2025 SENATE SCENE WEEK 10
Last week was exceptionally busy on the Senate floor, as we passed numerous bills addressing a broad array of topics significant to Kansas. Next week, the legislature will finalize the budget process and approve the remaining legislation, including bills emerging from conference committees, where House and Senate differences are reconciled. Following this, the legislature will recess for approximately 12 days before reconvening for a brief veto session on April 10.
SENATE FLOOR ACTION
CONFIRMATION
By a vote of 23-12, the Senate confirmed Christopher Kennedy as Secretary of Wildlife and Parks. I voted yes.
Senate Sub for HB 2007 – the Senate budget includes more than $25 billion in expenditures, including $10.6 billion from the state general fund. Now the House and Senate positions go to conference committee to work out differences between the two chambers’ recommendations, with a final budget to be voted on by both chambers next week. HB 2007 passed 28-12. I voted yes.
SB 259 reduces state income taxes upon growth in the State General Fund (SGF) tax receipts in excess of the FY 2024 amount, adjusted for inflation. Kansas currently has two income tax brackets, after last year’s tax relief package lowered and simplified rates. Under SB 259, if state revenues grow sufficiently, individual income tax rates would be gradually reduced first, with both tax rates being reduced proportionally until the lower bracket reaches 4.5%, at which time only upper bracket rates would be reduced until the upper bracket rate reaches 4.5%, eventually creating one single rate of 4.5%. SB 259 passed 30-10. I voted yes.
The Senate re-adopted HCR 5011 which, if adopted by a two-thirds majority of each chamber of the Kansas Legislature and approved by voters, would amend the Kansas Constitution to generally limit, for property tax purposes, the growth of taxable value of any real property or residential mobile home personal property to 3 percent per year. The re-passage of this amendment sends it to a conference committee, so the Senate can work out differences between approaches to property tax relief with the House. The amendment passed 30-10. I voted yes.
HB 2088 would create the Fast-Track Permits Act for single-family residential developments with the stated purpose of enhancing economic growth in local communities and streamlining the building permit review process. The bill would require a local government to approve or deny a building permit for improvement of single-family residential property within its jurisdiction within 60 days of receiving a completed application. If the authority fails to provide written notice of an application’s approval or denial, the application must be deemed approved by the authority. HB 2088 passed 30-10. I voted yes.
HB 2291 which would create a general regulatory sandbox program within the Regulatory Relief Division of the Office of the Attorney General. Program applicants would be allowed to petition for relief from state laws and rules and regulations as approved by the Program for an applicant’s innovative business offering that would typically require a license, certification, registration, or other authorization required by state law. HB 2291 passed 31-9. I voted yes.
HB 2020, which would direct the Director of Vehicles, Department of Revenue, to provide the Secretary of State a list of all permanent and temporary driver’s licenses issued to noncitizens on a quarterly basis. The list of non-citizens must contain the names, addresses, phone numbers, Social Security numbers, alien registration numbers, dates of birth, temporary driver’s license numbers, and the expiration dates of such licenses. The bill would direct the Secretary to compare the list provided by the Director with the voter registration rolls and investigate and then direct the county election officer to remove the names of any non-citizens that appear on the voter registration rolls within five business days. The bill would require the county election officer to notify such person that they may be reinstated on the voter registration rolls by providing proof of their citizenship. HB 2020 passed 32-8. I voted yes.
SB 29 would protect the constitutional right to assemble by preventing public health officials or health boards from preventing gatherings. The House kept that protection and added other provisions adding due process for those who are impacted by orders from health officials, including: requiring the Secretary of Health and Environment to have probable cause taking action to prevent the introduction or spread of an infectious or contagious disease within Kansas; permit any aggrieved party to file a civil action regarding an order made by the Secretary or a local health officer and establish requirements for hearings and judicial review. The bill also removed the ability for a local health officer or the secretary to order law enforcement to assist in the execution or enforcement of any order. Sub Bill for SB 29 passed 31-9. Having already passed the House, it is now headed to the governor.
HB 2217 would accomplish that by expanding the scope of the Inspector General within the Office of the Attorney General to include the audit, investigation, and performance review of all state cash, food, and health assistance programs. The bill would grant the Inspector General the power to subpoena, administer oaths, and execute search warrants. The bill would also add and amend several definitions and make technical, clarifying, and conforming amendments. HB 2217 passed 30-10. I voted yes.
HB 2304 would require local governments to report certain local economic development incentive program information to the secretary of commerce, defining such programs, requiring the secretary of commerce to post such information on the economic development incentive program database maintained by the secretary and requiring certain search result presentation and report formats. HB 2304 passed 28-12. I voted yes.
