Topeka Buzz 🐝
Friday, March 20, 2026
Top Stories
The Deadline Arrives—Both Chambers Adjourn, Six House Bills Die
Today was the last day non-exempt bills could be considered this session. Neither chamber used it.
The Senate convened this morning, handled four committee referrals and a conference committee substitution, and adjourned until Monday. The House opened session, received several Senate bills, and likewise adjourned. No floor votes in either chamber. The End of Debate calendar previewed in yesterday's Buzz—roughly 30 items on the Senate side alone—went untouched.
Thursday's 89-bill Senate marathon saved the vast majority of the crossover workload, but it didn't save everything. At least six House bills that were sitting on the Senate calendar never received a vote and never touched an exempt committee in either chamber. They are now dead:
HB 2588—statewide electrician licensing, which had cleared a Senate committee with a "be passed as amended" recommendation
HB 2343—the no-impact home-based business fairness act, limiting municipal regulation of home businesses
HB 2522—banning handheld phone use in school zones and road construction zones
HB 2703—the health insurance affordability transparency act, requiring fiscal impact reports on health insurance legislation
HB 2214—the SAVE act, limiting compensation for assisting with veterans benefits claims
HCR 5008—a proposed constitutional amendment that would have given the legislature oversight authority over executive branch rules and regulations
HCR 5031, the concurrent resolution ratifying the governor's disaster emergency declaration for the FIFA World Cup, was "passed over and retained" on the Senate calendar back on February 18 but never voted on. It appears to share the same fate, though the resolution's unusual posture—ratifying an active emergency declaration—may give it an alternate procedural path.
Thursday's marathon was the triage. These bills were what got triaged out. HB 2588 (electrician licensing) and HB 2522 (distracted driving) had the most momentum—both had cleared committees with favorable recommendations and bipartisan support in their chambers of origin. The distracted driving ban is worth a particular note: the Senate already passed its own version of the policy as SB 366 and concurred with House amendments on Thursday (31-9). But the House-origin companion bill, HB 2522, is the one that died—an artifact of the procedural calendar rather than policy opposition.
What isn't dead: exempt bills, conference committee reports, and anything still in its chamber of origin all survive through First Adjournment on March 27. That includes most of the major legislation still in play—more on that below.
Thursday's Senate Marathon—89 Bills, Zero Failures
The Senate voted on 89 unique bills Thursday—the single busiest floor day of the 2026 session—in a sprint to beat today's non-exempt deadline. Every bill passed. Vote margins ranged from 40-0 (more than two dozen bills) to 21-19 (one bill, and only one).
Three bills stood out:
SB 393—World Cup extended alcohol hours (21-19). The narrowest vote of the marathon. During the FIFA World Cup (June 11–July 19, 2026), licensed sellers could serve alcohol from 6 a.m. until 5 a.m. the next day—essentially 23 straight hours—in jurisdictions that don't opt out. County commissions and city governing bodies can pass a resolution to keep normal hours. The bill is temporary and sunsets July 20. Two votes made the difference.
HB 2700—Kansas digital right-to-repair (40-0). Unanimous. Starting July 1, 2027, manufacturers must provide documentation, parts, and repair tools to owners and independent shops for electronic devices with a wholesale price above $50. The carve-outs are significant—medical devices, most motor vehicles, farm equipment (where industry agreements exist), home appliances, video game consoles, aircraft, and critical infrastructure are all excluded. Only the attorney general can enforce the law; private lawsuits are barred. Even with the limitations, this was on the "might die" list in yesterday's Buzz. It didn't die. It passed unanimously.
HB 2729—Abortion informed consent and mifepristone reversal notices (31-9). The bill requires the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to create standardized forms for the 24-hour informed consent process, mandates clinic and pharmacy signage about mifepristone "reversal," and requires KDHE to publish reversal materials in English and any language spoken by 2% or more of Kansas's population. Noncompliance carries fines of $10,000 per day, criminal penalties, and a private civil cause of action. The bill passed alongside HB 2727 (also 31-9), which lets patients suing under the woman's-right-to-know law choose a capped $5,000 statutory damage remedy that bypasses the medical malpractice screening panel.
Other notable clears from the marathon:
The complete list of 89 floor votes is below.
House Rewrites Property Tax Amendment, Barely Clears Two-Thirds
SCR 1603, the proposed constitutional amendment on property tax valuations, cleared the House Thursday—but not before the House fundamentally changed what the amendment does.
