Criminal Justice in Kansas

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 222: Prohibiting deference to a state agency's interpretation of a statute, rule or regulation or document by a state court or an officer hearing an administrative action.

SB 222 requires Kansas state courts and administrative officers to interpret state laws, rules, and official documents themselves instead of automatically accepting a state agency's explanation. It directly affects courts and agencies in legal disputes over how statutes or regulations should be applied. The bill mandates courts to first use standard legal interpretation methods, then resolve any remaining uncertainty by limiting agency power and protecting individual rights. This change applies to all statutes, rules, and documents with legal force, shifting interpretive authority from agencies to the courts.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Courts

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2010: Prohibiting abortion procedures and creating the crimes of unlawful performance of an abortion and unlawful destruction of a fertilized embryo.

HB 2010 prohibits nearly all abortion procedures in Kansas, making it a severity level 1 felony for healthcare providers to perform an abortion regardless of gestational age. It also creates a separate felony for "unlawful destruction of a fertilized embryo" during fertility treatments like artificial insemination. The law exempts procedures performed to save the life or preserve the health of an unborn child, or to remove a dead fetus following miscarriage, stillbirth, or ectopic pregnancy. This bill directly affects abortion providers, clinics, and patients seeking abortion care, replacing existing abortion laws with strict criminal penalties.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice ✗ Healthcare

Sub-Topics Women's Health

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2159: Exempting law enforcement agencies who do not provide emergency opioid antagonistspursuant to the statewide protocol from the requirement to procure a physician medical director.

HB 2159 creates a $4 million annual grant fund to help law enforcement agencies purchase emergency opioid antagonists (like naloxone) for overdose response. It removes law enforcement agencies from the state's statewide opioid antagonist protocol, exempting them from requirements such as needing a physician medical director for their program. The bill also provides legal immunity for officers who administer these drugs during emergencies. Priority for the grants will go to small agencies that have adopted policies requiring opioid antagonist use.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Healthcare

Sub-Topics Drug Policy Substance Abuse

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 100: Enacting the fair chance housing and homelessness reduction act to limit the use of past evictions and rental arrears to deny applicants from renting a home.

SB 100, the Kansas Fair Chance Housing and Homelessness Reduction Act, limits how landlords and consumer reporting agencies can use past evictions and unpaid rent when screening rental applicants. The bill prohibits consumer reporting agencies from sharing eviction or rental arrears information after three years and bans landlords from denying housing or increasing rent based on such history beyond that point. It also requires consumer reporting agencies to give applicants a chance to explain any eviction or unpaid rent record. This law directly affects renters with past housing issues and landlords who rely on rental history for tenant screening.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Housing

Sub-Topics Homelessness Renters Tenant Rights

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 133: Enacting the responsible gun ownership act to establish the crime of unlawful storage of a firearm.

SB 133 creates a new crime in Kansas for "unlawful storage of a firearm," defined as storing a firearm unsecured (without a trigger lock, locked container, or other reasonable secure location) when a minor accesses it, uses it to cause injury, or causes death. It directly affects gun owners who store firearms in unsecured locations where minors could access them. Penalties range from a class C misdemeanor for minor access alone to a severity level 9 felony for causing bodily harm and a severity level 5 felony for causing death or great bodily harm. The law includes exemptions, such as if the firearm was inoperable, in the owner’s immediate control, or used by a minor in lawful self-defense.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Firearms

signed · Kansas · House Apr 9, 2026

HB 2212: Senate Substitute for HB 2212 by Committee on Judiciary - Authorizing the governor to make a declaration of need for enhanced public safety and security for an extraordinary event and providing certain powers to the governor during a period of such declaration.

HB 2212 increases the maximum reimbursement amount for inmates from $500 to $750 for personal injury or property damage caused by state negligence in Kansas correctional facilities. Inmates must provide written notice to the secretary of corrections for claims exceeding $750 to be reviewed by the joint committee on claims against the state. This change directly affects all inmates in Kansas state correctional institutions who suffer losses due to state negligence. The bill amends Kansas Statute 46-920 to establish the new $750 cap and require the notice procedure.

Topics ✓ 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 Justice

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 261: Authorizing the director of alcoholic beverage control to issue certain licenses to persons convicted of certain felonies if such conviction is more than 10 years old.

SB 261 allows Kansas' alcoholic beverage control director to issue liquor licenses to individuals convicted of certain felonies, provided the conviction occurred more than 10 years before the license application and the applicant demonstrates sufficient rehabilitation. It directly affects people with past felony convictions who wish to own or operate bars, restaurants, or other licensed alcohol businesses in Kansas. The bill amends existing law by removing the automatic disqualification for older felony convictions (under K.S.A. 41-311), requiring only a 10-year waiting period and a rehabilitation assessment. This change applies to all license types governed by Kansas' liquor control and club laws, without altering other eligibility requirements like citizenship or age.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2354: Providing an exception to the crime of unlawful possession of controlled substances for residents of Kansas who possess marijuana and are disabled veterans with a valid medical marijuana card issued by any state.

HB 2354 amends Kansas law to create an exception for disabled veterans who possess marijuana. It exempts Kansas residents who are disabled veterans and hold a valid medical marijuana card issued by any state from prosecution under the state's marijuana possession laws. The bill adds this specific group to the list of legal defenses for possession under K.S.A. 21-5706, meaning they cannot be charged with a misdemeanor or felony for possessing marijuana. This applies only to veterans with a disability incurred during military service, as defined by the bill, and requires a valid medical card from any state, not just Kansas.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Healthcare ✓ Veterans

Sub-Topics Drug Policy

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2091: Requiring discharged inmates be offered the opportunity to register to vote and requiring the secretary of state to develop a voter registration program that offers voter registration services through certain state agencies and accredited high schools.

HB 2091 requires Kansas to offer voter registration to individuals leaving state prisons upon discharge and mandates the Secretary of State to create programs providing registration services at three state agencies (children’s services, aging/disability services, and labor) and all accredited high schools for students aged 17 or older. It clarifies that applicants for agency services must be informed if proof of citizenship is needed to complete voter registration, and requires registration forms to be submitted to election officials. The bill amends existing law to ensure discharged inmates whose civil rights are restored receive registration opportunities and updates voting eligibility rules to exempt those registering under this law. This directly affects former inmates, state agency applicants, and high school students, expanding access points for voter registration without altering voting qualifications.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Civil Rights

All criminal justice bills