This Senate concurrent resolution urges the U.S. Congress to double fines for breaking federal immigration laws and asks Immigration and Customs Enforcement to more aggressively prosecute companies that hire undocumented workers. The bill directly addresses employers who hire unauthorized immigrants and federal agencies responsible for immigration enforcement, citing concerns that current penalties are too weak to deter hiring practices that allegedly harm American workers. Because this is a non-binding resolution rather than a law, it expresses the Kansas Senate's formal recommendation to federal officials without creating new legal obligations or changing existing statutes. The document highlights past statistics showing that ICE has rarely used criminal prosecution against employers compared to its focus on individuals entering the country illegally.
This concurrent resolution urges the Governor of Kansas to fully cooperate with the Trump administration on enforcing federal immigration laws. The bill specifically encourages the state to assist in border security efforts, including the potential deployment of the Kansas National Guard, and supports the deportation of undocumented immigrants who have committed crimes. It frames this cooperation as a bipartisan necessity to protect public safety and resources while also affirming support for a legal immigration system. The resolution directs the Secretary of State to send copies to the Governor, federal officials, and members of Congress to promote collaboration on these issues.
This bill proposes an amendment to the Kansas Constitution to explicitly state that only United States citizens who are at least 18 years old and residents of their voting area are eligible to vote in the state. The key provision clarifies existing requirements by listing them as mandatory conditions for being a qualified elector, while including exceptions that allow citizens to vote absentee or in their former residence if they temporarily move within Kansas or during specific federal election periods. If passed by the legislature and approved by voters in a 2026 election, the change would formally codify current voting rules without altering the fundamental right to vote for those who meet the stated criteria.
This bill proposes adding a constitutional amendment to Kansas to explicitly state that only U.S. citizens who are at least 18 years old and live in their local voting area are eligible to vote. The key provision clarifies residency requirements by allowing exceptions for people who temporarily move away, such as those voting in presidential elections or relocating within the state during an election cycle. If passed by the legislature and approved by voters, the change would codify these specific voter qualifications into the state constitution.
SB 392 prohibits filling vacancies in joint gubernatorial and lieutenant governor candidacies after they are filed, requiring the remaining candidate to form a new joint ticket with another person if a vacancy occurs. For local elections (city, school district, and community college offices), it restricts candidate withdrawals to cases of severe medical hardship (with physician certification) or loss of residency, with all withdrawal requests needing submission by September 1 of the election year. The bill affects candidates running for these specific local and statewide offices by standardizing withdrawal procedures and preventing mid-campaign replacement of joint candidates. It amends Kansas election statutes to clarify these rules for school boards, city councils, and community college trustees.
This bill clarifies the authority of county sheriffs in Kansas to detain individuals based on immigration detainer requests from federal immigration authorities, specifying the documentation required to justify such detentions. It requires municipal insurance pools to provide liability coverage for local law enforcement officers who enforce federal immigration laws, regardless of whether they are formally deputized by federal agencies. The legislation also mandates that the state attorney general provide legal representation to local law enforcement agencies in federal civil or habeas corpus actions related to immigration enforcement and exempts certain federal immigration cooperation agreements from specific provisions of the state's interlocal cooperation act. Additionally, the bill establishes that the state will pay certain court judgment costs if federal authorities fail to cover them in cases where local officers acted in good faith while enforcing immigration detainers.
HB 2686 bans Kansas state and local law enforcement agencies from hiring any former U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who was employed by ICE on or after January 20, 2025. The bill specifically prohibits these individuals from becoming police officers or law enforcement officers as defined under Kansas law (K.S.A. 74-5602). It applies to all current and future employment decisions by Kansas law enforcement entities. The law would take effect upon publication in the state statute book, but it has only been introduced and referred to committee as of February 2026.
HB 2771 establishes procedures for Kansas county sheriffs operating jails regarding U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers. It requires sheriffs to detain individuals based on facially sufficient ICE detainer forms (I-247A) for up to 48 hours without criminal charges, with specific documentation requirements and release conditions including proof of U.S. citizenship. The bill also mandates municipal insurance pools to cover law enforcement actions enforcing federal law and requires the state to pay certain federal court judgments and provide attorney general representation in related civil actions. Additionally, it updates interlocal cooperation agreements for county sheriffs without needing board approval.
HB 2640 requires Kansas' Secretary of State to conduct two annual checks comparing the statewide voter registration database against the federal SAVE database (which verifies immigration status for benefits). This process flags potential noncitizen registrations for county election officials to verify, with voters notified and placed in "pending verification" status before any removal. The bill mandates an annual report to the legislature by January 31, detailing the number of checks performed, flagged voters, removed registrations, and recommendations for improving accuracy. It applies directly to state and county election officials managing voter rolls, while ensuring secure handling of personal data and compliance with privacy standards.
This Kansas bill restricts negligence lawsuit recoveries for specific groups: individuals who engaged in wrongful conduct (requiring defendants to prove this by preponderance of evidence), and unauthorized immigrants in auto accident cases (requiring plaintiffs to prove legal status to claim lost wages). It also changes negligent security duties, requiring property owners to only protect against third-party harm if they knew of similar incidents within the past year, with specific compliance methods (e.g., contacting police or hiring security) creating a presumption of duty fulfillment. Courts must apportion fault among all involved parties - including victims, owners, third parties, and government entities - in negligent security cases, while prohibiting evidence about criminal penalties or financial resources during trials.