The Senate version imposed a hard 3% annual cap on how much a property's taxable appraised value could rise each year, with specific exceptions for new construction, reclassification, transfers, and other changes. It included a rollback provision benchmarking 2026 valuations against 2022 appraised values. It covered all real property subclasses and mobile homes.
The House Committee struck most of that. In its place: an average fair market value approach. Residential property (including multi-family), commercial and industrial property, agricultural improvements, and mobile homes would be valued at the lesser of current fair market value or an average of fair market values over a period of years. The number of years and the adjustment rules would be left entirely to the legislature to define by statute—a significant delegation of authority that the Senate version didn't contemplate.
Then on the floor, an amendment passed 77-41 that added a senior freeze provision—authorizing the legislature to freeze or limit property tax valuations for owner-occupied residential property of qualifying seniors. The amendment also rewrote the ballot language to describe both the averaging method and the senior freeze in plain terms, and added a "vote against" statement explaining that a no vote would retain the current fair-market-value system without averaging.
The final passage vote: 85-39. One vote above the 84 needed for two-thirds.
What this means: the Senate now faces a version of its own constitutional amendment that bears little structural resemblance to what it passed. The hard cap is gone. The rollback provision is gone. In their place are a smoothing mechanism that gives the legislature broad discretion and a senior freeze authorization that wasn't in the original. The Senate can concur, nonconcur and go to conference, or let it die.
The two-thirds requirement makes this unusually high-stakes. In conference, any compromise still needs supermajorities in both chambers. The passage margin of 85-39 in the House gives exactly one vote of cushion. SCR 1603 is exempt (it went through Assessment and Taxation) and has until First Adjournment on March 27.
The Final Week—What's Left Before First Adjournment
Both chambers return Monday. First Adjournment is Friday, March 27. Here's what's still alive and needs action:
Senate concurrence votes (~19 bills). The House amended a stack of Senate bills this week, and the Senate hasn't voted to concur or nonconcur on any of them. These are Senate-origin bills and aren't subject to the non-exempt deadline, but they need Senate action before First Adjournment. Among them:
SB 418—by-right housing development act (passed the House 97-27 Wednesday)
SB 459—prisoner review board overhaul
H Sub SB 434—veterans property tax credit
SB 271—children's health insurance eligibility
SB 375—proxy advisor transparency act
SB 408—paternity acknowledgment and child welfare
If the Senate nonconcurs on any of these, they go to conference—adding to an already heavy conference workload.
Senate-origin bills still on the floor calendar. These survived the deadline because they're in their chamber of origin. They include SB 522 (Kansas Medical Freedom Act), SB 496 (campus free speech), SB 421 (K-12 student expression protections), SB 437 (technical college funding task force), SB 113 (reckless driving threshold at 35 mph over limit), SB 74 (gun storage tax credit), and SCR 1617 (constitutional amendment on ratification rules).
SB 254—immigration benefits ban. The second conference committee report was adopted by the House 78-46 Thursday. The Senate still needs to adopt the same report to send the bill to the governor. SB 254 has been in motion since January—passed the Senate 30-9 on party lines, amended by the House 86-36, nonconcurred by the Senate, first conference committee agreed to disagree, and now the second conference report. One more vote to go.
HB 2793—Kansas Sports Facilities Authority (Chiefs stadium bill). Today's Senate journal confirmed HB 2793 was referred to Commerce—not Appropriations, as initially expected. But the bill previously touched Appropriations, an exempt committee, which keeps it alive through March 27. The House passed it 79-41 earlier this week with transparency amendments. No Commerce committee meeting is scheduled yet, but the Senate runs daily sessions starting Monday.
SCR 1603—property tax constitutional amendment. As detailed above, the House passed a fundamentally rewritten version 85-39. The Senate must decide whether to concur, nonconcur, or let it go. Exempt through Assessment and Taxation.
Conference committees. There are 34 active House bill conferences and 25 active Senate bill conferences. These run through First Adjournment.
Five days. The committees are done working—it's all floor action and conference reports from here.
Floor Votes
Thursday, March 19
House (5)
HB 2622: PASS — Concurrence (124 Yes, 0 No, 1 Absent). Lowers the protest petition threshold from 5% to 3% of qualified voters for certain municipal lease-purchase agreements involving land or buildings, making it easier for residents to force an election before large or long-term commitments take effect.
