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30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
What new Kansas laws go into effect on July 1, 2025?
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Kansas lawmakers were busy during the 2025 session of the state's Legislature, passing numerous new laws set to take effect in the near future. State residents can expect some changes moving forward now that the 2025 session of the Kansas Legislature has officially wrapped up with Governor Laura Kelly issuing the last bill actions of the year on April 25, 2025. Lawmakers successfully passed more than 120 bills this year, with nearly 100 set to take effect later this summer. The 2025 session of the Kansas Legislature had no shortage of controversial moments, hotly debated bills, and other interesting occurrences inside the historic statehouse building. The leader of the Satanic Grotto, Michael Stewart, held a controversial 'Black Mass' at the statehouse in late March. Law enforcement got involved during the Black Mass, taking Stewart and other attendees away. How rare is the Kansas state quarter in your pocket and is it worth more than $0.25? Several new license plate options also received approval in 2025. These include the National Future Farmers of America (FFA), Route 66 Association of Kansas and much-anticipated blackout-style license plates. Lawmakers also approved legislation for year-round firework sales in Kansas. Physical retail locations have the option of selling their fireworks for extended periods of time throughout the year while the lighting of fireworks remains restricted. Legalizing weed went nowhere this session, despite several bills being introduced to lower criminal penalties and allow for the use of medical marijuana. 27 News spoke with experts this year to find out why marijuana legalization isn't making any progress in the Sunflower State. Kelly vetoed a total of 19 bills throughout the session. However, only five of her veto decisions were sustained, meaning the bills were effectively blocked by the governor. The Republican supermajority control in the House and Senate proved capable of overturning the majority of the Democrat governor's vetoes. KHP trooper warns of 'tire gator' danger on Kansas highways Lawmakers successfully pushed through controversial bills like the 'Help Not Harm Act' that adds new restrictions to the use of state funds regarding the promotion of gender transitions and prevents healthcare providers from providing gender transition care to kids whose gender identity is inconsistent with the child's sex. Kelly's veto of a bill that restricts when advance voting ballots must be returned on the day of the election was also defeated 27 News checked with the Kansas Department of Legislative Research (KLRD) to find out what bills made it through the Legislature that will have an impact on the lives of Kansans. You can read through the full list of 129 bills passed during this session of the Kansas Legislature, along with the vetoed pieces of legislation, with short descriptions for each below. Senate Bill – amends the Kansas Parimutuel Racing Act regarding qualifications for an organization license, the definition of horsemen's associations and horsemen's nonprofit organizations and the distribution of certain tax revenues. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Bill – discontinues the state property tax levies for the Kansas Educational Building Fund and the State Institutions Building Fund and provides for financing from the State General Fund. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Bill – provides for the establishment of a web-based online insurance verification system for the verification of evidence of motor vehicle liability insurance, eliminates the requirement the Kansas commissioner of insurance submit certain reports to the governor and requires certain reports be available on the Kansas Insurance Department's (KID) website among other changes. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Bill – declares antisemitism to be against public policy. Also defines antisemitism and antisemitic for purposes of state law. In effect as of May 1, 2025. Senate Bill – creates a sales tax exemption for qualifying data center projects. Also gives the state another tool to bring jobs and infrastructure to Kansas communities through economic development. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Bill – provides that future income tax and privilege tax rate decreases be contingent on exceeding revenue estimates and retains a certain amount in the Budget Stabilization Fund. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Lawmakers overrode the governor's veto. House Bill – authorizes the Kansas commissioner of insurance to set the amount of certain fees and cause the publication of such fees in the Kansas Register, authorizes the commissioner to reduce the number of board members on certain insurance-related boards, renames the Kansas Insurance Department to to the Kansas Department of Insurance and other changes. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – provides for child support orders for unborn children from the date of conception, includes the direct medical and pregnancy-related expenses of the mother as a factor in child support orders and provides for an income tax exemption for unborn and stillborn children, among other changes. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Lawmakers overrode the governor's veto. House Bill – provides for claims to recover economic damages from fire events caused by electric public utilities, establishes a statute of limitations for such claims and requires the Kansas State Corporation Commission to convene a workshop on utility wildfire risk and mitigation. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – provides an additional personal exemption for head of household tax filers and increases the personal exemption for certain disabled veterans for purposes of income tax. Also modifies the definition of household income for eligibility of seniors and disabled veterans related to increased property tax homestead refund claims. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – provides countywide retailers' sales tax authority for Finney, Pawnee, Seward and Jackson Counties. Also provides that countywide retailers' sales tax apportionment based on tangible property tax levies remain unchanged until Dec. 31, 2026 and excludes exempt sales of certain custom meat processing services from sales tax exemption certificate requirements. In effect as of May 8, 2025. House Bill – requires local governments report certain local economic development incentive program information to the secretary of the Kansas Department of Commerce, define such programs and requires the secretary to post the information on the Economic Development Incentive Program Database. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – enacts the Kansas Protected Cell Captive Insurance Company Act. Also provides for the redomestication of a foreign or alien captive insurance company and updates certain terms, requirements and conditions of the Captive Insurance Act among other changes. