Feb. 20
Topeka
HOUSE ACTION
This was a very busy week on the floor of the Kansas House of Representatives. Turnaround Week saw the House debate and vote on approximately 125 bills. Detailed below is a sample of ten from those worked, split between the first and second pages.
· First up is House Bill (HB) 2615. This legislation would redesignate a portion of US highway 75 in Montgomery County Kansas, near Dearing, as the Brigadier General George H. Wark Memorial Highway; HB 2615 was voted out favorably by the House and is now in the Senate Committee on Transportation;
· Second is Senate Bill (SB) 281, or more accurately called House Substitute for Senate Bill 281. This bill would mandate prohibition of personal electronic communication devices during school hours in any state accredited elementary or secondary school for students in Kansas, as well as restrict social media contact between school employees and students and set liability for electronic devices in schools. House Substitute for Senate Bill 281 was voted out favorably and will now go into conference;
· Third is HB 2412. This piece of legislation would increase penalties for crimes which involve endangering a child under the age of 18, raising them from class A person misdemeanors to varying severity level felonies, with a maximum of severity level five, for aggravated endangerment with bodily harm for a child less than six years old. HB 2412 was voted out of the House favorably but has not yet been referred to a Senate Committee;
· Fourth is HB 2220. This bill would expand the potential minimum speed limit set by local authorities for residential areas to 25 miles per hour, from the current 30 miles per hour. HB 2220 was voted out favorably by the House but has not yet been referred to a Senate Committee;
· Fifth is HB 2591. This legislation would enable financial institutions to establish trusted contact programs, which report suspected financial exploitation, and allow for temporary delays of suspected transactions for up to 10 business days if reported to law enforcement or the Kansas Department for Children & Families. HB 2591 was voted out favorably but has not yet been referred to a Senate Committee;
· Sixth is HB 2647. This bill would create a Statewide Conduit System for fiber optic transmissions of broadband connections, establish the Kansas Broadband Revolving Fund with the State Treasury to maintain it, set a schedule of fees charged to entities installing or using the fiber optic system, and mandate reporting on the system from the Department of Transportation to the Govenor and the Legislature. HB 2647 was voted out favorably but has not yet been referred to a Senate Committee;
· Seventh is HB 2509. This legislation would add advance practice registered nurses (APRNs) to the list of health care providers participating in the Health Care Stabilization Fund and create a new member seat on the Board of Governors for the Health Care Stabilization Fund, to be held by an APRN. HB 2509 was voted out favorably by the House and has not yet been referred to a Senate Committee;
· Eighth is HB 2520. This bill would raise the maximum capacity of Home Plus facilities, a type of nursing home, from twelve occupants to sixteen and require facilities that expand beyond twelve occupants to develop care and contingency plans, reviewable by state agencies. HB 2520 was voted out favorably by the House but has not yet been referred to a Senate Committee;
· Ninth is HB 2522. This piece of legislation would permit vehicles engaged in highway construction and maintenance operations to display flashing, rotating, or oscillating lights in amber, green, or white color, alone or in combination. It would also extend the same permission to stationary trailers within a road construction zone closed to traffic from sunset to sunrise, so long as construction workers are present. HB 2522 was voted out favorably by the House but has not been referred to a Senate Committee;
· Last is HB 2626. This bill would expand eligibility in the Veteran’s preference in Government Employment Program in the state to certain members of the Kansas National Guard and US Military Reserves. HB 2626 was voted out favorably by the House but has not yet been referred to a Senate Committee.
TURNAROUND, LEGISLATIVE COFFEES, & MORE
House Appropriations (HAPP) was not that busy this week, but I was since it is Turnaround Week.
Turnaround Week is the deadline for both chambers of the Kansas State Legislature to consider non-exempt bills, bills not introduced within exempt committees, that originated within said chambers. That meant many hours on the House Floor deliberating and voting on nearly 125 bills.
Also, this week, I had the pleasure of hosting pages from Ellsworth and recognizing the Ellsworth Women’s Tennis Team for winning the 3-2-1A Title this school year, a first in their history, on Tuesday in the House Chamber.
I would also like to note two legislative coffees scheduled for this coming Saturday. The first will be at 10:00 AM at the Cross-Eyed Cricket in Smith Center and the second will be held at the Hideout Coffeehouse in Osborne at 2:00 PM.
It is a distinct honor to serve as your representative for the 109th Kansas House District and the state of Kansas. Please contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and questions. I always appreciate hearing from the residents of the 109th House District and others from the state of Kansas, as well.