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The 🐝 Rating System
Each bill is evaluated based on four key factors: Scope of Impact, Financial Impact, Urgency, and Controversy. These factors are weighted to reflect their influence on the bill's overall importance. Here's how the ratings break down:
🐝 Minimal Impact: Legislation with limited reach or lower urgency and controversy.
🐝🐝 Moderate Impact: Proposals with a broader or more notable influence, addressing issues of medium urgency or financial significance.
🐝🐝🐝 High Impact: Bills with widespread consequences, urgent needs, or significant public and political attention.
Daily Legislative Update 🐝
Friday, January 31, 2025
Below is today’s morning update on published activities in the Kansas Legislature.
Table of Contents
Top Stories of the Day
“Help Not Harm” bill reaches House floor
SB 63 (the “Help Not Harm” act), after passing Wednesday in the Senate on a 32-8 vote, was pushed through rapidly and is now expected to be pushed through to a full vote. If passed by the Republican supermajority as expected, the bill would prohibit surgical or pharmaceutical gender transition therapies and treatments for anyone under 18.
“Protect Public Schools Amendment” proposed
Rep. Poskin (D) sponsored a new constitutional amendment in an effort to defend the separation of church and state and to ensure public funds are invested only in public education. HCR 5005 would require a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate, and would restrict the use of public funds appropriated for elementary or secondary education solely for secular public schools. It would prohibit the use of public funds, directly or indirectly, to support private nonpublic schools.
Given the current composition of the state legislature, the amendment is extremely unlikely to pass either chamber.
Bills and Resolutions
UPDATE: Summaries of these bills are now published on DataHive. The links below go directly to each bill’s writeup.
House Bills on the Floor for Consideration
Final Action on Bills and Concurrent Resolutions:
SB 63 – Help Not Harm Act: Prohibiting healthcare providers from treating a child whose gender identity is inconsistent with the child’s sex.
HB 2027 – Public Assistance: Reorganizing subsections of the public assistance statute and updating cross-references.
HB 2020 – Driver’s Licenses of Noncitizens: Requiring the director of the division of motor vehicles to make quarterly reports of names and addresses of noncitizens to the secretary of state.
HCR 5004 – Voter Eligibility Amendment: Proposing a constitutional amendment to require individuals to be U.S. citizens, at least 18 years old, and residents of the voting area in which they seek to vote.
HB 2011 – Property Tax Reduction: Decreasing the rate of ad valorem tax imposed by school districts and expanding exemptions for residential property under the statewide school levy.
HB 2042 – Title Insurance Regulations: Modifying reporting and bonding requirements for title insurance agents.
HB 2043 – Insurance Compliance Rules: Requiring insurers and agents to respond to commissioner inquiries within 14 calendar days and extending rebate pilot programs.
HB 2049 – Insurance Licensing Updates: Adjusting licensing and renewal rules for insurance agents and public adjusters.
HB 2050 – Insurance Fee Regulations: Allowing the commissioner of insurance to set certain fees and requiring public publication in the Kansas Register.
HB 2071 – Help Not Harm Act (House Version): Prohibiting gender transition treatments for minors and restricting insurance coverage for such procedures.
Consent Calendar (Bills Eligible for Fast-Track Approval):
HB 2048 – Insurance Department Reporting Updates: Eliminates the requirement for the Kansas insurance commissioner to submit certain reports to the governor.
HB 2037 – Tourism Development Council Expansion: Increases the membership of the Council on Travel and Tourism, updates legislative committee assignments, and modifies grant allocation rules.
HB 2004 – Seward County Sales Tax Authority: Grants Seward County the ability to levy a countywide sales tax for financing roadway and bridge projects.
General Orders (Bills Under Consideration):
Senate Bills on the Floor for Consideration
Final Action on Bills and Concurrent Resolutions:
SB 5 – Elections & Funding: Prohibiting the use of funds provided by the U.S. government for conducting elections and election-related activities unless approved by the legislature.
SB 6 – Elections & Voting Methods: Prohibiting the use of any form of ranked-choice voting in conducting elections.
SB 14 – State Budget: Providing for a continuous budget until amended, lapsed, or eliminated by the legislature; setting conditions and limitations.
SB 36 – Conservation Districts: Increasing the cap on state matching funds for local conservation district operations.
SCR 1603 – Property Taxation: Proposing a constitutional amendment to limit valuation increases for real property and mobile homes used for residential purposes.
SB 4 – Advance Voting Deadline: Requiring the return of advance ballots by 7:00 p.m. on election day.
Consent Calendar (Bills Eligible for Fast-Track Approval):
General Orders (Bills Under Consideration):
New Bills Introduced
House Bills
Criminal Justice & Public Safety:
🐝🐝 HB 2177: Increases penalties for eluding police officers.