HB 2311 protects religious freedom by prohibiting the Secretary for Children and Families from adopting, implementing, or enforcing certain policies with respect to who can be considered for selection as out-of-home or adoptive placement, custody, or appointment as permanent or SOUL custodian for a child in need of care. HB 2311 passed 31-9. I voted yes.
HB 2101 would prohibit cities and counties from adopting an ordinance or enforcing a resolution that establishes or provides for the operation of a guaranteed income program that uses tax revenue unless the Legislature, by an act, expressly consents to and approves of such program. The bill would render any such prohibited ordinance or resolution adopted prior to July 1, 2025, null and void. HB 2101 passed 29-11. I voted yes.
HB 2382 would require any school district that offers courses or other instruction regarding human growth, human development, or human sexuality to include, as part of the course or instruction, a human fetal development presentation. HB 2382 passed 29-11. I voted yes.
HB 2206, which would update and clarify definitions in several areas of ethics law, including allowing local groups that are focused on community issues but support candidates to not have to register as a PAC. It also would change the name of the Kansas Governmental Ethics Commission to the Kansas Public Disclosure Commission. HB 2206 passed 32-8. I voted yes.
HB 2022 would accomplish this by narrowing timing of elections required for the issuance of bonds in municipalities to April, August, or November. HB 2022 passed 24-16. I voted yes.
HB 2164, which would create and amend law in the Kansas Offender Registration Act to make it unlawful for certain sex offenders to enter onto school property or attend a school activity. HB 2164 passed 37-3. I voted yes.
SB 181 would limit the annual growth of expenditures and transfers from the State General Fund (SGF) that may be approved by the Kansas Legislature to the previous year’s SGF spending as adjusted for the Consumer Price Index (CPI) Midwest and Kansas population growth, starting in FY 2027. The Governor’s recommendation would also be subject to the same limitation. SB 181 passed 32-8. I voted yes.
SB 229 would limit the administrative state by requiring new occupational licenses and material changes to existing licenses by certain state agencies to be approved by the Legislature. SB 229 passed 31-9. I voted yes.
HB 2240, which would prohibit state agencies after July 1, 2025, from seeking or implementing any public assistance program waiver or other authorization from the federal government that expands eligibility for any public assistance program or would increase any cost to the State. It also prohibits making certain changes to services for persons with intellectual or developmental disabilities (I/DD) without the express consent or approval of either the Legislature or the Legislative Coordinating Council. HB 2240 passed 29-11. I voted yes.
HB 2333 would rename the Kansas Insurance Department as the Kansas Department of Insurance; the Office of the Securities Commissioner of Kansas as the Department of Insurance, Securities Division; and the Securities Commissioner as the Department of Insurance Assistant Commissioner, Securities Division. The bill also would remove the requirement for the Senate to confirm the Department of Insurance Assistant Commissioner, Securities Division appointee. HB 2333 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
SB 39 would establish the Kansas Legal Tender Act and provide an income tax subtraction modification for gains from the sale of certain forms of gold and silver. SB 39 passed 28-12. I voted yes.
HB 2044 would amend the Third Party Administrators Act to require third-party administrators to maintain a separate fiduciary account for each payor and prohibit co-mingling of funds, either collected or held, in a fiduciary account by the administrator on behalf of multiple payors. HB 2044 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2049 would amend the Uniform Insurance Agents Licensing Act and the Public Adjusters Licensing Act to provide the Commissioner of Insurance with the authority to consult the status of certain licenses or registrations in reviewing applications or renewals for insurance agents and public adjusters. [Note: The changes would make the statute consistent with insurance agent licensing statutes.] HB 2049 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2201 would authorize the issuance of the FFA distinctive license plate on and after January 1, 2026, for use on a passenger vehicle or truck registered for a gross weight of 20,000 pounds or less. HB 2201 passes 39-1. I voted yes.
HB 2061 would amend the definition of “critical infrastructure facility” as it relates to the crimes of trespassing on a critical infrastructure facility and criminal damage to a critical infrastructure facility in the Kansas Criminal Code. HB 2061 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2371 would make amendments to the Revised Limited Liability Company Act to specify document forms and signature and delivery options, and clarify filing fee limits; amend the Business Entity Transactions Act to modify requirements related to various certificates; and amend the Business Entity Standard Treatment Act to modify registration requirements with the Secretary of State and clarify certain provisions related to resident agent change. HB 2371 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2075 would amend law in the Revised Kansas Code for the Care of Children concerning the time by which a permanency hearing for a child in custody of the Secretary for Children and Families must be held, require confirmation of reasonable efforts for reintegration at each permanency hearing, and require the court to make a finding as to the reasonable efforts made for reintegration. HB 2075 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2168 would authorize issuance of the distinctive blackout license plate on and after January 1, 2026, for use on a passenger vehicle or truck registered for a gross weight of 20,000 pounds or less. The bill also creates the License Plate Replacement Fund (Fund). HB 2168 passed 37-3. I voted yes.
