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Topeka Buzz: Wednesday, February 19
The Legislature overrode the Governor's veto, and so gender transition treatments for minors are now illegal in Kansas. Also: Did the legislature really pass 20+ bills yesterday? Yes, they did.
Jason Anderson
February 19, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 10 minutes
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Daily Legislative Update 🐝
Wednesday, February 19, 2025
Below is today’s morning update on published activities in the Kansas Legislature.
Table of Contents
Top Stories of the Day
Gender transition care for minors is now illegal in Kansas
Yesterday, both chambers voted to override Governor Kelly’s veto of SB63. This cements a sweeping ban on gender-affirming healthcare for minors, making Kansas one of several states to enact such restrictions in recent years. Dubbed the "Help Not Harm Act" by supporters, the law prohibits medical professionals from providing gender transition-related treatments, including puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and surgeries, to individuals under 18. Additionally, the law imposes strict penalties on healthcare providers who violate its provisions, including license revocation and civil liability extending into adulthood.
How did your legislators vote on banning gender transition care?
In the Senate:
All Republicans voted yes on the original vote and to override the veto.
Senator Haley (D) voted yes on the original vote but no on the veto.
All other Democrats voted no both times.
In the House:
Rep. Helgerson (D) and Rep. Stogsdill (D) voted no on the original vote but did not vote on the veto.
Rep. Alcala (D) and L. Ruiz (D) did not vote either time.
Representatives Bergkamp (R), Collins (R), Turner (R), and White (R) did not vote on the original vote but voted yes to overturn the veto.
Rep. Ohaebosim (D) did not vote on the original vote, but voted no on the veto.
Representatives Poetter Parshall (R) and Wilborn (R) voted yes on the original vote, but did not vote on the veto.
All other Republicans voted yes both times.
All other Democrats voted no both times.
Opponents of SB63, including major medical associations and civil rights groups, argue that the law will cause far more harm than it prevents. Medical experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Endocrine Society, support gender-affirming care as a critical component of healthcare for transgender minors experiencing gender dysphoria. By banning these treatments outright, critics warn that the legislature is overriding medical consensus in favor of political ideology. Furthermore, the law’s punitive measures against doctors, coupled with restrictions on state funding for any form of gender transition support, are expected to create a chilling effect on healthcare providers, limiting access even for those seeking information or referrals.
The consequences of this legislative action will be felt immediately by families who had been accessing or considering gender-affirming care for their children. The law not only disrupts existing treatments but also forbids medical professionals from prescribing puberty blockers or hormones, even in cases where treatment was already underway. LGBTQ+ advocacy groups have vowed to challenge the law in court, citing constitutional concerns and potential violations of federal protections.
Dozens of bills passed in originating chambers
Less than 48 hours remain until the Turnaround deadline when bills must clear their originating chamber, so the voting is getting fast and furious. In the House, nine bills passed (see list below) and well over a dozen more recommended for a vote (likely today). The Senate was equally frantic, with over 40 (!) bills returning from committee with recommendations to be passed.
Frankly, it’s too much content to even attempt to summarize here in a paragraph. For those following progress on school vouchers, though, SB 75 was moved to the Ways and Means committee where it is safely exempt from the Turnaround deadline.
Today will be an even-busier day, most likely.
Kansas Legislative Glossary
When writing these newsletters, sometimes it’s easy to forget that not everyone spent the better part of a year running a political campaign. Like most industries, there can be a lot of special vocabulary used–for efficiency, mostly, but it can sometimes be confusing or alienating.
To help keep things more understandable, we’ve published a Legislative Glossary on the Capitol Bee site. If you happen to read something and don’t know what it means, odds are good you’re not alone! Shoot us an email and flag the term and we’ll get it added to the glossary.
Bills and Resolutions
UPDATE: Summaries of these bills are now published on BillBee. The links below go directly to each bill’s writeup.
Bills Under Consideration
House Bills on the Floor for Consideration
Final Action on Bills and Concurrent Resolutions:
HB 2031 (PASSED) – Drivers' Training: Relating to driving instructors and permitting driver's licenses from any state.
HB 2110 (PASSED) – Emergency Communication Services: Relating to the Kansas 911 Act, modifying funding schedules and administrative requirements.
HB 2117 (PASSED) – Business Entities: Requiring business trusts to file dissolution certificates and modifying filing requirements for various business entities.
HB 2124 (PASSED) – Roads and Highways: Designating portions of U.S. Highway 160 and 77 as memorial highways and a bridge as a memorial bridge.
HB 2145 (PASSED) – Fairs: Establishing membership and appointment procedures for the Butler County Fair Board.
HB 2169 (PASSED) – Motor Vehicles: Modifying military veteran license plate documentation requirements.
HB 2170 (PASSED) – Days of Commemoration: Designating the first week of February as Kansas Burn Awareness Week.
HB 2185 (PASSED) – Education; National Guard: Permitting transfer of unused tuition assistance benefits to dependents and expanding educational programs.
HB 2215 (PASSED) – Department of Corrections: Modifying public-private partnership construction project definitions and cost-share limits.
SB 63 (PASSED) – Help Not Harm Act: Prohibiting healthcare providers from treating a child whose gender identity is inconsistent with the child’s sex. Passed notwithstanding the Governor’s veto.
Consent Calendar (Bills Eligible for Fast-Track Approval):
HB 2022 – Appeared on the Consent Calendar with no objections.
Senate Bills on the Floor for Consideration
Final Action on Bills and Concurrent Resolutions:
SB63 (PASSED) – Help Not Harm Act: Overridden the Governor's veto; prohibiting healthcare providers from treating a child whose gender identity is inconsistent with the child's sex.
SB20 (PASSED) – Reduces the number of board members and meeting frequencies for certain insurance-related boards.
SB24 (PASSED) – Insurance industry regulatory changes.
SB30 (PASSED) – Mandates state and national criminal history checks for Kansas Department of Labor employees accessing federal tax information.
SB44 (PASSED) – Expands the list of eligible post-secondary schools for the Kansas promise scholarship program.
SB45 (PASSED) – Modifies the virtual school graduation rate formula.
SB50 (PASSED) – Establishes uniform interest rates for scholarship programs managed by the Kansas state board of regents.
SB53 (PASSED) – Amends the management and use of fees for county law libraries.
SB64 (PASSED) – Updates Kansas public employees retirement system policies.
SB71 (PASSED) – Increases penalties for purchasing sexual relations.
SB77 (PASSED) – Revise regulation and agency review processes.
SB82 (PASSED) – Grants waivers for rural hospital nursing facilities.
SB85 (PASSED) – Mandates frequent data matching for public assistance eligibility.
SB87 (IN PROCESS) – Expands low income student scholarship eligibility and tax credits.
SB88 (PASSED) – Requires dementia training for long-term care ombudsmen.
SB98 (PASSED) – Create Route 66 Kansas license plates.
SB117 (PASSED) – Expand property tax exemption for Strother field airport.
SB128 (PASSED) – Modifies social workers' mandatory reporting rules.
SB138 (PASSED) – Require probable cause statement by law enforcement for warrants.
SB156 (PASSED) – Establishes penalties for unlawful laser pointer use.
SB161 (PASSED) – Legislative consent required for public assistance program changes.