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Topeka Buzz 🐝
Monday, January 26, 2026

Table of Contents

Top Stories of the Day

New Free Tool: Legislator Lookup

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New Bills Introduced

Criminal Justice

  • 🐝🐝 HB 2529: Changes citizen grand jury petition and prosecution rules

  • 🐝🐝 HB 2538: Expands insanity-style defense in criminal cases

  • 🐝🐝 HB 2537: Increases penalties for sexual extortion of minors

  • 🐝🐝 HB 2527: Bars work and education release for registrants

  • 🐝 HB 2535: Allows trap-neuter-return of feral cats without abandonment charges

Education

  • 🐝🐝 HB 2530: High schools must give career readiness assessments

Healthcare

  • 🐝🐝 HB 2528: Voids old nursing records, limits board authority

  • 🐝🐝 HB 2533: Allows OTs to practice in other states via compact

  • 🐝🐝 HB 2532: Creates impaired-provider program; expands nursing discipline

  • 🐝🐝 HB 2526: Stops fail-first rules for some advanced cancer drugs

  • 🐝🐝 HB 2534: Allows respiratory therapists to practice across states

  • 🐝 HB 2531: Allows trained chiropractors to clear student athletes

Social Services

  • 🐝🐝 HB 2536: Requires guardian training for adults with dementia

Uncategorized

  • HR 6022: Congratulating and commending the members of the 2026 Kansas Teacher of the Year team.

Committee Actions

Agriculture and Natural Resources

Bills Referred (1)

  • SB 364: Creates discounted senior hunting & fishing combo license

Assessment and Taxation

Bills Referred (2)

  • SB 368: Allows Kansas tax subtraction for health-sharing fees

  • SB 365: Elect county appraisers statewide

Commerce

Bills Referred (3)

  • SB 369: Cap late fees; require tenant cost and screening disclosures

  • SB 370: Lets tenants end leases faster after landlord breaches

  • SB 371: Gives tenants first chance to buy rental homes

Corrections and Juvenile Justice

Bills Referred (1)

  • HB 2527: Bars work and education release for registrants

Education

Bills Referred (2)

  • HB 2530: High schools must give career readiness assessments

  • SB 361: Host family exchange students enroll as district residents

Elections

Bills Reported Out (2)

  • HB 2446 (bill be passed): Removes treasurer names from political ad disclaimers

  • HB 2438 (bill be passed as amended): Limits which websites can take Kansas voter registrations

Federal and State Affairs

Bills Referred (2)

  • HB 2065: Sets Kansas rules for Article V convention delegates

  • SB 362: State officers must publish travel locations and expenses

Financial Institutions and Insurance

Bills Referred (1)

  • SB 360: Limits PBM practices and boosts pharmacy protections

Government Efficiency

Bills Referred (1)

  • SB 363: Tightens benefit verification, expands SNAP work rules

Health and Human Services

Bills Referred (5)

  • HB 2532: Creates impaired-provider program; expands nursing discipline

  • HB 2528: Voids old nursing records, limits board authority

  • HB 2533: Allows OTs to practice in other states via compact

  • HB 2531: Allows trained chiropractors to clear student athletes

  • HB 2534: Allows respiratory therapists to practice across states

Insurance

Bills Referred (1)

  • HB 2526: Stops fail-first rules for some advanced cancer drugs

Judiciary

Bills Referred (9)

  • HB 2538: Expands insanity-style defense in criminal cases

  • HB 2529: Changes citizen grand jury petition and prosecution rules

  • HB 2535: Allows trap-neuter-return of feral cats without abandonment charges

  • HB 2536: Requires guardian training for adults with dementia

  • HB 2537: Increases penalties for sexual extortion of minors

  • SB 373: Limit police equipment on utility poles to 30 days

  • SB 374: Require more evaluation and treatment in competency cases

  • SB 375: Make proxy advisors disclose analysis behind votes

  • SB 372: Require parental consent for minors' app purchases

Bills Reported Out (2)

  • HB 2413 (bill be passed): Makes livestock and farm-implement theft a felony

  • HB 2422 (bill be passed): Classify grain theft as a level 6 nonperson felony

Transportation

Bills Referred (2)