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – amends the Kansas Revised Limited Liability Company Act, the Business Entity Transactions Act and the Business Entity Standard Treatment Act. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Bill – validates the May 21, 2024 special election results for the bond issuance question submitted by the Board of Education of USD 200 in Greeley County. In effect as of March 27, 2025. Senate Bill – requires the return of advance voting ballots by 7 p.m. on the day of the election. In effect as of Jan. 1, 2026. Lawmakers defeated the governor's veto. Senate Bill – prohibits the use of funds provided by the U.S. government for the conduct of elections and election-related activities unless approved by the Kansas Legislature. In effect as of May 1, 2025. Lawmakers overrode the governor's veto. Senate Bill – prohibits the use of ranked-choice voting methods for conducting elections. In effect as of April 10, 2025. House Bill – includes private online obituary notices as sufficient grounds for removal of a deceased voter from voter registration books. Also prohibits the disqualification of active military members, spouses or other dependents as poll workers by county election officers on the basis of residency or registration. The bill modifies the requirements for soliciting registered voters to apply for an advance voting ballot. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – requires special elections be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March or on the same day as a Primary or General Election. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Substitute for House Bill – increases the limits on certain campaign contributions under the Campaign Finance Act. In effect as of April 10, 2025. Substitute for House Bill – requires a person listed on a certificate of nomination for a minor political party to accept such nomination by a notarized declaration and prohibits such person from becoming a candidate for another political party. Also makes changes regarding the crime of false representation of an election official. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Became law without the governor's signature. House Bill 2206 – renames the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission to the Kansas Public Disclosure Commission, defines terms in the Campaign Finance Act, requires the filing of statements of independent expenditures, prohibits agreements requiring contributions in the name of another and requires the termination of unused campaign finance accounts. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Kansas law enforcement agencies sign up to help ICE conduct deportations Senate Bill – authorizes the sale or transfer of forfeited firearms under the Kansas Standard Asset Seizure and Forfeiture Act to a licensed firearm dealer. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – updates cross references in the Personal and Family Protection Act regarding the eligibility requirements to obtain a license to carry a concealed handgun, requires the surrender of a suspended or revoked license, provides for a transition from a provisional license to a standard licenses and prohibits the collection of personal information of an off-duty law enforcement officer entering buildings while armed or requires such officer to wear any item identifying such person as a law enforcement officer or being armed. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Substitute for Senate Bill – limits discovery and disclosure of third-party litigation funding agreements and requires reporting of such agreements to courts. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Bill – increases the reimbursement amount the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC) may make to compensate inmates for losses for personal injury or property damage. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Bill – protects Kansans by combating online sexual crimes and strengthens protections for survivors of sexual assault, among other related public safety issues. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Bill – creates a new process for the appointment of trustees to county law libraries. Senate Bill 204 also requires that certain sensitive information about cases, warrants and subpoenas in criminal and juvenile cases be kept confidential to protect the privacy of Kansans. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Bill – authorizes law enforcement officers to conduct investigations of violations of the Scrap Metal Theft Reduction Act. In effect as of July, 2025. House Bill – specifies that sheriffs have liability for official acts related to charge and custody of jails. In effect as of May 1, 2025. House Bill – continues in existence certain exceptions to the disclosure of public records under the Open Records Act. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – prohibits a sheriff from charging a fee for service of process for proceedings under the Protection from Abuse Act and the Protection from Stalking, Sexual Assault or Human Trafficking Act. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – modifies the definition of public-private partnership to increase the allowable cost-share limit for expenditures by the KDOC on certain correctional institution projects. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – includes aboveground and belowground lines, cables and wires in the definition of a critical infrastructure facility used for telecommunications or video services for the crimes of trespassing on a critical infrastructure facility and criminal damage to a critical infrastructure facility. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – provides that Kansas Highway Patrol officers and majors are to be within the unclassified service under the Kansas Civil Service Act. Also provides that a superintendent, assistant superintendent or major shall be returned to a rank with permanent status not lower than the rank held when the officer was appointed to such respective position. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – authorizes the Kansas attorney general and the Kansas State Gaming Agency to receive certain additional criminal history records, updates criminal history record language related to the Kansas state bank commissioner and requires the secretary of the Kansas Department of Labor to conduct criminal history record checks on employees who have access to federal tax information among other changes. In effect as of May 1, 2025. Senate Bill – provides precedence of child-related orders issued under the Protection from Abuse Act. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – reorganizes subsections of the Public Assistance statute. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Became law without the governor's signature. House Bill – reduces certain license fees and training requirements for child care staff, creates a process for day care facility licensees to apply for temporary waiver of certain statutory requirements and authorizes the secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) to develop and operate pilot programs to increase child care availability or capacity among other changes. