Topeka Buzz: Wednesday, February 5

Three-Bee Warning: A proposed bill looks to force law enforcement to partner with ICE on immigration and deportation actions.

Author

Jason Anderson
February 05, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 13 minutes

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-Jason

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 🐝
Wednesday, February 5, 2025

Below is today’s morning update on published activities in the Kansas Legislature.

Table of Contents

Top Stories of the Day

Coercing law enforcement to collaborate with ICE?

As the tone and weight of accumulating proposed legislation continues to build, more and more bills are appearing to align state law with some of the more aggressive Trump agenda items in DC. For example, Senate Bill No. 178, introduced by the Committee on Federal and State Affairs, requires law enforcement agencies in Kansas to pursue formal agreements with the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the auspices of the federal Immigration and Nationality Act. These agreements permit designated law enforcement officers within each agency to engage in the enforcement of federal immigration laws. (Earlier in the session, SCR 1602 called upon the Governor to do the same.)

The penalty for not complying: suspension of any state grant money to the law enforcement agency.

Citizen Petition Initiative

Kansas does not presently have a mechanism for citizen petitions to place constitutional amendment proposals directly on the ballot—only the legislature has that power. Eighteen other states do have citizen-initiated ballot measures, including all neighboring states. HCR 5009 would bring Kansas in line with its neighbors, with a similar threshold: signatures from at least 10% of the number of votes cast for governor.

It’s difficult to see the supermajority relinquishing its control over the amendment process, however. The minority Democratic party consistently wins enough votes in statewide races to be able to reach that threshold, particularly when organized around a specific issue (e.g. Vote No on 2).

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 2037 – Restructure the Kansas Council on Travel and Tourism and adjust the allocation of tourism promotion funds.

  • Consent Calendar (Bills Eligible for Fast-Track Approval):

    • HB 2048 – Eliminates specific reporting requirements for the commissioner of insurance and amends definitions and penalties related to insurance law enforcement.

Senate Bills on the Floor for Consideration

  • Final Action on Bills and Concurrent Resolutions:

    • SB 4 – Advance ballot deadline of 7pm on election day.

    • SB 6 – Prohibits ranked choice voting.

New Bills Introduced

House Bills

  • Criminal Justice & Public Safety:

    • 🐝 HB 2224: Require police to announce before search warrants.

    • 🐝🐝 HB 2227: Ban prone restraint on juveniles in custody.

    • 🐝 HB 2228: Provides inmate documentation prior to release.

    • 🐝 HB 2241: New restrictions on habeas corpus petitions and appeals process.

    • 🐝 HB 2253: Tightens penalties for livestock theft and equipment theft.

    • 🐝 HB 2261: Reclassifies Kansas Highway Patrol majors' employment status.

  • Housing & Consumer Protection:

    • 🐝 HB 2225: Prevents landlords from restricting tenant communication services access.

  • Infrastructure & Utilities:

    • 🐝🐝 HB 2226: Defines rights for transmission line construction ownership.

    • 🐝 HB 2262: Regulates micro utility truck highway operations.

    • 🐝 HB 2263: Designates K-10 interchange as Kris Norton memorial.

  • Public Safety & Regulation:

    • 🐝 HB 2229: Amusement ride safety inspections and regulations amended.

  • Taxation & Fiscal Policy:

    • 🐝 HB 2231: Provides additional personal tax exemptions.

    • 🐝🐝 HB 2232: Establishes a child tax credit for Kansas residents.

    • 🐝🐝 HB 2233: Disqualifies manure injection from tax exemptions.

    • 🐝🐝 HB 2234: Sales tax exemptions for Junction City Main Street, Inc..

  • Financial Regulation & Consumer Protection:

    • 🐝🐝 HB 2235: Amends fiduciary financial institutions regulation in Kansas.

  • Health & Human Services:

    • 🐝 HB 2230: Regulates kratom product sales and safety.

    • 🐝🐝 HB 2236: Establishes Mental Health Intervention Team Program in Kansas.

    • 🐝🐝 HB 2240: Legislature approval required for Medicaid expansion.

    • 🐝 HB 2243: Referral process for military children in need of care.

    • 🐝🐝 HB 2244: Prohibits limiting telepharmacy; revises pharmacy board composition.

    • 🐝🐝 HB 2245: Transfers state health benefits management to insurance department.

    • 🐝🐝 HB 2246: Requires hospitals provide online pricing transparency.

    • 🐝 HB 2247: Regulates dental insurance procedures and claim processes.