HB 2737: PASS — Concurrence (121 Yes, 3 No, 1 Absent). Creates a voluntary "taxpayer agreement" tool that lets cities enter contracts with property owners or developers for projects qualifying for tax increment financing. Agreements can require payments secured by automatic, recordable liens treated like real estate tax liens—with priority over mortgages if holders consent in writing.
SB 254: PASS — Conference Committee Report (78 Yes, 46 No, 1 Absent). The House adopted the second conference committee report on SB 254, which bars people unlawfully present in the U.S. from receiving Kansas state or local public benefits, requires proof of citizenship or lawful status for adult applicants, and mandates SAVE system verification. Awaits Senate adoption of the same conference report.
SCR 1603: PASS — Amendment (77 Yes, 41 No, 7 Absent). Floor amendment adding a senior freeze provision—authorizing the legislature to freeze or limit property tax valuations for owner-occupied residential property of qualifying seniors—and rewriting the ballot language to describe both the averaging method and the senior freeze.
SCR 1603: PASS — Passage (85 Yes, 39 No, 1 Absent). The House-rewritten property tax constitutional amendment cleared with one vote above the two-thirds threshold of 84. Replaces the Senate's hard 3% cap with an average fair market value approach and adds the senior freeze authorization.
Senate (89)
HB 2372: PASS — Passage (31 Yes, 9 No). Authorizes county sheriffs to detain people on ICE detainer forms or federal immigration warrants without criminal charges, with liability protections and state coverage of certain federal judgments in 287(g) cases.
HB 2552: PASS — Final Vote (40 Yes, 0 No). Requires felony presentence investigation reports and related documents to follow Kansas Sentencing Commission formats.
HB 2320: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Reduces school disruption for children in DCF custody by allowing enrollment in any district or school of origin after placement changes, with expedited records transfer.
HB 2018: PASS — Passage (34 Yes, 6 No). Creates "interference with the conduct of a religious assembly" crime covering force, threats, or physical obstruction at places of worship. Penalties range from misdemeanor to aggravated felony if armed.
HB 2237: PASS — Passage (29 Yes, 11 No). Lets state agencies pay hiring, recruitment, and retention bonuses and raises the annual employee award cap from $3,500 to $10,000.
HB 2346: PASS — Passage (28 Yes, 12 No). Creates a Kansas Sports Tourism Grant Program with 1:1 matching grants for communities hosting sports events, capped at $1.5 million annually.
SB 517: PASS — Passage (39 Yes, 1 No). Expands K-12 literacy rules: districts must create individual literacy plans for high-risk K-3 students with at least 90 minutes per week of targeted intervention and hire licensed reading specialists for each elementary school by 2029-30. Bans discredited methods like three-cueing in teacher prep programs.
SB 454: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). The "crush transnational repression in Kansas act"—creates sentencing enhancements for serious felonies committed at the direction of a foreign principal. KBI must build training and a multilingual reporting website by July 2027.
SB 393: PASS — Passage (21 Yes, 19 No). Temporarily expands alcohol sales hours during the FIFA World Cup (June 11–July 19, 2026) to 6 a.m.–5 a.m. for jurisdictions that don't opt out. Sunsets July 20.
SB 329: PASS — Passage (38 Yes, 2 No). When a taxpayer submits a qualifying appraisal in a property valuation appeal, the county must perform its own single-property appraisal and carries the burden of proof to dispute the taxpayer's value.
SB 366: PASS — Concurrence (31 Yes, 9 No). Bans handheld phone use while driving in school zones (during reduced speed times) and road construction zones (when workers are present). Warning citations only until July 1, 2027; $60 fine after that.
SCR 1603: PASS — Passage (85 Yes, 39 No, 1 Absent). Listed here as received from the House.
HB 2464: PASS — Passage (39 Yes, 1 No). Extends income and privilege tax credits for aerospace/aviation hiring and charitable contributions to the Eisenhower Foundation and Friends of Cedar Crest.
HB 2444: PASS — Passage (35 Yes, 5 No). Creates mandatory prison and consecutive sentences for nondrug felonies committed while on supervision. Bars double-counting jail credit across consecutive cases. Raises pretrial bond requirements for certain supervised defendants.