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – determines when a law enforcement officer may or shall take a child into custody and requires the secretary to provide support to such law enforcement officers. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – prohibits the secretary of the DCF from adopting and enforcing policies for placement, custody and appointment of a custodian that may conflict with sincerely held religious or moral beliefs regarding sexual orientation or gender identity and creates a right of action for violations. In effect as of May 1, 2025. Lawmakers overrode the governor's veto. House Bill – enacts the Uniform Adult Guardianship and Protective Proceedings Jurisdiction Act and the Uniform Guardianship, Conservatorship and Other Protective Arrangements Act. In effect as of Jan. 1, 2026. What license plates are the most popular in Kansas? Substitute for Senate Bill – prohibits foreign organizations from acquiring interests in real estate in proximity to military installations, state agencies and local government. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Bill – eliminates requirements for filings, registrations and licenses related to labor organizations, educational facility agreements, annual tax reports, river bank easements and bonded warehousemen with the Kansas Secretary of State (SOS). In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Bill – provides for continuous state budgets until amended, lapses or eliminated by the Kansas Legislature, temporary reallocations and establishes conditions and limitations. In effect as of May 1, 2025. Lawmakers overrode the governor's veto. Senate Bill – requires state agencies to provide notice of revocation of administrative rules and regulations to the public and removes abolished and inactive state agencies from the agency review requirement. In effect as of April 10, 2025. Senate Bill – requires the governor to appoint a person to fill vacancies in the offices of U.S. senator, state treasurer and commissioner of insurance from a list of names approved by the Kansas Legislature. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Became law without the governor's signature. Senate Bill – enacts the Fostering Competitive Career Opportunities Act to remove postsecondary degree requirements from state employment considerations. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Substitute for House Bill – reconciles multiple amendments to certain statutes dealing with the 2025 legislative session. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – increases the membership of the Kansas Council on Travel and Tourism and updates the House Legislative Committee assignment required for council members appointed from the House. Also equalizes the allocation of funds from the matching grant program for the promotion of tourism for private, public and nonprofit entities and removes the restriction on the percentage of such funds granted to a single entity. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – sets the time for professional employer organization registration expiration, renewal and the filing of audits with the Kansas secretary of state. Also limits the method of providing surety for professional employer organizations with insufficient working capital to bonds and eliminates a market value measure of the sufficiency of such bonds. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – bans contributions from foreign nationals for the support or defeat of a proposed amendment to the Kansas Constitution. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Became law without the governor's signature. House Bill – requires any person who solicits a fee for filing or retrieving certain documents from the federal government, the state, a state agency or a local government to give certain notices to consumers. Also provides that violation of such requirements is a deceptive act or practice subject to penalties under the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – amends the Kansas Open Records Act by limiting certain charges for furnishing records and employee time required to make records available and exempts certain records, among other changes. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – expands the scope of the inspector general to audit and investigate all state cash, food or health assistance programs. Also grants the inspector general the power to subpoena, administer oaths and execute search warrants thereto. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Lawmakers overrode the governor's veto. House Bill – abolishes the KDOC Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Fund and creates the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Fund. Also transfers the cash and liabilities from the abolished fund to the new fund. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – directs legislative administrative services to prepare all committee minutes. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Substitute for House Bill – requires legislative approval prior to any state agency seeking or implementing a public assistance program waiver or other authorization from the federal government that expands eligibility for any public assistance program. Also increases cost to the state or makes certain changes in services for persons with intellectual disabilities and authorizes the Legislative Coordinating Council to act on agency requests when the Kansas Legislature is not in session. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Lawmakers overrode the governor's veto. House Bill – authorizes the governor to accept requests of concurrent jurisdiction from the federal government in certain circumstances. In effect as of April 24, 2025. House Bill – creates the regulatory relief division within the Kansas Office of the Attorney General and establishes the General Regulatory Sandbox Program to waive or suspend rules and regulations for program participants. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Lawmakers overrode the governor's veto. Substitute for House Bill – prohibits the use of artificial intelligence platform DeepSeek and other artificial intelligence platforms controlled by a country of concern on state-owned devices and on any state network and the use of genetic sequencers or operational software for genetic analysis that is produced in a foreign adversary. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – authorizes the Kansas Board of Cosmetology to issue temporary location and temporary guest artist permits and establishes criteria therefor. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Bill – increases the statutory limits on bonds issued by a township based on township population and purpose of the bond issuance. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Bill – grants the Shawnee County Board of County Commissioners the discretion to create a Citizens Commission on Local Government. