempts (K.S.A. 21-5301), conspiracies (21-5302), and solicitation (21-5303) to elevate penalties for these specific offenses. It directly affects individuals accused of privacy violations, particularly those targeting minors. The changes apply to all breach of privacy cases except those involving the most severe offenses already carrying maximum penalties.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill increases penalties for breach of privacy crimes, including stricter sentencing for minors, directly aligning with 'oppose' indicators of heightened criminalization and punitive sentencing.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill increases penalties for privacy breaches, directly strengthening data privacy protections under technology policy.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

signed · Kansas · Senate Apr 9, 2026

SB 374: Permitting a municipal judge to initiate a psychiatric or psychological examination to determine competence, setting forth relevant procedures and requiring further consideration of evaluation and treatment during the course of competency proceedings for defendants charged with the most serious offenses.

SB 374 requires courts to order more thorough evaluation and treatment for defendants found incompetent to stand trial on serious felony charges, including violent crimes or certain drug offenses. It mandates that medical providers certify within 90 days whether a defendant has a realistic chance of regaining competency, triggering a court hearing within 21 days. If competency isn't restored within six months, the court must direct prosecutors to begin involuntary commitment proceedings. The bill specifically applies to defendants charged with "most serious offenses," such as violent felonies or specific sex crimes, ensuring clearer timelines for court decisions.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeMandates thorough competency evaluations/treatment for serious offenses, prioritizing rehabilitation over indefinite detention and aligning with criminal justice reform indicators.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Criminal Justice