HB 2030 would exempt dealers and manufacturers of trailers from specified provisions of the Vehicle Dealers and Manufacturers Licensing Act. The exemptions would not apply to dealers and manufacturers of semitrailers or travel trailers or to a dealer in the sale or exchange of any type of vehicle other than trailers. HB 2030 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
SB 69 would make changes to the Rural Opportunity Zone (ROZ) student loan repayment program to authorize additional types of benefits, expand eligibility for the ROZ income tax credit, and extend the sunset dates of both. SB 69 passed 23-17. I voted yes.
HB 2102 would require school districts to permit the advance enrollment of any military student if the student provides evidence that their parent or guardian will be stationed at a military installation in Kansas during the current or immediately succeeding school year. HB 2102 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2185 would expand the Kansas National Guard Educational Assistance Act (to include dependents of National Guard members and expand the Kansas National Guard Educational Master’s for Enhanced Readiness and Global Excellence (EMERGE) Program to include other advanced degrees. HB 2185 passed 39-1. I voted yes.
HB 2312 would amend eligibility for participation in a non-prison sanction of a certified drug abuse treatment program (SB 123+ program) and authorize community correctional services officers to complete risk need assessments for defendants being considered for diversion that includes certified drug abuse treatment programs. HB 2312 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2048 would remove the requirements for certain reporting by the Commissioner of Insurance and amend the definition of “person” in law regarding violations of insurance law to remove references to specific entities under the jurisdiction of the Commissioner for the purpose of determining violations of Kansas insurance law. HB 2048 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2068 would enact the Cosmetologist Licensure Compact and the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact. HB 2068 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2107 would establish a two-year statute of limitations for wildfire-related claims against an electric public utility, authorize the recovery of certain damages, limit the recovery of punitive damages, require the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) to convene a workshop on wildfire risks and utility mitigation efforts, and authorize the KCC to open a general investigation or convene additional workshops to further assess wildfire risk and mitigation. HB 2107 passed 36-2. I voted yes.
HB 2046 would amend current law to allow travel insurance coverage for sickness, accident, disability, or death occurring during travel as either a separate policy or along with related coverages of emergency evacuation or repatriation of remains, to be classified and filed under either an accident and health or inland marine line of insurance. HB 2046 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2183 would revise certain sex crimes to include conduct related to artificially generated visual depictions and define related terms. HB 2183 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2215 would amend the required contribution of the Department of Corrections within the definition of “public-private partnership” to 50 percent. HB 2215 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2242 would authorize the Governor to grant a request from the United States to establish concurrent jurisdiction over land owned by the United States for military purposes within state boundaries. HB 2242 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2110 would amend the Kansas 911 Act to remove the requirement that the State 911 Board contract with a local collection point administrator for services; reschedule when certain 911 funds would be established and moneys transferred; require an immediate transfer to the State 911 Operations Fund on July 1, 2025; authorize the State 911 Board to make certain annual transfers; and remove the 911 fee transfer cap on the State 911 Grant Fund. HB 2110 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2116 would require cities and counties to use standard contract provisions prescribed by the Department of Administration as used in state contracts. The provisions are contained in Form DA-146a, published by the Department, and include provisions governing warranties, liabilities, taxes, insurance, and applicable laws. HB 2116 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2280 would amend law regarding emergency medical services (EMS) and EMS providers to clarify authorized activities of paramedics, advanced emergency medical technicians (advanced EMTs), emergency medical technicians (EMTs), and emergency medical responders; reduce operational service requirements for non-emergency ambulance services; define “public place”; and require entities placing automated external defibrillators for use in a public place to register with the EMS Board. The bill would also amend current law regarding ambulance services in counties with a population of 30,000 or less. HB 2280 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2307 would transfer the authority over the prenatally and postnatally diagnosed conditions awareness programs from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) to the Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities (KCDD), create the Prenatally and Postnatally Diagnosed Conditions Awareness Program Fund and direct a one-time $25,000 transfer to the Fund. HB 2307 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2037 would make changes to the membership of the Council on Travel and Tourism and a tourism matching grant program. HB 2037 passed 37-3. I voted yes.
HB 2040 would extend the deadline for when the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) must issue a final order for an electric transmission line siting application from 120 days to 180 days. HB 2040 passed 39-1. I voted yes.
HB 2050 would authorize the Commissioner of Insurance to set the amount of fees and fines for applications, licenses, license renewals, certificates of authority, and other required filings by certain insurance entities and public adjusters under the jurisdiction of the Commissioner. The bill would set the maximum amount of the fees and fines for insurance entities and public adjusters as they are currently established in statute. HB 2050 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2284 would require the Department of Administration to adopt written policies regarding the negotiated procurement of contracted Medicaid services provided by managed care organizations. The written policies would be required to have an appeals process, which would be overseen and adjudicated by an appeals committee composed of ten members of the Legislature. HB 2284 passed 32-8. I voted yes.