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Substitute for House Bill – provides for the treatment of the reimbursement for expenses incurred for travel and activities in attending conferences or events by certain specified nonprofit organizations and discounted or free access to entertainment, sporting events or other activities. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – requires local governments to meet specified deadlines for issuing building permits and requires the KDHE to issue a response to an applicant's submitted notice of intent to discharge stormwater runoff from construction activities within 45 days of submission. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – prohibits municipalities from adopting and implementing a guaranteed income program. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Became law without the governor's signature. Senate Substitute for House Bill – authorizes certain local governments to submit local sales tax proposals to voters for various projects. In effect as of May 8, 2025. Substitute for House Bill – establishes the Butler County Fair Board to consist of 15 members, provides for the appointment of members to the board and allows up to five members of the board to be appointed from the county at large. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – enacts the Municipal Employee Whistleblower Act to provide statutory protections for municipal employees who report or disclose unlawful or dangerous conduct. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – provides for an exemption from remediation costs or other liability from prior commercial pesticide application by the U.S. Army for owners of certain nonresidential property located in Johnson County. In effect as of July 1, 2025. $80 million plan approved for KBI to move out of problematic area in Topeka to new home Senate Bill – requires drivers to proceed with due caution when passing stationary vehicles displaying hazard warning lights. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Bill – requires vehicle dealers to apply for a dealer inventory-only title for certain used non-highway vehicles that a vehicle dealer obtains. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – requires a quarterly report from the director of the Kansas Division of Vehicles listing the names, addresses and alien registration numbers of certain noncitizens who have been issued a driver's license during such quarter. In effect as of April 17, 2025. Became law without the governor's signature. House Bill – excludes dealers and manufacturers of trailers from certain provisions of the Vehicle Dealers and Manufacturers Licensing Act. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – provides that driving school instructors and motorcycle instructors may possess a driver's license a motorcycle driver's license from any state. In effect as of April 17, 2025. House Bill – increases the annual license fees of electric and hybrid passenger vehicles, trucks and electric motorcycles and distributes the fees to the State Highway Fund along with the Special City and County Highway Fund. Also modifies the threshold limit for allowing quarterly payments of certain truck and truck tractor annual vehicle registration fees among other changes. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – extends the amount of time required for reports to be filed with the Kansas State Historical Society for certain U.S. public land surveys from 30 to 90 days. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – provides for the FFA, Route 66 Association of Kansas and blackout distinctive license plates. Also creates the License Plate Replacement Fund and modifies requirements for the issuance and production of license plates among other changes. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – requires ignition interlock device manufacturers to pay fees to the state for the administration of the Ignition Interlock Program. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – designates a future interchange on K-10 highway as the Kris Norton Memorial Interchange, a portion of K-5 highway as the Rep. Marvin S. Robinson Memorial Highway and a portion of U.S. Highway 160 as the CPL Monte Wayne Forrest Memorial Highway. Also designates a portion of U.S. Highway 77 as the POW MIA Memorial Highway and bridge No. 82-14-6.88 in Clay County as the POW MIA Memorial Bridge and redesignates a current portion of the Harry Darby Memorial Highway for Interstate Highway 635. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Became law without the governor's signature. House Bill – modifies certain requirements for the production and issuance of license plates. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Substitute Senate Bill – requires the Kansas State Board of Education to calculate graduation rates for all school districts for purposes of accreditation using an alternative calculation. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Bill – establishes uniform interest rate provisions for service scholarship programs administered by the Kansas Board of Regents that have repayment obligations as a part of the terms and conditions of such programs and authorizes the Kansas Board of Regents to recover the costs of collecting such repayment obligations and charge fees for the costs of administering such programs. Also requires eligible students to enter into agreements with the Kansas Board of Regents instead of a postsecondary educational institution as a condition to receiving a grant under the Adult Learner Grant Act. In effect as of April 24, 2025. Senate Bill – requires postsecondary educational institutions to regularly review and update accreditation policies, prohibits accrediting agencies from compelling such institutions to violate state law and provides a cause of action for violations thereof. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Bill – authorizes nonpublic and virtual school students to participate in ancillary public school activities and makes it unlawful for the Kansas State High School Activities Association and school districts to discriminate against such students based on enrollment status. In effect as of May 1, 2025. House Bill – includes programs and services provided by nonprofit organizations accredited by the International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council as approved at-risk educational programs. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Lawmakers overrode the governor's veto. Substitute for House Bill – provides for the advance enrollment of a military student whose parent or person acting as parent will be stationed in this state and corrects federal statutory citations in the Interstate Compact on Educational Opportunity for Military Children. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – updates the Kansas National Guard Educational Assistance Act to include dependents of National Guard members. Also allows the Kansas National Guard Educational Master's for Enhanced Readiness and Global Excellence program to include other advanced degrees. