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- Topeka Buzz: Thursday, February 6
Topeka Buzz: Thursday, February 6
Another abortion ban bill enters the Senate, while election restriction bills pass. Also: a Democratic effort to improve KPERS pension benefits for teachers.
Jason Anderson
February 06, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 14 minutes
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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 🐝
Thursday, February 6, 2025
Below is today’s morning update on published activities in the Kansas Legislature.
Table of Contents
Top Stories of the Day
Continued efforts to ban abortion services
SB 198 introduces another attempted ban of all abortion services except those necessary to save the life of the mother. Enforcement of this ban is uniquely structured through private civil actions rather than government prosecution. Under the bill, any private citizen—excluding state or local government officials—can bring a lawsuit against anyone that performs or assists in performing abortions. (This includes those who provide financial assistance or insurance coverage for the procedure.)
If found liable, defendants could face statutory damages of at least $10,000 per violation, as well as court costs and attorney fees. The law explicitly denies prevailing defendants the ability to recover their legal expenses.
Prescription drug affordability
SB 212, proposed by minority leader Dinah Sykes, introduces the Prescription Drug Cost and Affordability Review Act, establishing an oversight framework for drug prices in Kansas. The Act sets up two main structures: the Prescription Drug Affordability Board and the Prescription Drug Affordability Stakeholder Council, both within the Kansas Insurance Department.
While the bill doesn’t directly implement changes to drug pricing, it does create the potential for future remedies. Its purpose is advisory and research-focused, with the goal of providing the governor’s office and state legislature with recommendations on concrete actions that can impact drug costs.
Bills and Resolutions
UPDATE: Summaries of these bills are now published on BillBee. The links below go directly to each bill’s writeup.
House Bills on the Floor for Consideration
Final Action on Bills and Concurrent Resolutions:
HB 2048 – Insurance Commissioner Responsibilities: Amending insurance laws by altering the commissioner's reporting requirements and definitions of persons for enforcing insurance law.
HCR 5004 – Voting Eligibility Proposition: Amending the Kansas Constitution to require U.S. citizenship, age 18, and residency in the voting area for voters.
Consent Calendar (Bills Eligible for Fast-Track Approval):
Senate Bills on the Floor for Consideration
Final Action on Bills and Concurrent Resolutions:
New Bills Introduced
House Bills:
Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources:
Government Organization, Elections, and Public Administration:
🐝🐝 HB 2269: Mandates advance voting sites in Kansas' largest counties.
🐝 HB 2270: Updates technology management and auditing in Kansas state agencies.
🐝🐝 HB 2271: Consolidates cybersecurity under chief security officers.
🐝 HB 2273: Revises veteran definitions, documentation references in law.
🐝🐝 HB 2274: Streamlines licensing for military spouses and veterans.
🐝🐝 HB 2279: Legislature ratification for high-cost regulations required.
🐝 HB 2283: Changes appointment rules for Kansas State Fair Board.
🐝🐝 HB 2298: Establish Liability Reduction Fund for Kansas retirement system.
🐝 HB 2301: Eliminates performance-based budgeting for executive agencies.
Criminal Justice, Public Safety, and Corrections:
🐝🐝 HB 2272: Improves procedures for evidence, sentencing, child protection, and employment.
🐝🐝 HB 2300: Regulates door-to-door transactions under Kansas Consumer Protection Act.
🐝🐝 HB 2306: Mandates child support from DUI manslaughter convicts.
🐝🐝 HB 2309: Modernizes notarization to combat real estate document fraud.
Taxes, Fiscal Policy, and Economic Development:
🐝 HB 2275: Authorize Finney County sales tax for facility financing.
🐝 HB 2276: Tax credit for small businesses advertising locally.
🐝🐝 HB 2277: Reduces food tax rate, increases highway fund allocation.
🐝🐝 HB 2278: Increases exemption for residential property tax levy.
🐝🐝 HB 2281: Establishes Kanbucks program for incentivized linked deposit loans.
🐝🐝 HB 2290: Restricts foreign interest in Kansas military-adjacent properties.
🐝🐝 HB 2291: Create regulatory sandbox program for waiving rules.
🐝🐝 HB 2292: Establish STAR bonds food tax replacement fund.
🐝🐝 HB 2304: Mandates transparency in economic development incentives.
🐝🐝 HB 2308: The bill grants tax exemptions for nonprofits and certain industries.
Healthcare and Public Health:
🐝🐝 HB 2280: Regulates emergency medical services and automated defibrillators.
🐝🐝 HB 2284: Adopts policies for Medicaid managed care organization procurement.
🐝🐝 HB 2285: Updates lead-based paint definitions for public health safety.
🐝🐝 HB 2296: No-cost breast cancer exams in health insurance plans.
🐝🐝 HB 2305: Requires reporting of abortion complications to Kansas health department.
🐝🐝 HB 2307: Transfers awareness program oversight to developmental disabilities council.
Real Property:
🐝🐝 HB 2282: Void discriminatory housing covenants on state institution properties.
Insurance and Financial Regulation:
🐝 HB 2286: Reforms dental payment methods in benefit plans.
Child Welfare, Family Services, and Social Assistance:
Transportation and Infrastructure:
Education:
Senate Bills:
Taxes, Fiscal Policy, and Economic Development:
🐝🐝 SB 197: Extends STAR bonds act expiration to July 1, 2030.
🐝 SB 201: Property tax exemption for disabled veterans and officers' spouses.
🐝🐝 SB 209: Outlines sales tax exemptions for various entities and conditions.
🐝🐝 SB 210: This bill outlines sales tax exemptions for specific organizations.
🐝🐝 SB 215: Increases property tax refund eligibility for seniors, veterans.
🐝🐝 SB 217: Increase residential property tax exemption to $125,000.
Healthcare and Public Health:
Public Safety:
🐝 SB 199: Regulates fireworks sales, licensing and internet sales prohibition.
Miscellaneous / Commemorative and Cultural Acts:
🐝 SB 200: Kansas designated as purple heart state.
Education:
Criminal Justice, Public Safety, and Corrections:
🐝🐝 SB 203: Authorize show cause notices for unavailable witnesses.
🐝🐝 SB 204: Seal criminal and juvenile case court records pre-warrant execution.
🐝🐝 SB 205: Increases penalties for child privacy violations.
🐝🐝 SB 206: Require registration for certain drug-related convictions.
🐝🐝 SB 208: Prohibits prone restraint on juveniles in facilities.
Child Welfare, Family Services, and Social Assistance:
🐝🐝 SB 207: Establish pilot health services for child care providers.
Environment, Energy, and Natural Resources:
Labor, Employment, and Workers’ Rights:
Government Organization, Elections, and Public Administration:
House Resolutions:
Education:
🐝 HR 6005: Recognizes 2025 Kansas Teacher of the Year team.
House Concurrent Resolutions:
Transportation and Infrastructure:
🐝🐝🐝 HCR 5010: Support autonomous drone research and NDAA passage.
Senate Concurrent Resolutions:
Criminal Justice, Public Safety, and Corrections:
🐝🐝 SCR 1610: Amends Kansas constitution: right to bear arms clarified.