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 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 · House Apr 9, 2026

HB 2413: Enhancing the criminal penalty for an offense committed with the intent to commit transnational repression, requiring the development of transnational repression recognition and response training, providing that theft of livestock or implements of husbandry is a severity level 5, nonperson felony, providing that the theft of grain or hay is a severity level 6, nonperson felony and providing that certain portions of the crime of cruelty to animals do not apply to any person who catches a feral cat to provide vaccination, spaying or neutering and returns such cat back to the location where such cat is caught.

HB 2413 reclassifies theft of livestock (cattle or horses) or farm equipment (implements of husbandry) as a severity level 5 felony, raising penalties for these crimes. Previously, such thefts might have been treated as lower-level offenses. The bill also allows authorities to seize vehicles, tools, or other property used to commit these thefts. It directly affects Kansas farmers and ranchers by strengthening legal protections for their livestock and farm equipment.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeReclassifies livestock theft as severity level 5 felony, increasing penalties and expanding criminalization of property crimes against farmers.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

signed · Kansas · House Apr 9, 2026

HB 2192: Limiting or prohibiting work release for people convicted of a second or third offense of domestic battery, requiring an offender convicted of a first offense to undergo a domestic violence offender assessment, excluding certain offenders convicted of a nonperson felony from participation in certified drug abuse treatment programs and authorizing community correctional services officers to complete criminal risk-need assessments for divertees who are committed to such programs.

HB 2192 restricts work release for individuals convicted of a second or third offense of domestic battery in Kansas. For a second offense within five years, work release is only permitted after serving 45 consecutive days (previously 48 hours), and probation/suspension requires at least 45 days served. For a third or subsequent offense, the bill prohibits work release entirely until the offender serves 90 consecutive days of imprisonment. This amendment to Kansas law (K.S.A. 21-5414) directly affects repeat domestic battery offenders by extending mandatory prison time before eligibility for work release or other supervised release options.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeRestricts work release for repeat domestic battery offenders, increasing mandatory time served and limiting early release options.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

signed · Kansas · Senate Apr 9, 2026

SB 84: Enacting the supported decision-making agreements act to provide a statutory framework for allowing an adult to receive decision-making assistance from one or more other adults, requirements for decision-making agreements and duties related thereto.

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.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands criminalization of gift card fraud with increased penalties, directly adding new offenses to criminal law without reform elements or protections.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

vetoed · Kansas · House Apr 9, 2026

HB 2329: Changing the name of juvenile crisis intervention centers to juvenile stabilization centers, modifying the intake criteria for such centers, prohibiting certain rules and regulations for such centers, modifying the treatment and services provided by such centers, increasing the cumulative detention limit for juvenile offenders and criminal penalties for juvenile offenders who use a firearm in the commission of an offense or who are repeat offenders, providing for increased placement of offenders in non-foster home beds in youth residential facilities, requiring the secretary of corrections to pay for the costs associated with such placements, authorizing the secretary to make expenditures from the evidence-based programs account of the state general fund moneys to contract for such beds and transferring moneys from such account of the state general fund to the department for children and families to provide juvenile stabilization services.

HB 2329 increases the cumulative detention limit for juvenile offenders who commit repeat offenses or use a firearm during a crime, raising criminal penalties for these specific situations. The bill expands placement options by requiring more juveniles to be housed in specialized youth residential facilities (non-foster home beds) rather than foster care, with the secretary of corrections responsible for covering these costs. It authorizes the secretary to use funds from the state's evidence-based programs account to contract for these facility beds, ensuring cost coverage without requiring new legislative appropriations.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeIncreases juvenile penalties/detention for firearm use/repeat offenses, expanding criminalization without rehabilitation focus95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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failed · Kansas · House Apr 9, 2026

HB 2164: Senate Substitute for HB 2164 by Committee on Judiciary - Prohibiting certain sex offenders from entering onto school property or attending school activities and creating criminal penalties for violation thereof.

HB 2164 prohibits adult sex offenders (18+ years old) whose underlying crime involved a victim under 18 from entering school property or attending school activities in Kansas. It creates criminal penalties for violations, classifying first offenses as a severity level 6 felony, second offenses as level 5, and third or subsequent offenses as level 3 felonies. The bill amends Kansas' offender registration laws to include this restriction as part of the Kansas Offender Registration Act. It directly affects sex offenders convicted of crimes against minors, such as those involving indecent liberties, sexual battery, or exploitation where the victim was under 18 at the time. The law applies to all Kansas public and private schools, including athletic events and extracurricular activities.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeAdds felony penalties for sex offenders near schools, expanding criminalization and increasing penalties without rehabilitation focus.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Criminal Justice

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