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – establishes the Kansas Technical College Operating Grant Fund administered by the Kansas State Board of Regents. In effect as of April 17, 2025. Substitute for House Bill – requires school districts to include a fetal development presentation as part of the curriculum for any course that addresses human growth, human development or human sexuality and authorizes the Kansas State Board of Education to establish the rate of compensation for members of the board. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Lawmakers overrode the governor's veto. 2026 I-70 shutdown in Topeka to last for six months, what to know Senate Bill – adjusts certain internal KPERS Act statutory references, extending the time for filing administrative appeals and updates provisions relating to compliance with the federal Internal Revenue Code. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Bill – expands the property tax exemption for Strother Field Airport property. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Bill – updates certain definitions, terms and conditions relating to the Kansas State Banking Code. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Bill – defines the fireworks sales season for seasonal retailers of consumer fireworks, provides for year-round sales by permanent retailers of consumer fireworks and requires permanent retailers to register with the Kansas State Fire Marshal. Also requires all retail sales or transfers of consumer fireworks to be made at a physical location, creates the license categories of distributor of display fireworks, distributor of pyrotechnic articles and unlimited distributor and limits lawful sale of fireworks that are labeled 'For Professional Use Only' to certain license categories. In effect as of April 24, 2025. Senate Bill – provides for different credit percentages for the tax credit for expenditures for the restoration and preservation of historic structures based on city populations and the amount of the expenditures. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Bill – provides that restrictive covenants in certain contracts are enforceable and not considered a restraint of trade in certain circumstances. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – modifies certain business filing and fee requirements for business trusts, foreign corporations and limited partnerships. Also authorizes professional corporations or limited liability companies formed or organized to render a professional service to participate in transactions under the Business Entity Transactions Act. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Substitute for House Bill – mandates financial institutions secure governmental unit deposits in excess of the amount insured or guaranteed by the FDIC by utilizing a public moneys pooled method of securities. Also prohibits investment advisers that execute bids for the investment of public cash from managing the money directly from such bids among other changes. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – extends the time in which the Kansas State Corporation Commission (KCC) shall make a final order on a transmission line siting application. In effect as of April 17, 2025. House Bill – exempts public utilities from civil liability relating to the attachment, access, operation, maintenance or removal of law enforcement equipment on any utility pole or other structure that is owned or operated by the public utility. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – eliminates the requirement the State 911 Board shall contract with a local collection point administrator for services. Also reschedules the date on which the State 911 Operations Fund, State 911 Grant Fund and State 911 Fund shall be established among other changes. In effect as of April 10, 2025. Substitute for House Bill – requires distributed energy retailers to disclose certain information to residential customers who are offered or seeking to install a distributed energy system. Also requires the Kansas Attorney General to convene an advisory group to develop, approve and periodically revise a standard form for such disclosures and requires publication thereof among other changes. In effect as of May 1, 2025. Summer break delayed for Topeka school due to snow days Substitute for Senate Bill – removes the authority of the county or joint board of health or local health officer to prohibit public gatherings when necessary for the control of infectious or contagious disease. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Lawmakers overrode the governor's veto. Senate Bill – enacts the Help Not Harm Act, restricts the use of state funds to promote gender transitioning, prohibits healthcare providers from providing gender transition care to children whose gender identity is inconsistent with the child's sex and authorizes a civil cause of action against healthcare providers for providing such treatments, among other changes. In effect as of Feb. 20, 2025. Lawmakers overrode the governor's veto. Substitute for Senate Bill – authorizes registered nurse anesthetists to prescribe, procure and administer drugs consistent with the registered nurse anesthetist's education and qualifications. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Bill – directs the secretary for the Kansas Department of Children and Families (DCF) to request a waiver from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) rules that would allow the state to prohibit the purchase of candy and soft drinks with food assistance. In effect as of publication in the statute book. Lawmakers overrode the governor's veto. Senate Bill – requires the state long-term care ombudsman and regional ombudsman to receive training in memory care. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Substitute for Senate Bill – establishes an advance universal newborn screening program. Also provides for the reimbursement of certain treatment services and authorizes the secretary of the KDHE to specify conditions included in newborn screenings among other changes. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Bill – updates the definition of athletic trainer and provides an exemption for those licensed in another state, District of Columbia, territory of foreign country to practice in Kansas. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Substitute for Senate Bill – exempts law enforcement agencies who do not provide emergency opioid antagonists pursuant to the statewide protocol from the requirement to procure a physician medical director. In effect as of April 24, 2025. Senate Bill – enacts the Right to Try for Individualized Treatments Act to permit a manufacturer to make an individualized investigative treatment available to a requesting patient. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Became law without the governor's signature. House Bill – adds maternity center to the definition of healthcare provider for purposes of the Healthcare Provider Insurance Availability Act and amends definitions in the Kansas Credentialing Act to provide that certain entities provide physical therapy, occupational therapy and speech-language pathology are not home health agencies among other changes. