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- Topeka Buzz: Tuesday, February 4
Topeka Buzz: Tuesday, February 4
There are 80 (!) new House and Senate bills and resolutions filed since last Friday. Another We've done our best to categorize them below and pick out a few highlights.
Jason Anderson
February 04, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 22 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 🐝
Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Below is today’s morning update on published activities in the Kansas Legislature.
Table of Contents
Top Stories of the Day
Election law reforms moving forward in the Senate
Last week, SB 4 (moving the advance ballot deadline to 7pm on election day) and SB 6 (banning the use of ranked-choice voting) passed out of committee and returned to the Senate floor. Both bills are likely to pass and be moved to the House. Election law junkies would likely describe these changes as restrictive: they both would have the impact of generally reducing ballot eligibility.
SB 5 (a ban on the use of federal funds for election-related activity) is also moving forward (though it has not yet had a Senate floor vote). While supporters claim it strengthens state control over election funding, opponents warn that it could disrupt critical voter registration and election security efforts, particularly in rural and underfunded counties. The bill's criminal penalties for violations further raise concerns about chilling effects on local election administration.
More proposed education legislation
A baker’s dozen of new bills related to public education arrived in the House and Senate. Topics range from mandatory cellphone restrictions in schools (HB 2186, SB 154) to changes in school district budget disclosures and bond measures (SB 140, SB 159, SB 165). Overall, the collection of bills reflect an effort to shift policies and processes away from local school board control and elevate them to state legislative accountability.
Tilting at international windmills?
HB 2204 aims to block specific international entities from having influence within Kansas. (Editor’s note: This is purely political posturing, as the states have no authority to “opt out” of international agreements signed by the federal government.)
I’ll just leave the text of the bill below1 :
The world health organization, united nations and the world economic forum shall have no jurisdiction or power within the state of Kansas. No rule, regulation, fee, tax, policy or mandate of any kind of the world health organization, united nations and the world economic forum shall be enforced or implemented by the state of Kansas or any agency, department, board or commission, of the state or any municipality or other political subdivision of the state.
Bills and Resolutions
UPDATE: Summaries of these bills are now published on DataHive 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:
HCR 5003 – Adopting joint rules for the Senate and the House of Representatives for the 2025-2026 biennium.
Consent Calendar (Bills Eligible for Fast-Track Approval):
HB 2048 – Insurance: Eliminating certain commissioner reports to the governor; removing certain specific entities from the definition of “person” for insurance-law enforcement.
HB 2037 – Economic Development: Increasing council on travel and tourism membership appointed by the governor; updating the matching grant program for promotion of tourism.
General Orders (Bills Under Consideration):
HCR 5004 – A proposition to amend the Kansas constitution to require U.S. citizenship, minimum age of 18, and residency in the voting area as prerequisites for voting.
HB 2020 – Driver’s Licenses (Noncitizens): Requiring the director of vehicles to make quarterly reports of names and addresses of noncitizens to the secretary of state.
HB 2027 – Public Assistance: Reorganizing subsections of the public assistance statute and updating cross-references.
HB 2011 – Property Tax (Schools): Decreasing the statewide school mill levy rate and increasing the homestead exemption extent.
HB 2042 – Title Insurance: Requiring title agents to make audit reports available upon request; eliminating the controlled business exemption in certain counties.
HB 2043 – Insurance Practices: Requiring insurers and agents to respond to inquiries from the commissioner within 14 days; extending rebate pilot programs.
HB 2049 – Insurance Agent/Public Adjuster Licensing: Updating requirements for suspension, revocation, and renewal of licenses.
HB 2050 – Insurance Commissioner Fees: Authorizing the commissioner to set certain fees and requiring their publication in the Kansas register.
HB 2071 – Help Not Harm Act: Prohibiting healthcare providers from treating a child whose gender identity is inconsistent with the child’s sex.
HB 2057 – Vacancies in Certain Offices: Requiring the legislature to nominate individuals for appointment when a vacancy occurs in the offices of U.S. senator, state treasurer, or commissioner of insurance.
Senate Bills on the Floor for Consideration
Consent Calendar (Bills Eligible for Fast-Track Approval):
General Orders (Bills Under Consideration):
Anticipated End of Debate Calendar:
SB 20 – Insurance: Reducing certain insurance-related board appointments by the commissioner; adjusting committee meeting frequencies.
SB 24 – Insurance Commissioner Fees: Authorizing the commissioner to set certain fees and requiring their publication; repealing K.S.A. 40-3217.