HB 2560: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Authorizes the Board of Regents to sell a 1.3-acre K-State parcel in Manhattan.
HB 2416: PASS — Passage (38 Yes, 2 No). Creates the Kansas Motorsports Venue Protection Act, shielding racetracks from nuisance claims when the facility predates a neighboring owner's purchase.
HB 2731: PASS — Passage (37 Yes, 3 No). Requires DCF and the Office of the Inspector General to share documents and information for fraud detection in cash, childcare, and food assistance programs.
HB 2601: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Creates a statewide child abuse and neglect registry with administrative hearings, a preponderance-of-evidence standard, and expungement after three years (mandatory review after 20).
HB 2769: PASS — Passage (33 Yes, 7 No). Requires all appointed voting members of subordinate service taxing area boards to live within the taxing area when the board can levy property taxes.
HB 2700: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Creates a Kansas digital right-to-repair law requiring manufacturers to provide documentation, parts, and tools for electronic devices over $50 wholesale, effective July 1, 2027. AG-only enforcement; private lawsuits barred. Excludes medical devices, most vehicles, farm equipment, home appliances, game consoles, aircraft, and critical infrastructure.
HB 2470: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Lets municipalities under 10,000 residents designate the entire city as a neighborhood revitalization area.
HB 2536: PASS — Passage (39 Yes, 1 No). Requires proposed guardians for adults with cognitive impairment or neurological conditions to complete approved training before court appointment.
HB 2571: PASS — Passage (36 Yes, 3 No, 1 Present). Raises the public letting threshold for county construction projects from $25,000 to $100,000.
HB 2594: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Updates Kansas blackmail/sextortion law to cover AI-generated or AI-altered intimate images.
HB 2603: PASS — Passage (29 Yes, 11 No). Preempts local regulation of qualifying battery-charged security fences on non-residential property, creating a single statewide standard.
HB 2539: PASS — Passage (37 Yes, 3 No). Lets libraries put elected vs. appointed board membership to voters. Specifically requires Eudora to adopt a joint resolution for elected library directors.
HB 2462: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Directs KDHE to create statewide rules allowing treated wastewater to be used as drinking water (direct and indirect potable reuse), with rules due by July 1, 2028.
HB 2626: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Expands state hiring preference to Kansas-resident National Guard/Reserve members and qualifying military spouses.
HB 2729: PASS — Passage (31 Yes, 9 No). Requires KDHE to create standardized abortion informed consent forms, mandates clinic/pharmacy signage about mifepristone "reversal," and requires KDHE to publish reversal materials in multiple languages. $10,000/day fines for noncompliance; criminal penalties and private civil cause of action.
HB 2653: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Requires KDOC to help inmates obtain birth certificates, Social Security cards, and IDs within nine months of release, plus provide vocational/education records and a resume.
HB 2374: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Creates a specialty practice student loan program at KU School of Medicine for students committing to practice in designated service areas.
HB 2515: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Regulates virtual currency kiosks with consumer protections including fee transparency, ID checks, and holding periods.
HB 2747: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Standardizes how courts determine whether out-of-state DUI convictions count as Kansas DUI priors for sentencing.
HB 2509: PASS — Passage (37 Yes, 3 No). Adds advanced practice registered nurses to the Healthcare Provider Insurance Availability Act, requiring malpractice coverage starting January 1, 2028.
HB 2440: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Removes the requirement for oil lease owners to route initial tax exemption requests through county appraisers and the Board of Tax Appeals.
HB 2574: PASS — Passage (38 Yes, 2 No). Updates Kansas cybersecurity rules: creates IT oversight councils for legislative and judicial branches, requires agencies to report cybersecurity maturity to the legislature, and mandates 12-hour breach notification to the executive CISO.
HB 2627: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Lets private employers voluntarily extend hiring preference to Kansas-resident Guard/Reserve members and military spouses.
HB 2591: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Lets financial institutions report suspected financial exploitation of adults, notify a trusted contact, and place temporary holds on suspicious transactions.
HB 2487: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Defines "employed in Kansas as a teacher or paraprofessional" for the Kansas education opportunity scholarship.
HB 2437: PASS — Passage (32 Yes, 8 No). Requires the Secretary of State to cross-check the voter registration list against the federal SAVE database twice yearly and send possible noncitizen matches to county election officers.