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – enacts the School Psychologist Compact, the Dietitian Compact, the Cosmetology Compact and the Physicians Assistant Compact to provide interstate practice privileges. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – requires the secretary of KDADS to grant physical environment waivers for certain rural emergency hospitals to provide skilled nursing facility care and establishes the South Central Regional Mental Health Hospital. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – adds a citation to the code of federal regulations to the definition of veteran and disabled veteran and removes the active requirement from military service members for occupational licensure. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – directs the Kansas Department of Administration (KDA) to adopt written policies governing the negotiated procurement of managed care organizations to provide state Medicaid services pursuant to a contract with the Kansas Program of Medical Assistance. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Lawmakers overrode the governor's veto. House Bill – transfers the power to authorize and oversee certain activities regarding prenatal and postnatal diagnosed conditions awareness programs from the KDHE to the Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – adds maternity center to the definition of healthcare provider for purposes of the Healthcare Provider Insurance Availability Act. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Bill – provides that covenants, conditions or restrictions established between Jan. 1, 1948 and Dec. 31, 1958 that restrict the use of real property owned by state educational institutions for only single-family residence purposes and contain discriminatory provisions to restrict ownership or tenancy by race are against public policy and therefore void. In effect as of April 3, 2025. House Bill – authorizes the Kansas State Board of Regents to sell and convey certain real property in Riley County, Kansas and Douglas County, Nebraska on behalf of Kansas State University and Kansas State University Veterinary Medical Center. In effect as of April 17, 2025. Senate Bill – modifies the requirements and allocations for multi-year flex accounts. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – extends the expiration of permits issued under the Water Pollution Control Permit System from five to 10 years. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Substitute for House Bill – establishes the Water Program Task Force to evaluate the state's water program and funding for such program. Also requires the task force to to establish a water planning work group and submit a report to the Kansas Legislature and governor. In effect as of April 24, 2025. Appraisal value drops $4.2 million for Heartland Motorsports Park in Topeka Senate Bill – increases the cap on the amount of cash disbursed by the Kansas Division of Conservation to Conservation Districts and provides an increased matching basis for state cash disbursed to Conservation Districts based on amounts allocated by the board of county commissioners for such districts. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Senate Bill – authorizes the animal health commissioner to adopt rules and regulations to administer the Poultry Disease Control Act. Also establishes an annual participation fee for participation in the National Poultry Improvement Plan, a certification fee for people performing testing and diagnostic services and a testing fee per visit to each location participating in the plan. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – requires milk processors to hold payments in trust for milk producers until full payment is received, with funds in escrow considered held in trust. In effect as of July 1, 2025. House Bill – amends definitions concerning weights and measurers increasing minimum invoice fees, requires licenses and education for service company operators and mandates annual device inspections except for devices with a nominal capacity of 250 pounds or greater used in grain elevators. In effect as of July 1, 2025. Kelly vetoed several bills during this year's session of the Kansas Legislature, five of which were not overturned. The following bills were vetoed in 2025. Senate Bill – allows for the hunter nation distinctive license plate. Senate Bill – expands the postsecondary educational institutions eligible to participate in the Kansas Promise Scholarship Program and increases the maximum annual appropriation limit. Senate Bill – directs the secretary for the DCF to request a waiver from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) rules that would allow the state to prohibit the purchase of candy and soft drinks with food assistance. House Bill – revives a law providing for discounted hunting and fishing licenses for people who are over the age of 65. Also changes the amount charged for lifetime hunting and fishing licenses for children five and younger to $300 and those who are six to 15 to $400. The bill restricts hunting opportunities for out of state waterfowl hunters as well. Senate Substitute for House Bill – requires that a political subdivision hold an open meeting to discuss a contingency fee contract for legal services before approving such contract and requires the Kansas attorney general to approve such contracts. To learn how a bill becomes a law in Kansas, click here. For more information on the legislative process, consult the Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes' website. The Kansas Statehouse is slowly changing color, here's why For more Capitol Bureau news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kansas politicians say an awful lot. But look beyond those words to catch what they actually do.
A bright shine rises behind the Kansas Statehouse dome on March 5, 2025. (Sherman Smith/Kansas Reflector) Humans regularly confuse words and actions. I understand why. We communicate mostly through words, written and spoken. Language describes what we believe and what we plan to do. We pay close attention to what others say. Yet words themselves do not act. We can tell our spouse that we love them. But that doesn't buy them chicken soup when they get sick, or take them out for dinner on their birthday, or hold them close through a long winter's night. Voters claim to understand this. We know the politicians use eloquent verbiage but don't always follow through on their promises. When it comes time to judge lawmakers whose beliefs or party membership aligns with ours, though, such wariness breaks down. We begin to think of words as actions, to disassociate the choices people make from what they say about them. Words become tools of manipulation and distraction, while actions whir away under the surface, undermining our state and nation. This is exceptionally dangerous. Indeed, it puts all of government at risk in profound ways. Take the anti-trans legislation that the House and Senate passed first thing this session. Leaders called it the Help Not Harm Act, perhaps the most innocuous name one could imagine for a piece of legislation. They might as well have named it the Sunshine