Rep. Patrick Penn

Establishing the Kansas blueprint for literacy and a literacy advisory committee, directing the board of regents to appoint a director of literacy education, requiring the board of regents and board of education to collaborate on a literacy micro-credential, providing university presidents and deans of education oversight over postsecondary literacy courses, requiring a plan to establish centers of excellence in reading, requiring the board of education to submit annual reports to the legislature on literacy goals; establishing the Kansas education opportunity scholarship to replace the Kansas ethnic minority scholarship, removing limits on Kansas nursing service scholarship awards and modifying the interest rate terms and repayment obligations for such awards, eliminating the requirement to subtract other aid from the state payment for the AO-K program, modifying financial limitations on Kansas hero's scholarship awards and broadening eligibility requirements for such awards.

House Substitute for House Substitute for SB 96 by Committee on Commerce, Labor and Economic Development - Establishing child care licensing requirements relating to license capacity and staff-to-child ratios, eliminating certain license fees and training requirements, creating a process for day care facility licensees to apply for temporary waiver of certain statutory requirements and authorizing the secretary to develop and operate pilot programs to increase child care facility availability or capacity, transferring certain child care programs to the Kansas office of early childhood and separating licensing duties between the secretary for health and environment and the executive director of early childhood.

Regarding the distribution of the tax on parimutuel wagering on historic horse races; providing 1/3 of the amount collected shall be credited to the Kansas horse breeding development fund and 2/3 of the amount collected shall be credited to the horse fair racing benefit fund. Against party

Updating certain definitions, terms, conditions and provisions related to the Kansas insurance guaranty association act and Kansas life and health insurance guaranty association act.

Reducing penalties for the late filing of or the failure to file statements listing personal property for assessment and the discovery of escaped personal property and reporting changes after initial statement, allowing for filing of an appraisal by a certified residential real property appraiser for appeal purposes, accounting for adverse influences in the valuation of agricultural land, including properties used for registered agritourism activities as land devoted to agricultural use for purposes of classification, providing a property tax exemption for new electric generation facilities, additions and new pollution control devices and discontinuing certain current property tax exemptions, providing that county clerks are not required to send revenue neutral rate notices to property owners of exempt property, modifying and prescribing the contents of the revenue neutral rate hearing notice, permitting a tax levy that generates the same amount of revenue as the previous year when the final assessed valuation decreases compared to the estimated assessed valuation, requiring that the governing body's vote be conducted on the same day as the commencement of the public hearing, extending reimbursement from the taxpayer notification costs fund for printing and postage costs for calendar year 2024, providing income tax subtraction modifications for certain federal credit disallowances and the employee retention credit disallowance and to permit the carryforward of certain net operating losses, clarifying the disallowed business interest expense deduction, extending the time period for the single city port authority tax credit, decreasing penalties for failing to timely remit withholding income taxes of employees by employers, clarifying the determination of taxable income of an electing pass-through entity and providing for the passing through of tax credits to electing pass-through entity owners relating to the salt parity act, providing countywide retailers' sales tax authority for Rawlins, Marshall and Neosho counties and authorizing teleconference or video conference hearings in the small claims and expedited hearings division of the state board of tax appeals.

House Substitute for SB143 by Committee on Commerce, Labor and Economic Development - Updating elevator safety act provisions concerning the definition of elevator, mechanic and contractor employee licensing requirements, inspection, testing and accident reporting requirements and exceptions, permitting inspections by insurance companies and licensed elevator mechanics and establishing educational and testing options for elevator inspector licensing.

Requiring drivers to proceed with due caution when passing stationary vehicles displaying hazard warning lights and prohibiting the use of mobile telephones by individuals under 18 years of age and for everyone in school and construction zones and providing penalties thereof for violations.

Senate Substitute for HB 2124 by Committee on Federal and State Affairs - Permitting beer and hard cider sales by microbreweries to retailers, public venues, clubs, drinking establishments, holders of temporary permits and caterers and allowing such sales at special events to consumers.

Increasing the transfer from the state highway fund to the public use general aviation airport development fund.

Prohibiting public utilities from exercising eminent domain for the siting or placement of solar generation facilities.