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- Topeka Buzz: January 13, 2026
Topeka Buzz: January 13, 2026
The appropriations bills are here. Bills are moving to committees. BillBee is trying to keep up...
Jason Anderson
January 13, 2026 • Estimated Reading Time: 12 minutes
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Topeka Buzz 🐝
Tuesday, January 13, 2026
Table of Contents
Top Stories of the Day
Committee Hearings Hiding in Plain Sight
Yesterday was a “shorter” day, as the legislature performed the formal tasks of opening the session and began working through the bills that had been pre-filed (sending them to various committees). As expected, things are moving pretty quickly into committees; we’re ramping up our committee tracking shortly so you can also see where and when hearings are being scheduled for each bill. (Alas, that is not published yet.)
In some cases, things have moved faster than the legislature’s ability to publish the record. HB2426 has already moved to the House Judiciary Committee and has a hearing scheduled…today. That information isn’t available on the committee page, but it is hinted at on the bill page from the legislature.
That’s why we’ve started parsing the bill history and can now identify when a bill moves in and out of a committee:
House Bill 2426
We’re not big fans of data-stuffing shenanigans, so we’re working aggressively on some BillBee updates to be able to automatically find these things and flag them. The above committee status information should be fully populated for all bills in the next 24 hours.
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🐝🐝🐝 HB 2434: The House Appropriations Bill
This bill makes many budget changes for FY2026 and FY2027 that affect state agencies, hospitals, schools, universities, local governments, and people on Medicaid or CHIP. It lapses some prior-year amounts, sets new appropriations, and changes who can get funding or services.
It uses a mix of State General Fund, fee/special revenue funds, federal dollars, and transfers. Key actions include raising or lowering fee fund spending caps, expanding CHIP to 250% of the federal poverty level for FY2027, directing Medicaid coverage changes (like a cognitive assessment code and complex wheelchair repairs without prior authorization), authorizing rail and road transfers, and approving bonding for university projects. It also creates program rules, reporting requirements, and caps on some legal and contractor fees.
Supporters will point to funding certainty, oversight, and targeted program growth (mental health teams, water and housing projects). Critics will worry about lapsing prior funds, limits on agency flexibility, new reporting or fee restrictions, and rate or pay caps that could affect service providers and programs.
🐝🐝🐝 SB 315: The Senate Appropriations Bill
This bill sets Kansas spending and policy rules for FY2027. It changes budgets across many agencies and programs—health care and Medicaid, K-12 and higher education, transportation, water projects, and economic development—and affects hospitals, schools, local governments, and people on Medicaid.
The bill works by lapsing some unspent FY2026 balances, moving money between funds, and authorizing transfers and capital projects. Key actions include expanding CHIP income eligibility for FY2027, funding school mental-health teams, directing changes to the hospital provider assessment (pending CMS approval), replacing certain STAR bond food sales revenues for small cities, and large appropriations to universities and KDOT programs.
The bill draws debate. Supporters will point to tighter budget control and targeted investments. Critics will note the lapses and transfers cut or delay some programs, cap legal and defense fees, limit some unemployment benefits, and tie health financing to federal approvals—making final costs and effects uncertain.
🐝🐝 SB 310: Limits crypto donations to verified, $200 per election
SB310 updates Kansas campaign finance law to treat cryptocurrency as a monetary contribution and apply the existing $200 per-election cash limit to crypto. The change affects state and local candidates, candidate and party committees, donors who use crypto, and payment processors that handle political donations.
The bill requires crypto donations to go through a U.S.-based payment processor registered with the U.S. Treasury’s FinCEN that uses know-your-customer checks. The processor must collect and transmit contributor name, address, occupation, and employer within 24 hours. Campaigns must value the contribution at fair market value when the processor takes possession, convert the crypto to U.S. dollars and deposit it within three business days, report processor fees as expenditures, and may not hold or spend cryptocurrency. The act takes effect on publication and replaces the prior statute.