    • 🐝🐝 HB 2248: Establishes Kansas nursing initiative grant program.

    • 🐝 HB 2249: Grant waivers for rural emergency hospitals' nursing beds.

    • 🐝🐝 HB 2250: Increased hospital assessment rates and expanded exemptions.

    • 🐝🐝 HB 2251: Provisional licenses for international physicians in Kansas.

    • 🐝🐝 HB 2252: Prohibits smoking on gaming floors in Kansas.

    • 🐝🐝 HB 2266: Enacts interstate APRN licensure compact.

    • 🐝🐝 HB 2267: Prohibits conversion therapy for minors by licensed professionals.

  • Government & Administration:

    • 🐝 HB 2237: State employee awards program overhaul with increased bonuses.

    • 🐝 HB 2238: Reassigns committee duties to legislative administrative services.

    • 🐝🐝 HB 2242: Authorizes governor to accept concurrent federal land jurisdiction.

  • Labor & Employment:

    • 🐝🐝 HB 2239: Mandates meal and rest periods for all employees.

    • 🐝🐝 HB 2264: Restores local control over construction project wages.

  • Elections & Government:

    • 🐝🐝 HB 2257: Interstate compact for national popular vote in presidential elections.

    • 🐝🐝 HB 2258: Authority shift from election commissioners to county clerks.

  • Education:

    • 🐝 HB 2259: Mandates school policies for electronic device use.

  • Transportation & Infrastructure:

    • 🐝🐝 HB 2260: Prohibits electronic device use while driving.

  • Agriculture & Rural Affairs:

    • 🐝 HB 2254: Regulations for payments between milk producers and processors.

  • Commerce & Trade Regulation:

    • 🐝 HB 2255: Reforms Kansas weights and measures regulations.

  • Military & Veterans:

    • 🐝 HB 2256: Awards for military spouses' community contributions.

Senate Bills

  • Social Issues & Reproductive Rights:

    • 🐝🐝 SB 174: Criminalize all abortions in Kansas.

  • Health & Human Services:

    • 🐝 SB 175: Update athletic trainer definition and licensure process.

    • 🐝 SB 176: Prohibits smoking in gaming facilities, includes e-cigarettes.

    • 🐝🐝 SB 182: Set standards for dental insurance medical loss ratios.

    • 🐝🐝 SB 193: Removes law enforcement from opioid antagonist protocol.

  • Elections & Government:

    • 🐝🐝 SB 177: Increases campaign contribution limits, ties to CPI.

  • Immigration & Law Enforcement:

    • 🐝🐝🐝 SB 178: Mandates immigration agreements for Kansas law enforcement agencies.

  • Taxation, Budget & Fiscal Policy:

    • 🐝🐝 SB 179: Establishes a Kansas child tax credit.

    • 🐝🐝 SB 181: Limits annual state general fund expenditures.

    • 🐝 SB 190: Changes rules for homestead partial tax redemption.

    • 🐝 SB 195: Establishes a property tax task force in Kansas.

  • Criminal Justice & Legal Procedures:

    • 🐝🐝 SB 180: Prior convictions impact sex offense bail decisions.

    • 🐝 SB 185: Crime victims' rights are not grounds for criminal appeal.

    • 🐝🐝 SB 187: Automatic expungement for eligible juvenile offenses.

    • 🐝🐝 SB 188: Updates pretrial release requirements for certain offenses.

  • Criminal Justice & Public Safety:

    • 🐝 SB 183: Creates crimes involving correctional facility security cameras.

    • 🐝 SB 186: Revising affidavit access rules for law enforcement.

  • Environment & Business Regulation:

    • 🐝 SB 184: Amends Kansas drycleaner environmental response act.

  • Labor & Employment:

    • 🐝 SB 189: Allows injured employees healthcare provider choice.

  • Utilities & Consumer Protection:

    • 🐝 SB 191: Limits extra charges on municipal utility bills.

  • Real Estate & Legal Procedures:

    • 🐝 SB 192: Judicial foreclosure auctions require in-person attendance.

  • Civil Rights & Education:

    • 🐝 SB 194: Void discriminatory property restrictions by race on state education property.

  • Immigration & Employment:

    • 🐝🐝 SB 196: Prohibits employing unauthorized aliens in Kansas.

House Concurrent Resolutions

  • Government & Democracy:

    • 🐝🐝 HCR 5009: Amend Kansas constitution to allow direct citizen initiatives.

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