Criminal Justice

died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2389: Requiring certain prior convictions to be considered in determining bond when a person is arrested for certain sex offenses.

HB 2389 requires Kansas courts to consider a person's prior convictions when setting bond for individuals arrested on certain sex offenses. This applies specifically to defendants charged with particular sex crimes who have previous convictions. The bill amends Kansas statutes K.S.A. 22-2802 and 22-2803 to mandate that magistrates factor prior convictions into bond decisions for these cases. It directly affects people arrested for specified sex offenses with a history of similar prior convictions.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeMandates consideration of prior convictions for bond in sex offense cases, increasing pretrial restrictions on repeat offenders.95% confidence

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died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 240: Establishing procedures for a civil action instituted by the commissioner of insurance related to fraudulent insurance acts, providing that expunged criminal records will be disclosed in any application for licensure as an insurance producer or public adjuster if the arrest, conviction or diversion is for a fraudulent insurance act and including automobile assigned claims plans in provisions related to fraudulent insurance acts.

SB 240 creates a new civil process allowing Kansas' insurance commissioner to sue individuals or entities for insurance fraud, seeking fines up to $10,000 per violation, restitution for harmed insurers, and recovery of investigation costs. It requires applicants for insurance producer or public adjuster licenses to disclose even expunged criminal records related to fraud, overriding standard expungement protections for such offenses. The bill also extends these fraud provisions to include automobile assigned claims plans. These changes directly affect insurance professionals seeking licensure and insurers pursuing fraud claims, focusing on strengthening enforcement against insurance fraud while modifying how criminal records impact licensing.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill overrides expungement protections for fraud-related records in insurance licensing, restricting rehabilitative benefits of expungement - a key criminal justice reform - by requiring disclosure of sealed records.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Victims' Rights

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died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 205: Increasing the criminal penalty for certain violations of breach of privacy when the victim is a child.

SB 205 increases criminal penalties for secretly recording children without consent. It specifically upgrades the offense under subsection (a)(6) - which covers recording someone under clothing without permission - to a higher-level felony when the victim is under 18, and to the highest penalty ("off-grid felony") if the victim is under 14. This bill directly affects individuals who commit such privacy violations involving minors, particularly those recording children in private settings. The law amends Kansas’ existing breach of privacy statute to impose stricter punishments for these specific acts against child victims.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeIncreases penalties for child privacy violations, expanding criminalization per indicators under 'oppose' (increasing mandatory sentences).90% confidence

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died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 188: Requiring a secured release for release prior to trial when a person is charged with certain offenses and creating a mechanism for unsecured judicial release.

SB 188 requires individuals charged with specific drug manufacturing offenses - such as those involving controlled substances, methamphetamine, or fentanyl-related substances - to post at least $50,000 in cash or surety for release before trial, rather than being released on their own recognizance. It restricts unsecured release (without bail payment) unless a judge determines the defendant is unlikely to re-offend and mandates pretrial supervision or participation in a certified drug treatment program. This bill applies exclusively to offenses defined in amended Kansas statutes (e.g., K.S.A. 21-5703) related to drug manufacturing, not other criminal cases. The changes affect defendants in these specific drug cases during pretrial proceedings, altering bail requirements under Kansas criminal procedure laws.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeRequires $50k cash bail for specific drug offenses, restricting pretrial release options and reducing defendant rights without clear reform focus.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Judges

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died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 155: Adding harboring or concealing a person who has violated terms of probation to the crime of obstructing apprehension or prosecution.

SB 155 adds harboring or concealing someone alleged to have violated probation terms to the crime of obstructing apprehension or prosecution. This means helping a person avoid consequences for breaking probation rules - like missing meetings or failing drug tests - becomes a punishable offense. Penalties range from a class C misdemeanor (for minor violations) to a severity level 8 felony (for serious underlying offenses), depending on the original probation violation. The bill updates Kansas law to explicitly include probation violations under existing obstruction statutes.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeExpands criminalization by making harboring probation violators a punishable offense, increasing penalties for actions that could include aiding compliance with probation terms.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Probation & Parole

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signed · Kansas · House Feb 6, 2026

HB 2347: Changing the culpability required for certain types of theft and increasing the criminal penalty for theft to a felony when the property is a motor vehicle of the value of at least $500, creating the crime of unlawful use of a laser pointer and providing criminal penalties therefor, modifying criminal use of a financial card to include certain conduct involving gift cards, increasing the criminal penalties for buying sexual relations, removing provisions regarding city ordinances prohibiting buying sexual relations, requiring certain offenders to complete an educational or treatment program regarding commercial sexual exploitation and requiring the attorney general to approve such programs in consultation with the office of judicial administration.

HB 2347 changes Kansas theft law by reclassifying the theft of a motor vehicle valued at less than $1,500 from a misdemeanor to a severity level 10 felony. This specifically affects individuals who steal motor vehicles under $1,500, increasing the penalty from a misdemeanor to a felony charge. The bill amends K.S.A. 21-5801 to add this provision under subsection (b)(9), directly impacting theft cases involving low-value vehicles. It does not change penalties for theft of vehicles valued at $1,500 or more, which remain classified as higher-level felonies. The bill was requested by the City of Wichita and Wichita Police Department.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeReclassifies low-value vehicle theft from misdemeanor to felony, increasing penalties - expands criminalization and harshens sentencing, aligning with 'oppose' indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Human Trafficking Policing

signed · Kansas · Senate Apr 11, 2025

SB 156: Increasing the reimbursement amount of money that the secretary of corrections may make to inmates for losses for personal injury or property damage or loss caused by negligence and requiring notice to the secretary for claims exceeding the reimbursement maximum.

The bill title incorrectly references inmate reimbursement, but the actual text of SB 156 defines a new criminal offense: knowingly directing a laser pointer at law enforcement officers during duty or at aircraft in flight. It establishes two penalty levels: a class A misdemeanor for targeting officers, and a severity level 9 felony for targeting aircraft. The bill includes exceptions for authorized personnel (e.g., aircraft manufacturers, military personnel, or emergency signaling devices). This law directly affects individuals who use laser pointers in these specific contexts, adding criminal penalties to existing assault/battery charges. The bill does not address inmate reimbursement or corrections funding as implied by its title.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeCreates new criminal offense with penalties for laser targeting, expanding criminalization beyond existing laws per bill's actual text.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Violent Crime