HB 2537: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Raises penalties for sexual extortion of minors and dependent adults, creates aggravated offenses when extortion causes great bodily harm or death, and covers AI-generated sexual images.
HB 2562: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Lets licensed physical therapists certify disability for special license plates and placards.
HB 2727: PASS — Passage (31 Yes, 9 No). Lets patients suing under informed consent rules choose a capped $5,000 statutory damage remedy that bypasses the medical malpractice screening panel.
HB 2378: PASS — Passage (39 Yes, 1 No). Creates a statewide "Removal of Squatters Act" with notarized affidavit process, 24-hour notice, and triple-damages remedy for wrongful removal.
HB 2602: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Lets independent contractors choose third-party "portable benefit" accounts for health, disability, retirement, and other benefits, with state income tax subtractions starting 2027.
HB 2593: PASS — Passage (23 Yes, 17 No). Requires local governments to hold public meetings and adopt written findings before hiring lawyers on contingency fees. The attorney general gets 45 days to approve or deny the contract.
HB 2497: PASS — Passage (36 Yes, 4 No). Bars prepayment penalties on most residential mortgage notes when paid off more than six months after signing.
HB 2524: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Lets foster homes keep their license when a former DCF-placed resident (now age 18–25) still lives in the home or is adopted.
HB 2482: PASS — Passage (39 Yes, 1 No). Removes the ACT requirement, letting the State Board of Education choose any nationally recognized assessments for grades 9, 11, and 12.
HB 2501: PASS — Passage (37 Yes, 3 No). Gives gun dealers civil immunity for returning firearms after a voluntary hold agreement, removes state criminal bans on suppressors and short-barrel shotguns, and adds a one-level sentencing enhancement when those items are used in qualifying felonies.
HB 2520: PASS — Passage (37 Yes, 3 No). Expands "home plus" adult care homes from 12 to 16 residents, with additional staffing and planning requirements above 12.
HB 2435: PASS — Passage (28 Yes, 12 No). Lets natural gas utilities recover more infrastructure costs between rate cases, raising the per-filing residential surcharge cap from $0.80 to $1.35/month and shortening the KCC decision deadline from 120 to 90 days.
HB 2719: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Lets agencies make limited "technical amendments" to rules without full rulemaking and creates "priority status" for legislature-directed rules.
HB 2606: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Updates the "conviction" definition for commercial driver's licenses to include administrative proceedings.
HB 2542: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Names a segment of U.S. Highway 56 in Morton County the "Bill Tucker memorial highway."
HB 2564: PASS — Passage (34 Yes, 6 No). Stops dental plans from making credit card payment the only option; dentists must give written consent before receiving payments by card or electronic transfer.
HB 2518: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Increases penalties for covert recording of nude bodies or undergarments, with the toughest changes when victims are minors. Adds off-grid felony option when offender is 18+ and victim is under 14.
HB 2569: PASS — Passage (26 Yes, 14 No). Requires all lawsuits challenging statewide Kansas election laws on constitutional grounds to be filed in Shawnee County District Court.
HB 2762: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Clarifies the definition of "person in a position of authority for a school" for unlawful sexual relations offenses.
HB 2534: PASS — Passage (39 Yes, 1 No). Adopts the Respiratory Care Interstate Compact for multistate practice by licensed respiratory therapists.
HB 2535: PASS — Passage (39 Yes, 1 No). Protects trap-neuter-return volunteers from animal cruelty charges when vaccinating, sterilizing, and returning feral cats.
HB 2618: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Requires the State Board of Education to send semiannual reports to the legislature on all federal education funding.
HB 2590: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Lets married couples create Kansas community property trusts with each spouse's share fixed at one-half at death.
HB 2587: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Lets licensed private psychiatric hospitals keep emergency medication kits for time-sensitive patient crises.
HB 2467: PASS — Passage (37 Yes, 3 No). Stops courts and DMV from using failure-to-comply traffic convictions older than five years to suspend or restrict driver's licenses. Retroactive.
HB 2505: PASS — Passage (39 Yes, 1 No). Lets Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks withhold precise location data for threatened and endangered species from open records requests.
HB 2760: PASS — Passage (39 Yes, 1 No). Creates the Esthetics Licensure Compact for multistate practice, effective once seven states join.
HB 2639: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Renames juvenile crisis intervention centers as stabilization centers, expands referral pathways, and directs a one-time $4 million transfer for juvenile stabilization services.