  • SB 367: Cities may allow golf carts on sidewalks

  • SB 366: Names Sedgwick I-135 bridge the Don Snyder Memorial

Legislative Calendar

Monday, January 26, 2026 - Sunday, February 1, 2026

Monday, January 26

🤝 Joint Budget Hearing: Office of the Attorney General

9:00 AM • 112-N. House: Appropriations, General Government Budget, Social Services Budget

🤝 Joint Recommendations: Office of Administration; Office of Information and Technology Services

9:00 AM • 112-N. House: Appropriations, General Government Budget, Social Services Budget

Appropriations (House): 9:00 AM • 112-N

  • HB 2434 🐝🐝🐝: Changes FY2026–FY2027 state budgets and programs

Financial Institutions and Pensions (House): 9:00 AM • 582-N

  • HB 2497 🐝🐝: Ban prepayment penalties after six months on many home loans

Financial Institutions and Insurance (Senate): 9:30 AM • 546-S

  • HCR 5013 🐝: Urge Congress to let states regulate Medicare Advantage

  • SB 300 🐝🐝: Blocks state receivership for failed tech fiduciaries

  • SB 331 🐝: Repeals Saturday/holiday rule for negotiable payments

Transportation (House): 1:30 PM • 582-N

  • HB 2467 🐝🐝: Ban using old traffic noncompliance after 5 years

  • HB 2471 🐝: Names I-35 segment in Franklin County for Deputy Sam Smith

Education (House): 1:30 PM • 218-N

  • HB 2530 🐝🐝: High schools must give career readiness assessments

Taxation (House): 3:30 PM • 346-S

  • HB 2430 🐝🐝: Creates insurance savings accounts for P&C costs

Judiciary (House): 3:30 PM • 582-N

  • HB 2352 🐝🐝: Adds clergy as mandatory child-abuse reporters

Insurance (House): 3:30 PM • 218-N

  • HB 2461 🐝🐝: Bans public adjusters from settling home insurance claims

Tuesday, January 27

🤝 Joint Recommendations: Office of the Attorney General; Kansas Department of Revenue

3:30 PM • 281-N. House: Appropriations, General Government Budget, Social Services Budget

Transportation (Senate): 8:30 AM • 546-S

  • SB 324 🐝🐝: Ban hand-held phone use in school & work zones

Public Health and Welfare (Senate): 8:30 AM • 142-S

  • SB 327 🐝: Allow committee to hold Jan and Apr meetings outside session

Agriculture and Natural Resources (Senate): 8:30 AM • 144-S

  • SB 344 🐝: Allow shelters to foster sick or newborn impounded pets

Federal and State Affairs (House): 9:00 AM • 346-S

  • HB 2423 🐝: Allows licensed hunters to use drones to find wounded deer

  • HB 2502 🐝: Kansas offers discounted senior hunting and fishing pass

Federal and State Affairs (Senate): 9:30 AM • 546-S

  • SB 355 🐝🐝: Requires e-cigarette manufacturers to get Kansas license

  • SB 352 🐝🐝: Creates state bitcoin and digital assets reserve fund

Commerce, Labor and Economic Development (House): 1:30 PM • 346-S

  • HB 2464 🐝: Extend aerospace tax credit sunset to 2036

Health and Human Services (House): 1:30 PM • 112-N

  • HB 2366 🐝🐝: Expands naturopathic doctors' clinical and prescribing powers

Judiciary (House): 3:30 PM • 582-N

  • HB 2444 🐝🐝: Limits jail credit; tougher sentences and bond rules

  • HB 2479 🐝🐝: Allow pretrial GPS monitoring with victim alerts

Taxation (House): 3:30 PM • 346-S

  • HB 2406 🐝🐝: Extend tax exemption to pre-2006 industrial machinery

  • HB 2408 🐝: Count community land trust ground leases in property value

  • HB 2440 🐝: Removes filing step for exempt oil lease owners

Wednesday, January 28

🤝 Joint Recommendations: Postsecondary Education System

9:00 AM • 346-S. House: Elections, Federal and State Affairs. Senate: Local Government, Transparency and Ethics

Transportation (Senate): 8:30 AM • 546-S.

