HOUSE PASSES LEGISLATION TO CONTROL PROPERTY TAX INCREASES
TOPEKA — Even though it was passed out of the House chamber last week, by a final action vote of 115 to 6 and I voted yes, I would be remiss to not dedicate considerable space to House Bill (HB) 2396 to you, the constituents of House District 109. In response to growing concerns of rising property tax costs from across Kansas the House Committee on Taxation developed HB 2396, after considerable work and thought.
HB 2396 answers those concerns through several means. First is that it establishes a protest petition for voters in the event that property tax revenues, within the governing jurisdiction and current year, exceed past property tax revenues adjusted by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), for the Midwest Region as published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The protest petition would require signatures from 10 percent of the qualified voters in the governing jurisdiction and need to be filed within 30 days of the certification of the property tax revenue increase taking effect.
If those requirements were met the property tax in the jurisdiction would be reduced by the corresponding difference between the previous year and the current year, adusted by the forementioned CPI. Second is that the legislation creates the Acknowledging Stewardship of Tax Revenue and Appropriations (ASTRA) Fund. The fund would receive an initial transfer of $60 million from the State General Fund in Fiscal Year 2026 and then an ongoing transfer of the same amount compounded by two percent for future fiscal years.
The fund would be administered by the State Treasurer and its monies distributable to any county or city whose property tax revenues did not exceed the prior mentioned annual CPI adjusted increase. Apportionment of the distributable fund would be calculated by the State Treasurer, with 65 percent based on population and 35 percent on assessed property valuations; said apportionment would also be certified by the Director of Property Tax Valuation within the Department of Revenue. Funds would be administered to recipients by January 15 of each new calendar year.
School districts and the State of Kansas would be the only governing districts exempt under the bill.
Lastly the bill would eliminate property tax neutral rate requirements and the Taxpayer Notification Costs Fund.
COMMITTEE HAPPENINGS
House Appropriations (HAPP) was busy again this week, as the session nears first adjournment. The committee held two informational hearings on important topics in the state and acted on several bills in committee.
On Tuesday, the committee first held a hearing on House Bill (HB) 2398, which would appropriate state general funds to create a master plan for renovating the Quindaro ruins into an archaeological park. Testimony, ranging from proponent to neutral, was provided by several individuals regarding the site’s history and the best means to renovate it. After that the committee received an informational briefing from the Department of Commerce regarding the STAR Bonds program and then an informational briefing from Kansas State University, Wichita State University, and the University of Kansas on projects in need of bonding, within the respective university campuses.
Wednesday saw HAPP hold both an informational hearing on HB 2402 and work Senate Bill (SB) 125.
The informational hearing for HB 2402, creating a blue-ribbon commission on higher education and requiring new reports, had proponent and neutral testimony received testimony from both the Kansas Association of Community Colleges and the Kansas Board of Regents.
SB 125, Claims against the State, was amended into a trailer appropriations bill, in order to address recent agency concerns, and was passed out of committee after lengthy discussion.
The committee on Thursday worked HB 2237 and HB 2402.
HB 2237, which increases the maximum limit on recruitment and retention bonuses for state agencies and requires new annual reporting, was passed out of committee with no changes.
HB 2402 was likewise passed out of committee.
HOUSE DELIBERATIONS
Last week the Kansas House of Representatives worked 28 pieces of legislation. Below is a selection of four from that list of bills.
First is House Bill (HB) 2111. This piece of legislation would increase the aggregate acreage enrollment limit in Kansas from 40,000 to 60,000 for Conservation Reservation Enhancement Programs (CREP), set the county enrollment limit for CREP at 25 percent of the state acreage cap and establish new CREP classifications for water conservation.
Second is Senate Bill (SB) 88. This bill would add new requirements in training for state long-term care ombudsmen, specifically towards memory care.
Third is HB 2329. This legislation would amend the Kansas Juvenile Justice Code’s sentencing alternatives, detention length limit, and placement matrix.
Fourth, and last, is Substitute for HB 2149; the bill would add new disclosure requirements for distributed energy retailers offering installation, require the Attorney General to revise disclosure standards, and establish standards and limitations for distributed energy systems connected to utility grids.
All of these bills passed, and I voted yes on each.
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.
Contact My Office
Representative Troy L. Waymaster
300 SW 10th Street Topeka, Kansas 66612
[email protected]
www.kslegislature.org
www.troywaymaster.com