SB 521: PASS — Passage (34 Yes, 6 No). Expands employer child care tax credits to 75% of qualifying spending, raises the per-taxpayer cap to $100,000, and creates a new credit for contributions to licensed child care providers. $3 million annual statewide cap.
HB 2114: PASS — Passage (39 Yes, 1 No). Expands dam safety permits, reorganizes fees by hazard class, creates civil penalties, and requires property transfer notices in dam inundation zones starting July 1, 2026.
HB 2767: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Creates the Kansas Military Affairs Commission as an advisory body in the governor's office, replacing the existing military council.
HB 2739: PASS — Passage (39 Yes, 1 No). Prevents fire sprinkler requirements for multi-family townhouses of four units or fewer after July 1, 2026, if buildings meet fire-resistance wall rules.
HB 2596: PASS — Passage (36 Yes, 4 No). Creates a Hutchinson Correctional Facility pilot for manufacturing modular homes as inmate training. Sunsets December 31, 2029.
HB 2521: PASS — Passage (31 Yes, 9 No). Adds child placement agencies with active DCF contracts to the Kansas Tort Claims Act, giving them state-entity status for tort lawsuits starting July 1, 2026.
HB 2357: PASS — Passage (33 Yes, 7 No). Automatically seals eviction case files at filing, bars tenant-screening firms from collecting sealed information, and creates an expungement path after three years if monetary judgments are satisfied.
HB 2651: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Lets people who signed voluntary paternity acknowledgments challenge them after discovering fraud, duress, or material mistake of fact, including based on genetic test results.
HB 2111: PASS — Passage (26 Yes, 14 No). Bars cities and counties from enforcing building codes, maintenance standards, and permits at qualifying invitation-only agritourism locations.
HB 2613: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Shifts sexual assault forensic exam fee responsibility from counties to the Crime Victims Compensation Board.
HB 2595: PASS — Passage (34 Yes, 6 No). Creates the Attorney Training Program for Rural Kansas—stipends for law students and loan repayment up to $100,000 for attorneys in rural counties. Sunsets July 1, 2031.
HB 2573: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Updates CPA licensing to clarify education routes and allow many out-of-state CPAs from substantially equivalent states to serve Kansas clients without a Kansas permit.
HB 2553: PASS — Passage (34 Yes, 6 No). Creates a PBS Kansas distinctive license plate with a $25–$100 annual royalty distributed to Kansas public TV stations by zip code.
HB 2528: PASS — Passage (34 Yes, 6 No). Nursing board reform: voids certain past disciplinary actions for nonpractice or licensure/renewal violations (2005–present), creates fixed two-year renewal cycles with a 30-day late window, narrows "unprofessional conduct" to practice-related harm, and sets investigation deadlines.
HB 2485: PASS — Passage (25 Yes, 15 No). Sets payment terms for college courses taught in high schools: $600 per credit hour in 2026-27 (up to 10 credits/semester) with Midwest CPI increases.
HB 2527: PASS — Passage (38 Yes, 0 No, 2 Present). Bans registered sex offenders whose offense involved a victim under 18 from entering school property or attending school activities, with escalating felony penalties.
HB 2481: PASS — Passage (33 Yes, 7 No). Expands short-term rental taxation and temporarily (May 15–July 25, 2026) prevents local governments from capping rental numbers or duration, with 15-day automatic permit approval.
HB 2466: PASS — Passage (34 Yes, 6 No). Extends the angel investor tax credit through 2031, keeping the $8 million annual cap and reserving 25% for businesses in counties under 50,000 starting in 2027.
HB 2402: PASS — Passage (38 Yes, 2 No). Requires school boards to annually evaluate free-meal eligibility and vote to adopt the federal Community Eligibility Provision unless they publicly demonstrate financial hardship.
SB 524: PASS — Passage (40 Yes, 0 No). Rewrites rules for public deposits in banks: raises required pledged security to 102% of uninsured balances, creates a pooled-collateral system, and gives the state treasurer enforcement tools.
HB 2781: PASS — Passage (39 Yes, 1 No). Authorizes the Kansas State Historical Society to acquire the junior officers' quarters at Fort Dodge as a state historical landmark.
HB 2644: PASS — Passage (36 Yes, 4 No). Requires county appraisers to monitor properties that won valuation appeals for five years and act if year-over-year increases exceed 5%.
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