TOPEKA
The first half of the 2026 legislative session is only two weeks away from being complete. On February 19, we will reach Turnaround, which is when most bills need to be passed out of one chamber to be considered in the other chamber. Until this point, most of the heavy legislative work has occurred in committee.
In the next two weeks, both chambers will be spending longer days on the floor considering all that hard work. The Senate Ways and Means subcommittees finished all our hearings and reported out all agencies last Thursday. This next week will be spent assembling our budget.
SB 299: In the past, the Supreme Court Nominating Commission has met in private. SB 299 changes this by restricting the Kansas Supreme Court and Supreme Court Nominating Commission from adopting a rule that prohibits disclosure of the Commission’s records and making records of the Commission, including the names and cities of residence of people nominated to serve on the Commission, open and subject to disclosure. The bill would continue to allow background checks and sensitive financial information of applicants or nominees for judicial office to be closed from public disclosure by the Commission.
SB 348 will exempt any electric public utility that is a not for profit, wholly owned subsidiary of an electric cooperative public utility from the jurisdiction, regulation, supervision and control of the Kansas Corporation Commission. The bill would also authorize the KCC to investigate any changes to the electric rates, joint rates, tolls, charges and exactions, and classifications and schedules of rates affecting an exempt electric public utility following a petition filed by customers of the exempt electric public utility to investigate such rates.
HB 2331 would amend laws relating to coroner procedures for the disposition of remains by creating a process that would allow a coroner to relinquish custody or dispose of unclaimed cremated remains and specify whether civil liability would arise from such disposition. The bill would make certain provisions for the remains of veterans, establish requirements for continuing education programs for licensed embalmers and funeral directors, authorize the use of the word “crematory” in the names of certain businesses, and create the crime of aggravated criminal desecration.
SB 327 will eliminate the requirement that the Bob Bethell joint committee on Home and Community based services and KanCare oversight committees' January and April meetings be held during the regular legislative session.
I am honored and grateful to represent the 40th Senate District in Kansas.
Please do not hesitate to contact me by email: rick.billinger@senate.ks.gov or call me with your questions or concerns. My office number is 785 296-7399 or my cell number is 785 899-4700. If you are in Topeka, stop by my office at 545-S.