and Puppies Act. However, the actual law they passed means that trans kids will not be able to receive proven health care that their parents and doctors agree upon. The state has stepped in to harm these children. Or take how lawmakers running in 2024 acknowledged that voters had made their stance clear on abortion and claimed they respected that decision. That is, until the time came to vote for a new constitutional amendment clearing the way for a conservative takeover of the state Supreme Court. The only reason Republicans want to do that is to allow themselves to ban abortion. Well, that and enfeebling public education. Finally, you've heard rhetoric from Republicans about how they treasure free speech. The most notable example came from Senate President Ty Masterson after his chamber passed Senate Bill 29, a kneejerk reaction to COVID-19 closings. His press release blared: 'Senate protects First Amendment Right to Assemble.' However, it must be noted that both Masterson and his counterpart, House Speaker Dan Hawkins, have both barred journalists from press boxes in their chambers. Neither House nor Senate passed any sort of resolution decrying the unconstitutional police raid on the Marion County Record. In each one of these cases, what lawmakers say means next to nothing. What they do matters. And what they do harms Kansans — particularly the young, women and those in need. This works in a different way when it comes to the news media. Politicians understand that reporters look for coherence — if nothing else — when covering politics. A cause creates an effect. Reporters want to understand why bills pass or fail, and they want to tell compelling stories. It can be exhausting to write repeatedly that big money gets everything, while everyone else gets bupkis. So in private conversations, in text messages, in emails, in phone calls, legislators tell journalists little white lies. They say they didn't want to vote one way or the other, but leadership insisted upon it. They say they sympathize with the concerns brought up by advocates and during committee hearings, but they really had to toe the line. That might be true. But what does it matter? These people still made the choices they did and voted the way they voted. It doesn't matter whether they thought the vote was wrong. They still took the action. Nationally, we've received regular reports that Republicans in Washington, D.C., don't actually support Donald Trump and Elon Musk's authoritarian revamp of the federal government. We've heard they don't actually want to approve his hilariously unqualified nominees. But, they've repeatedly told reporters off the record, they have to take these votes. They're scared of what Trump or Musk might say about them online. They're afraid for their safety and that of their families. So they vote the way Trump and Musk and the MAGA faithful want. I ask you then, who cares what these gutless wonders say? Who cares if they really want to do the right thing but cannot summon the courage to do so? I don't want to suggest that speaking out doesn't have value. It absolutely does, when on the record and unapologetic. But there's a difference between an everyday person or community activist or policy advocate raising their voice and a politician covering their ample hindquarters. Of all these individuals, the politician actually can cast votes to change people's lives right away. Even at the grass roots, speech only goes so far. Imagine the good that could be done if everyone posting about various shortcomings in Kansas government or the Trump administration decide to volunteer for the homeless or donate to a women's shelter. Action matters. Cash matters. Community matters. As a longtime writer and editor, I understand the value of language. But over the past two decades I have become aware of its profound limitations. I have watched sterling reporting and gripping commentary fill newspapers and websites, but fail to sway the general public. Why? Because those articles haven't been followed up with actions. The words have been left to fend for themselves, and the words only go so far. That pains me. But it has left my eyes open wide and left me acutely aware of the difference between words and actions. The more that everyone builds that understanding and applies it to their mental models of the world, the healthier government in Kansas and the U.S. will become. Clay Wirestone is Kansas Reflector opinion editor. Through its opinion section, Kansas Reflector works to amplify the voices of people who are affected by public policies or excluded from public debate. Find information, including how to submit your own commentary, here.
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Squatting could become a crime in Kansas with new bill
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Lawmakers are debating a new bill this year that would help property owners take action against squatters in Kansas. Legislators in the House Committee on Federal and State Affairs held a discussion on House Bill 2378 on Monday, Feb. 17. The bill, if approved, would establish the Removal of Squatters Act, making squatting a crime in Kansas. A squatter is defined in the bill's language as someone occupying a dwelling who is not entitled to occupy the dwelling. Property owners would be able to request the removal of a squatter from a dwelling by filing an affidavit with the local county sheriff. People who file a false affidavit to law enforcement under the Removal of Squatters Act could be charged with a misdemeanor. Kansas Highway Patrol scraps $48 million plan for new headquarters Kansas Representative Will Carpenter, who spoke in favor of the act, introduced similar legislation last year. He told his fellow lawmakers during the meeting that squatting issues can be a major problem for property owners as the procedure to remove squatters is a long and drawn-out process. 'I'm not sure it's needed in Kansas today, but I think that in the future it will, it's a preemptive bill,' Carpenter said. Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeffrey Easter, speaking on behalf of the Kansas Sheriffs' Association, said the act would speed up the eviction process. However, he said there were some technical changes that needed to be made to the bill before it is passed. 'We also believe there should be further discussion about whether judicial review should take place and what the owner does if the person still refuses to vacate the property,' Easter said. 'We assume the intent is the normal eviction process would be used. But that is not clear.' Dustin Hare with Kansas Action for Children submitted written testimony on the act, saying it would harm the rights of tenants. He also criticized the bill on the grounds it will make life harder for those who are considered homeless. Hare suggested lawmakers should look for other ways to provide assistance to people who are experiencing homelessness in Kansas. 'This bill would allow a landlord to circumvent the entire legal eviction process and, instead, petition the sheriff to remove the tenant,' Hare said. 'The only piece of information the sheriff is required to verify is that the property is owned by the petitioner. It does not specify a requirement to ensure the tenant is not an authorized guest with a lease agreement. This would allow a landlord to skip the legal eviction process and have a tenant removed any time for any reason.' Controversial 'Help Not Harm Act' takes effect in Kansas You can watch the full committee meeting on the bill from Feb. 17 by clicking here. For more Capitol Bureau news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