  • SB 113 🐝🐝: Treats extreme speeding as reckless driving

Public Health and Welfare (Senate): 8:30 AM • 142-S

  • SB 328 🐝🐝: Allows pharmacists to provide epinephrine to schools

  • SB 322 🐝: Limits who can access Kansas PDMP data

Judiciary (Senate): 8:30 AM • 546-S

  • SB 325 🐝: Ban on license-plate covers and obstructing frames

  • SB 372 🐝🐝: Require parental consent for minors' app purchases

Federal and State Affairs (House): 9:00 AM • 346-S

  • HCR 5022 🐝🐝: Ask Congress to Call a Convention on Term Limits

Water (House): 9:00 AM • 281-N

  • HB 2433 🐝🐝: State replaces county control of water transfers

Financial Institutions and Pensions (House): 9:00 AM • 582-N

  • HB 2515 🐝🐝: Sets consumer rules for crypto kiosks in Kansas

Local Government, Transparency and Ethics (Senate): 9:30 AM • 142-S

  • SB 144 🐝🐝: Blocks private covenants from banning rooftop solar

Financial Institutions and Insurance (Senate): 9:30 AM • 546-S

  • SB 360 🐝🐝🐝: Limits PBM practices and boosts pharmacy protections

Federal and State Affairs (Senate): 10:30 AM • 144-S

  • SB 314 🐝🐝: Ban public assets for ballot advocacy

Child Welfare and Foster Care (House): 1:30 PM • 152-S

  • HB 2524 🐝🐝: Lets foster homes keep licenses when former youth live there

Health and Human Services (House): 1:30 PM • 112-N

  • HB 2506 🐝: Creates addiction counselor apprentice license

Judiciary (House): 3:30 PM • 582-N

  • HB 2352 🐝🐝: Adds clergy as mandatory child-abuse reporters

  • HB 2480 🐝🐝: Limits mandatory reports by social workers on legal teams

Thursday, January 29

Public Health and Welfare (Senate): 8:30 AM • 142-S

  • HB 2223 🐝🐝: Expands optometrists' authority for drugs, procedures, lasers

Transportation (Senate): 8:30 AM • 546-S

  • SB 366 🐝: Names Sedgwick I-135 bridge the Don Snyder Memorial

  • SB 367 🐝: Cities may allow golf carts on sidewalks

Federal and State Affairs (House): 9:00 AM • 346-S

  • HB 2501 🐝: Protects FFLs from lawsuits for returning held firearms

Appropriations (House): 9:00 AM • 112-N

  • HB 2463 🐝🐝: Creates Rural Health Transformation Fund, Council Oversight

Financial Institutions and Insurance (Senate): 9:30 AM • 546-S

  • SB 301 🐝: State can revoke TEFFI charters; LCC approval required

  • SB 316 🐝🐝: Creates nonprofit for statewide consumer financial education

Federal and State Affairs (Senate): 10:30 AM • 144-S

  • SCR 1617 🐝🐝: Require simple majority for Article V votes

Commerce (Senate): 1:30 PM • 159-S

  • SB 334 🐝🐝: Sets nursing instructor degree minimums for program approval

Health and Human Services (House): 1:30 PM • 112-N

  • HB 2157 🐝🐝: Pharmacists can test and treat COVID-19 in pharmacies

Education (House): 1:30 PM • 218-N

  • HB 2487 🐝: Defines parent-teacher status for scholarship eligibility

  • HB 2485 🐝: Bar state aid for students owing; allow CEO to settle debts

  • HB 2486 🐝🐝: Requires kindergarten students to be toilet trained

Judiciary (House): 3:30 PM • 582-N

  • HB 2351 🐝🐝: Blocks mandatory arbitration in most insurance policies

Friday, January 30

🤝 Joint Briefing: Revisor

11:00 AM • 112-N.

  • House: Agriculture and Natural Resources, Child Welfare and Foster Care, Commerce, Labor and Economic Development, Insurance, Legislative Modernization, Transportation and Public Safety Budget, Veterans and Military, Water

  • Senate: Financial Institutions and Insurance, Judiciary, Public Health and Welfare

  • Joint: Corrections and Public Safety Subcommittee, Ways and Means

🤝 Joint Briefing: KLRD

11:00 AM • 112-N.

  • House: Agriculture and Natural Resources, Child Welfare and Foster Care, Commerce, Labor and Economic Development, Education, Insurance, K-12 Education Budget, Legislative Modernization, Local Government, Transportation, Transportation and Public Safety Budget, Veterans and Military, Water, Welfare Reform

  • Senate: Assessment and Taxation, Commerce, Financial Institutions and Insurance, Judiciary, Public Health and Welfare, Utilities

  • Joint: Corrections and Public Safety Subcommittee, Ways and Means, Human Services Subcommittee, Ways and Means, Legislative Post Audit Committee

🤝 Joint Briefing: Inspector General

11:00 AM • 112-N.