🐝🐝 HB 2159: Establishes fund for law enforcement opioid antagonist purchases.
🐝 HB 2164: Lower minimum age for police certification to 20.
🐝🐝 HB 2167: Create crime of unlawful firearm storage with penalties.
🐝🐝🐝 HB 2171: Criminalizes abortion and removes exceptions in Kansas.
🐝 HB 2173: Permit petitions for relief from offender registration.
🐝 HB 2182: Prohibits fees for protection order services.
🐝🐝 HB 2183: Updates child exploitation laws for digital images.
Government & Transparency:
Tax & Economic Policy:
Education & Public Services:
Transportation & Infrastructure:
Health & Social Services:
🐝🐝 HB 2178: Felony drug convicts eligible for food assistance.
Water & Environmental Policy:
🐝🐝 HB 2172: Establishes a task force for state water program evaluation.
Legal & Judicial Matters:
Sports & Special Recognitions:
Senate Bills
Criminal Justice & Public Safety:
Government & Transparency:
Tax & Economic Policy:
Education & Public Services:
Legal & Judicial Matters:
🐝 SB 121: Regulates insurance instructions, calculations for Kansas insurers.
🐝 SB 127: Expand hearsay exception to more healthcare providers.
🐝 SB 128: Modifies social workers' mandatory reporting rules.
🐝 SB 129: Raises retirement age for judges in small Kansas counties.
🐝 SB 135: Enhances child-related protection order precedence.
Infrastructure & Environmental Policy:
Healthcare & Licensing:
Resolutions:
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Session Highlights for January 30, 2025
House of Representatives
The House, presided over by Speaker Hawkins, convened at 11:00 a.m.
A moment of silence was held in memory of those lost in the January 29th plane crash of AA Flight 5342.
Roll Call:
119 members were present.
Excused due to illness: Reps. Alcala, Carmichael, Collins, Simmons, and Weigel.
Excused by the Speaker: Rep. Ohaebosim.
Excused later: Rep. White.
Bill Actions:
SB 63: Multiple amendment attempts failed; the bill was passed.
Committee Actions:
Additional Notes:
Rep. Vaughn replaced Rep. Alcala on the Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget Committee.
Rep. Neighbor replaced Rep. Simmons on the Elections Committee.
The House adjourned until 11:00 a.m., Friday, January 31, 2025.
Senate
The Senate, presided over by Vice President Tim Shallenburger, convened at 2:30 p.m. and adjourned pro forma until 9:00 a.m. on January 31, 2025.
A moment of silence and prayers were offered for the victims of the January 29th collision between American Airlines Flight 5342 and a military helicopter.
Roll Call:
39 senators were present.
Excused: Senator J.R. Claeys.
Senate Resolutions:
SR 1707: Designates January 30, 2025, as JAG-K Day at the Capitol. Adopted by voice vote.
Bill Actions:
HCR 5003: Joint legislative rules for 2025-2026 adopted.
Committee Actions:
Additional Notes:
The Kansas Guardianship Program FY 2024 Annual Report was submitted to the Senate.
Upcoming Actions (January 31, 2025)
House of Representatives
Session Time: 11:00 AM
Committee Updates:
Appropriations (9:00 AM): Informational briefing on BioNexus, budget reports on Kansas 911 Coordinating Council, State Fire Marshal, and various state agencies.
Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget (1:30 PM): Budget recommendations for the Kansas Department of Agriculture, Kansas Department of Health and Environment, and Kansas Water Office.
Higher Education Budget (1:30 PM): Budget hearings for Wichita State University and Emporia State University.
General Government Budget (3:30 PM): Budget hearings on Kansas Dental Board, Kansas Board of Examiners for Hearing Instruments, and Kansas Board of Optometry.
Social Services Budget (1:30 PM, special time): Continued hearing on recommendations for the Kansas Department for Children and Families.
Transportation and Public Safety Budget (3:30 PM): Budget hearings on multiple correctional facilities, including Ellsworth, Hutchinson, Larned, El Dorado, and the Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex.
Senate
Session Time: 9:00 AM (Pro Forma)
Committee Updates:
Transportation (8:30 AM): Meeting on call of the chair.
Assessment and Taxation (9:30 AM): Meeting on call of the chair.
Government Efficiency (9:30 AM): Meeting on call of the chair.
Judiciary (10:30 AM): Meeting on call of the chair.
Ways and Means (10:30 AM): Meeting on call of the chair.
Commerce (1:30 PM): Meeting on call of the chair.
Education (1:30 PM): Meeting on call of the chair.
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