23-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Squatting could become a crime in Kansas with new bill
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Lawmakers are debating a new bill this year that would help property owners take action against squatters in Kansas. Legislators in the House Committee on Federal and State Affairs held a discussion on House Bill 2378 on Monday, Feb. 17. The bill, if approved, would establish the Removal of Squatters Act, making squatting a crime in Kansas. A squatter is defined in the bill's language as someone occupying a dwelling who is not entitled to occupy the dwelling. Property owners would be able to request the removal of a squatter from a dwelling by filing an affidavit with the local county sheriff. People who file a false affidavit to law enforcement under the Removal of Squatters Act could be charged with a misdemeanor. Kansas Highway Patrol scraps $48 million plan for new headquarters Kansas Representative Will Carpenter, who spoke in favor of the act, introduced similar legislation last year. He told his fellow lawmakers during the meeting that squatting issues can be a major problem for property owners as the procedure to remove squatters is a long and drawn-out process. 'I'm not sure it's needed in Kansas today, but I think that in the future it will, it's a preemptive bill,' Carpenter said. Sedgwick County Sheriff Jeffrey Easter, speaking on behalf of the Kansas Sheriffs' Association, said the act would speed up the eviction process. However, he said there were some technical changes that needed to be made to the bill before it is passed. 'We also believe there should be further discussion about whether judicial review should take place and what the owner does if the person still refuses to vacate the property,' Easter said. 'We assume the intent is the normal eviction process would be used. But that is not clear.' Dustin Hare with Kansas Action for Children submitted written testimony on the act, saying it would harm the rights of tenants. He also criticized the bill on the grounds it will make life harder for those who are considered homeless. Hare suggested lawmakers should look for other ways to provide assistance to people who are experiencing homelessness in Kansas. 'This bill would allow a landlord to circumvent the entire legal eviction process and, instead, petition the sheriff to remove the tenant,' Hare said. 'The only piece of information the sheriff is required to verify is that the property is owned by the petitioner. It does not specify a requirement to ensure the tenant is not an authorized guest with a lease agreement. This would allow a landlord to skip the legal eviction process and have a tenant removed any time for any reason.' Controversial 'Help Not Harm Act' takes effect in Kansas You can watch the full committee meeting on the bill from Feb. 17 by clicking here. For more Capitol Bureau news, click here. Keep up with the latest breaking news in northeast Kansas by downloading our mobile app and by signing up for our news email alerts. Sign up for our Storm Track Weather app by clicking here. Follow Matthew Self on X (Twitter): Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Advocates celebrate override of Dem governor's ‘misguided' veto of protecting kids from gender transitions
Advocates of a state bill protecting minors from gender transition surgeries are celebrating the Kansas legislature's override of Gov. Laura Kelly's veto. "As elected lawmakers, we have a duty to protect children from harm," Kansas Rep. Ron Bryce told Fox News Digital. Kelly, a Democrat, vetoed the Help Not Harm Act, on Feb. 11. The legislation mandates that state funds not be used "to promote gender transitioning, prohibiting healthcare providers from providing gender transition care to children whose gender identity is inconsistent with the child's sex." Trump Order Restricting Same-sex Change Procedures For Minores In Line With 'Do No Harm,' Doctor Says It also allows legal action to be brought against physicians and medical care providers for pursuing gender transition surgeries for minors. Read On The Fox News App On Tuesday, the state senate voted 31-9 to override Kelly's veto and House lawmakers backed the override by a margin of 84-35. Bryce, who is also a medical doctor, told Fox News Digital that "The treatments listed in SB 63 are risky, ineffective, and can cause irreparable harm. An estimated 87% of children with gender dysphoria grow comfortable with the body of their birth by age 18, so there is no reason for children to be subjected to that. The effective treatment is counseling combined with treatment for underlying psychiatric disorders. And give the children time to grow up." Matt Sharp, Alliance Defending Freedom senior counsel and director of the ADF Center for Public Policy, called Kelly's veto "misguided." "Denying the biological truth that we are either male or female hurts real people, especially vulnerable children," Sharp said. "Now and always, young people deserve the loving embrace of family members who guide them toward this truth rather than be subjected to risky, often irreversible, and life-altering experimentation and drugs," Sharp added. "By overriding the governor's misguided veto, the Kansas Legislature has taken a critical step to protect children from radical activists that peddle a gender ideology that sends kids down a one-way path of lifetime medicalization." 'Losing Their Health': Detransitioner Sounds Alarm About Sex-change Surgeries Negatively Impacting Children Kelly vetoed similar legislation on April 12, 2024. In a statement to Fox News Digital, Kelly said the Help Not Harm Act was "not appropriate" for her state. "Right now, the Legislature should be focused on ways to help Kansans cope with rising prices. That is the most important issue for Kansans," Kelly said. "That is where my focus is." "Infringing on parental rights is not appropriate, nor is it a Kansas value," she added. "As I've said before, it is not the job of politicians to stand between a parent and a child who needs medical care of any kind. This legislation will also drive families, businesses, and health care workers out of our state, stifling our economy and exacerbating our workforce shortage issue. It is disappointing that the Legislature continues to push for government interference in Kansans' private medical decisions instead of focusing on issues that improve all Kansans' lives." In a post on X, Kansas Speaker of the House Daniel Hawkins called the veto override "so important."Original article source: Advocates celebrate override of Dem governor's 'misguided' veto of protecting kids from gender transitions
