Criminal Justice (Courts) in Kansas

passed · Kansas · Senate Mar 20, 2026

SB 481: Permitting a municipal judge to initiate a psychiatric or psychological examination to determine competence and setting forth relevant procedures.

This Kansas bill (SB 481) allows municipal judges to order psychiatric or psychological evaluations to determine if a defendant is mentally competent to stand trial. It sets clear procedures: judges can initiate exams through licensed professionals or approved facilities within 60 days, with costs covered by municipal funds. If found incompetent, the case is either dismissed or transferred to district court for further action under specific legal pathways. The bill directly affects defendants in municipal court cases where mental competence is in question, ensuring standardized evaluation processes.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Courts Judges

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2707: Modifying the definition of abuse in the protection from abuse act to include certain acts or threats related to pets and specifying that courts may include orders relating to pets in protection from abuse act orders.

This Kansas bill (HB 2707) expands the definition of "abuse" under the Protection from Abuse Act to include intentionally harming, threatening, or causing injury to a pet to control, punish, intimidate, or distress a partner or household member. It also allows courts to include specific orders about pet custody and protection in existing protection orders. The bill directly affects individuals in abusive relationships where pets are used as tools of control, such as when an abuser threatens or harms a pet to coerce a victim. Key mechanisms include adding new provisions to the law defining abuse (Section 1) and creating specific court orders for pet-related safety (Sections 10-11 of K.S.A. 60-3107).

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Courts Domestic Violence

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2754: Enacting the providing civil relief from coerced debt act to provide protections and remedies for victims of certain debts constituting a coerced debt because of actions by another individual within the context of domestic violence.

HB 2754 creates a legal process for domestic violence victims to dispute debts incurred through abuse. It defines "coerced debt" as personal debts (not secured by property) resulting from tactics like fraud, intimidation, or misuse of personal information during domestic violence. Victims who provide a "statement of coerced debt" plus documentation (e.g., police reports, court orders, or verified third-party statements) can force creditors to stop collection efforts, remove negative credit reports, return payments, and halt lawsuits within 10 business days. The law specifically targets debts caused by economic abuse, such as restricting access to money or stealing resources, and applies only to personal debts.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Courts Domestic Violence Policing

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2611: Providing limitations and restrictions on releasing a person charged with a crime upon the person's own recognizance.

HB 2611 amends Kansas law to add stricter conditions for releasing people charged with crimes before trial, directly affecting individuals facing criminal charges in Kansas courts. The bill requires magistrates to impose a mandatory 72-hour no-contact rule with alleged victims for felony or misdemeanor cases, and limits "release on own recognizance" (without bail) to defendants with no prior felonies, no history of missing court appearances, and no pending probation violations. It also restricts cash bond options, allowing only 10% of the bond amount for certain low-level misdemeanor or drug cases meeting specific criteria, and prohibits administrative fees for pretrial supervision. These changes aim to balance public safety with pretrial release while clarifying magistrate discretion.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Courts Judges Probation & Parole

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2688: Providing that a nondisclosure agreement shall not be judicially enforceable in a dispute involving childhood sexual abuse or human trafficking allegations or claims.

HB 2688 prevents courts from enforcing nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) in legal disputes involving childhood sexual abuse or human trafficking allegations. It directly affects victims, abusers, and traffickers in civil cases by voiding NDAs that would otherwise silence victims or conceal wrongdoing. The law applies to NDAs signed on or after July 1, 2026, though agreements made before that date may still be enforced if a court issues a final declaration of enforceability. This policy change ensures victims cannot be legally barred from speaking about abuse or trafficking incidents in related legal proceedings.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Courts Human Trafficking Victims' Rights

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2723: Requiring the supreme court to develop or procure a court date reminder program for the purpose of sending advance notifications to individuals with scheduled court dates for a criminal case or an infraction and requiring all courts to send certain notifications using such program.

HB 2723 requires Kansas courts to implement a free court date reminder program for individuals with scheduled court dates in criminal cases or traffic infractions. The program, to be developed by the Supreme Court by June 2027, will automatically send multiple reminders via text, email, phone call, or mail at least 14 days, 7 days, and 1 day before the court date, plus a follow-up if a date is missed. Courts must collect contact information during summons, booking, or court intake processes (without penalizing refusal to provide it), and individuals can opt out of text reminders while updating contact details through a public website. The law ensures no cost to users and mandates consistent notification timing to reduce missed appearances.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Courts

failed · Kansas · House Mar 26, 2026

HB 2527: Prohibiting certain sex offenders from entering onto school property or attending school activities, prohibiting courts from assigning a defendant to work release if the defendant is required to register as a sex offender for certain crimes and prohibiting the secretary of corrections from granting an inmate leave from confinement except for specified purposes if theinmate is required to register as a sex offender for certain crimes or is serving a sentence for certain crimes that require registration as a sex offender.

HB 2527 prohibits courts from assigning defendants to work release programs if they have any prior conviction or court finding for a crime requiring sex offender registration under Kansas law. It also bans the secretary of corrections from granting inmates with such prior convictions leave for work release or educational release programs. This law directly affects individuals with prior sex offense convictions that mandate registration under Kansas' sex offender registry system. The bill amends Kansas statutes 21-6604 and 75-5267 to enforce these restrictions.

Topics ✗ Criminal Justice ✗ Education

Sub-Topics Corrections Courts Probation & Parole

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2499: Requiring persons convicted of or given diversion agreements for driving under the influence offenses to attend victim impact panel programs.

HB 2499 requires individuals convicted of driving under the influence (DUI) or placed in diversion programs for DUI offenses to attend victim impact panel programs. These panels, run by approved nonprofit organizations, must be attended in person unless a court approves an online alternative due to impracticality. The bill permits nonprofits to charge up to $100 for the program and applies to all DUI convictions under Kansas law (K.S.A. 8-2,144 and 8-1567) starting January 1, 2027. It directly affects DUI offenders who face this requirement as part of their sentencing or diversion terms.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Transportation

Sub-Topics Courts Sentencing Traffic Safety

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2538: Providing an exception to criminal liability when a defendant has a mental disease or defect so as not to know the nature of the act or that such act was wrong.

HB 2538 modifies Kansas criminal law to clarify when a defendant with a mental illness may avoid criminal liability. It establishes two specific defenses: if the defendant couldn't understand their actions' nature/wrongfulness due to mental illness, or lacked the required mental state for the crime. The bill requires defendants to formally notify prosecutors before trial if using this defense and mandates juries to answer special questions when acquitting based on mental illness. If a defendant is found not guilty due to mental illness, the court must commit them to a secure facility for evaluation and potential treatment, with victim notification required. This directly affects criminal defendants claiming mental illness as a defense in Kansas courts.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Courts Victims' Rights

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 306: Requiring persons convicted of or given diversion agreements for driving under the influence to attend victim impact panel programs.

SB 306 requires courts in Kansas to order individuals convicted of or given diversion agreements for driving under the influence (DUI) offenses to attend victim impact panel programs. These programs, developed and conducted by court-approved nonprofit organizations, must be attended in person unless a court determines in-person attendance is impractical, in which case an online option may be permitted. The bill permits panels to charge a fee of up to $100 per participant. This requirement applies to violations of DUI statutes (K.S.A. 8-2,144 and 8-1567) starting January 1, 2027, and affects all eligible DUI offenders sentenced after that date.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Sub-Topics Courts

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