🐝🐝 SB 314: Ban public assets for ballot advocacy
SB314 expands Kansas law so state and local officers and employees may not use public funds, vehicles, equipment, supplies, or compensated staff time to advocate for or against constitutional amendments or any ballot question. The change affects state agencies, cities and counties, candidates, advocacy groups, and voters who may see fewer government-sponsored advocacy messages.
The bill keeps several exceptions: incumbents campaigning for re-election and their personal staff, duties of the Commission on Judicial Performance, and government-provided internet access for candidates and elected officials. Violations are a class C misdemeanor. The law replaces the old statute, takes effect on publication, and is expected to have no significant fiscal impact but may require new policies and training for public bodies.
Other New Bills Introduced
🐝🐝 Medium Impact
Taxation
🐝 Low Impact
Elections & Government
Infrastructure
SB 312: Name U.S. 36 in Phillipsburg for Deputy Brandon Gaede
Not Rated
HR 6020: Providing for the organization of the House of Representatives for the 2026 session of the Legislature.
HR 6021: Providing for the assignment of seats in the House of Representatives for the 2026 legislative session.
HCR 5019: Informing the Governor that the two houses of the Legislature are organized and ready to receive communications during the 2026 session.
HCR 5020: Providing for joint sessions of the Senate and the House of Representatives for the purposes of hearing messages from the Governor and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court.
SR 1721: Providing for the organization of the Senate for the 2026 session of the Legislature.
SR 1722: Providing for the assignment of seats in the Senate for the 2026 legislative session.
Committee Actions: Monday, January 12, 2026
Appropriations
Bills Referred (1)
HB 2427: Creates fiscal integrity auditor for state spending
Assessment and Taxation
Bills Referred (4)
Bills Re-referred (4)
Commerce
Bills Re-referred (1)
HB 2119: Ends Kansas affordable housing tax credit for new awards
Committee of the Whole
Bills Referred (1)
SCR 1615: Establishes Charlie Kirk Free Speech Day on Oct. 14
Education
Bills Referred (8)
SB 302: Schools ban student phones during instructional time
SB 304: Uses birth records to mail savings-account info
HB 2420: Require parental consent for school mental health services
HB 2421: Schools must ban student phones during school day
HB 2428: Bars required DEI/CRT courses in Kansas colleges
HB 2431: Bans school-sponsored religious coercion in K-12
HB 2409: Delay school term start until after Labor Day
HB 2415: Requires a nonvoting student on every school board
Bills Re-referred (2)
Federal and State Affairs
Bills Referred (4)
Financial Institutions and Insurance
Bills Referred (2)
Financial Institutions and Pensions
Bills Referred (3)
Health and Human Services
Bills Referred (2)
Judiciary
Bills Referred (8)
SB 306: DUI offenders must attend victim impact panels
SB 305: Reclassifies DUI and commercial DUI as person crimes
SB 307: Offer diversion and broaden vet sentencing mitigation
HB 2419: Limit online home info for certain retired public officials
HB 2422: Classify grain theft as a level 6 nonperson felony
HB 2426: Define gender as sex at birth; reissue state IDs
HB 2412: Raise penalties for endangering children under six
HB 2413: Makes livestock and farm-implement theft a felony
Bills Re-referred (1)
HB 2212: Raises inmate reimbursement cap to $750
Local Government
Bills Referred (1)
HB 2410: Allows library tax districts to exit regional systems
Local Government, Transparency and Ethics
Bills Referred (1)
SB 308: Bans former legislators from lobbying for 4 years
Bills Re-referred (1)
HB 2099: Allows Topeka to inspect HUD-subsidized rentals
Public Health and Welfare
Bills Re-referred (1)
HB 2170: Designates first full week of Feb as Burn Awareness Week
Senate Select Committee on Veterans Affairs
Bills Re-referred (1)
HB 2274: Expand military access to faster occupational licenses
Taxation
Bills Referred (2)
Transportation
Bills Referred (3)
Bills Re-referred (3)
Water
Bills Referred (2)
Ways and Means
Bills Referred (1)
SB 315: Sets FY2027 state budgets, transfers, and policies
Bills Re-referred (1)
SCR 1612: Allows Kansas Legislature to back state debt
Have any ideas or feedback, just let us know!