  • House: Agriculture and Natural Resources, Child Welfare and Foster Care, Commerce, Labor and Economic Development, Education, Higher Education Budget, Insurance, Legislative Modernization, Local Government, Veterans and Military, Water, Welfare Reform

  • Senate: Agriculture and Natural Resources, Assessment and Taxation, Commerce, Financial Institutions and Insurance, Judiciary, Public Health and Welfare, Transportation

  • Joint: Corrections and Public Safety Subcommittee, Ways and Means, Higher Education Subcommittee, Ways and Means, Human Services Subcommittee, Ways and Means, Legislative Post Audit Committee

🤝 Joint Briefing: KDHE, KDCF, KDADS

11:00 AM • 112-N.

  • House: Commerce, Labor and Economic Development, Transportation

  • Senate: Commerce

🤝 Joint Other: Discussion on recommendations, corrective actions, and next steps.

11:00 AM • 112-N.

  • House: Agriculture and Natural Resources, Commerce, Labor and Economic Development, Corrections and Juvenile Justice, Education, Higher Education Budget, K-12 Education Budget, Legislative Modernization, Local Government, Transportation, Transportation and Public Safety Budget, Veterans and Military, Water, Welfare Reform

  • Senate: Agriculture and Natural Resources, Assessment and Taxation, Commerce, Judiciary, Public Health and Welfare, Utilities

  • Joint: Corrections and Public Safety Subcommittee, Ways and Means, Higher Education Subcommittee, Ways and Means, Human Services Subcommittee, Ways and Means

🤝 Joint Briefing: Revisor; KLRD

11:00 AM • 112-N.

  • House: Corrections and Juvenile Justice, Higher Education Budget

  • Senate: Agriculture and Natural Resources, Transportation

  • Joint: Higher Education Subcommittee, Ways and Means

🤝 Joint Briefing: KDHE; KDCF; KDADS

11:00 AM • 112-N.

  • House: Agriculture and Natural Resources, Child Welfare and Foster Care, Corrections and Juvenile Justice, Education, Higher Education Budget, Insurance, K-12 Education Budget, Legislative Modernization, Local Government, Transportation and Public Safety Budget, Veterans and Military, Water, Welfare Reform

  • Senate: Agriculture and Natural Resources, Assessment and Taxation, Financial Institutions and Insurance, Judiciary, Public Health and Welfare, Transportation, Utilities

  • Joint: Corrections and Public Safety Subcommittee, Ways and Means, Higher Education Subcommittee, Ways and Means, Human Services Subcommittee, Ways and Means, Legislative Post Audit Committee

🤝 Joint Briefing: Informational hearing on unsolicited voter registration packets covering statutory compliance, costs, and administrative oversight.

11:00 AM • 112-N.

  • House: Agriculture and Natural Resources, Child Welfare and Foster Care, Higher Education Budget, K-12 Education Budget, Legislative Modernization, Local Government, Transportation and Public Safety Budget, Water, Welfare Reform

  • Senate: Assessment and Taxation, Commerce, Public Health and Welfare, Transportation

  • Joint: Corrections and Public Safety Subcommittee, Ways and Means, Human Services Subcommittee, Ways and Means, Legislative Post Audit Committee

🤝 Joint Briefing: Discussion of external influence and memorandums of understanding; election administration and legal context.

11:00 AM • 112-N.

  • House: Education, Legislative Modernization, Transportation, Welfare Reform

  • Senate: Judiciary

🤝 Joint Briefing: Discussion/briefing on external influence and memorandums of understanding, and on election administration and legal context.

11:00 AM • 112-N.

  • House: Transportation and Public Safety Budget

  • Senate: Public Health and Welfare, Utilities

🤝 Joint Briefing: Staff briefing: review of federal and state statutes related to the topic.

11:00 AM • 112-N.

  • House: Local Government

  • Senate: Commerce

  • Joint: Human Services Subcommittee, Ways and Means

🤝 Joint Briefing: Briefing by staff: Review of statutes (federal and state).

Time TBA • Room TBA.

  • House: Welfare Reform

  • Senate: Assessment and Taxation, Utilities

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