SB 28 – Insurance Agents/Public Adjusters: Updating requirements for suspension, revocation, denial, and renewal of licenses.
Sub SB 33 – Sales Tax Exemptions: Excluding exempt sales of certain custom meat processing services from exemption certificate requirements.
SB 5 – Election Funding: Prohibiting use of certain federal funds for elections unless approved by the legislature.
SB 36 – Conservation Districts: Increasing the cap on state disbursements to local conservation districts and revising matching provisions.
SB 14 – Continuous Budget: Providing for an ongoing state budget until amended, lapsed, or eliminated by the legislature.
SCR 1603 – Constitutional Amendment: Limiting valuation increases for real property and certain personal property used as mobile homes.
New Bills Introduced
House Bills
Healthcare & Workforce:
🐝🐝 HB 2184: Regulates nursing staffing agencies and worker platforms.
🐝 HB 2199: Covers infant allergen dietary supplements for state employees.
🐝🐝 HB 2219: Enacts physician assistant licensure compact for interstate practice.
🐝 HB 2223: Modifications to Kansas optometry scope, definitions, and credentialing.
Military & Veterans:
Education:
🐝 HB 2186: Regulate student use of electronic devices in schools.
🐝 HB 2194: Exempts teacher retirees from employer contribution rate.
🐝 HB 2195: Create fund for technical college grants.
🐝 HB 2202: Equip pre-service teachers for FASD support in education.
🐝 HB 2203: Define fetal alcohol syndrome in special education.
Property & Economic Development:
Government & Transparency:
Government & Foreign Influence:
Criminal Justice & Corrections:
Gun Policy & Public Safety:
Tax & Finance:
🐝🐝 HB 2197: Bill provides tax exemptions for nonprofit purchases and services.
🐝 HB 2208: Creates tax credits for community foundation endowments.
🐝🐝 HB 2209: The bill sets special tax refund conditions for specific corporations.
🐝 HB 2210: Establishes a child tax credit in Kansas.
🐝🐝 HB 2211: Provides STAR bond food tax revenue replacement.
Family & Child Welfare:
Social Issues:
🐝🐝 HB 2216: Creates educational video on abortion laws and medical care.
Health & Drugs:
Transportation & Public Safety:
Agriculture & Rural:
🐝 HB 2201: FFA distinctive license plates authorized in Kansas.
Senate Bills
Government & Elections:
🐝🐝 SB 136: Limit political contributions for independent expenditures to $5,000.
Criminal Justice & Public Safety:
🐝🐝 SB 137: Regulates forfeited property handling, including firearm sales.
🐝🐝 SB 138: Require probable cause statement by law enforcement for warrants.
🐝 SB 155: Adds probation violations to obstructing apprehension crimes.
🐝 SB 156: Establishes penalties for unlawful laser pointer use.
🐝 SB 157: Adjusts rules for bond forfeiture and remission.
Banking & Financial Regulation:
🐝🐝 SB 139: Updating banking code; procedures for hearings and charters.
Education:
🐝 SB 140: Enhances school district budgeting transparency requirements.
🐝 SB 142: Authorize nonvoting teacher members on school boards.
🐝 SB 154: Prohibits student device use during school.
🐝🐝 SB 159: Mandates comprehensive school district budget disclosures.
🐝 SB 160: Attorney General prosecutorial powers in education crimes expanded.
🐝 SB 162: Mandates seizure training for school employees.
🐝🐝 SB 164: Prohibits discrimination in Kansas educational institutions.
🐝 SB 165: Standardizes school bond and tax levy elections.
Government Reform:
Energy & Environment:
🐝🐝 SB 144: Void restrictive covenants restricting rooftop solar panels.
🐝🐝 SB 167: Regulates electric utility vehicle charging services.
🐝 SB 170: Authorize energy efficiency recommendations, no enforcement power.
🐝🐝 SB 171: License and regulate nuclear fusion systems, establish fees.
🐝🐝 SB 173: Requires county approval for wind/solar facility leases.
Family & Child Welfare:
Property & Economic Development:
Insurance & Tax Policy:
Health & Public Assistance:
Legal & Social Issues:
Employment & Labor:
Housing & Tenant Rights:
🐝 SB 169: Prohibits landlords restricting tenant communication services access.
Senate Resolutions:
🐝 SR 1707: Designates January 30, 2025, as JAG-K Day.
Senate Concurrent Resolutions:
🐝🐝 SCR 1609: Repeal Kansas Right to Work provision.