HB 2069 would enact the School Psychologist Compact and the Dietician Compact. HB 2069 passed 39-1. I voted yes.
HB 2134 would limit the fees that could be charged by a public agency in response to Kansas Open Records Act (KORA) requests and allow a requester to appeal a fee’s reasonableness to the Secretary of Administration if the responding public agency is within the Executive Branch. HB 2134 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2169 would amend statutes authorizing issuance of certain specialized license plates to military veterans to align requirements with statutory changes made in 2024 that standardized definitions and qualifications in multiple statutes with regard to benefits to veterans. HB 2169 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2231 would modify law related to income tax personal exemption amounts and make changes to the “tax freeze” refund option within the Homestead Property Tax Refund Act. HB 2231 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2275 would authorize the submission of countywide sales taxes to the voters of Finney County and Pawnee County. HB 2275 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2289 would amend law regarding personalized license plates and decals on license plates. It also would amend law regarding the shipping of license plates to reflect current practices. HB 2289 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2338 would amend law relating to issuing temporary cosmetology permits. The bill would allow any person to apply to the Kansas State Board of Cosmetology for a temporary location or temporary guest artist permit. HB 2338 passed 38-2. I voted yes.
HB 2342 would authorize the Secretary of Commerce to request the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) conduct a state and national criminal history record check on any final applicant in a sensitive position within the Department of Commerce. HB 2342 passed 39-1. I voted yes.
HB 2359 would enact the Uniform Adult Guardianship and Protective Proceedings Jurisdiction Act and the Kansas Uniform Guardianship, Conservatorship, and Other Protective Arrangements Act, and would repeal existing statutes governing guardianship and conservatorship throughout the Kansas Statutes Annotated, effective January 1, 2026. HB 2359 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2120 would authorize the State Board of Regents, on behalf of Kansas State University and the KSU Veterinary Medical Center (VCM) to sell certain real property parcels in Manhattan, Kansas, and Omaha, Nebraska. The legal description for each parcel is provided in the bill. HB 2120 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2033 would amend law to add nonprofit organizations accredited by the International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council (IMSLEC) to the list of approved at-risk educational programs that are eligible to receive distributions from school districts’ at-risk education funds. HB 2033 passed 31-9. I voted yes.
SB 231 would amend election law regarding the solicitation of advance voting ballot applications. SB 231 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2087 would amend law related to non-admitted insurers authorized to do business in Kansas. The bill would also make technical amendments. HB 2087 passed 38-2. I voted yes.
HB 2016 would require a county election officer to remove the name of a registered voter from the registration books and party affiliation lists when an obituary for such voter is published online by a funeral home located in the county. HB 2016 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2263 would designate an interchange that will be constructed at K-10 and Wakarusa Drive in Douglas County as the Kris Norton Memorial Interchange. HB 2263 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2122 would increase from $100 to $300 the threshold at which the owner of a truck or truck tractor could make registration fee payments in equal quarterly installments. HB 2122 passed 39-1. I voted yes.
HB 2031 would allow a driving school or motorcycle instructor who meets other requirements in continuing law to hold a valid driver’s license from any state, not solely a Kansas license as in current law. The bill would require a motorcycle instructor to hold a class M driver’s license or motorcycle license equivalent from another state to instruct in Kansas. HB 2031 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2118 would require certain solicitations to provide specific notice requirements and subject notice violations to penalties under the Kansas Consumer Protection Act (KCPA). HB 2118 passed 39-1. I voted yes.
HB 2365 would establish the South Central Regional Mental Health Hospital as well as a fee fund, update the catchment areas for the state hospitals, rename Parsons State Hospital and Training Center to Parsons State Hospital. HB 2365 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2249 would add provisions that would become part of and supplemental to the Rural Emergency Hospital Act. The bill would authorize the Secretary for Aging and Disability Services, upon application by a rural emergency hospital and compliance with certain requirements, to grant a physical environment waiver for existing nursing facilities to a REH to provide skilled nursing facility care. HB 2249 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
SB 146 would direct the Secretary for Aging and Disability Services after July 1, 2026, to execute and record an amendment to the original deed for a conveyance located in Miami County, Kansas, from the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) to the City of Osawatomie. SB 146 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2149 would establish consumer protections for distributed energy customers and amend law related to parallel generation service contracts and net metering, including removing renewable generator capacity limits, permitting the use of locational marginal pricing, establishing a formula for determining the appropriate size for electrical loads, and establishing the customer’s right to repair. HB 2149 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2221 would create a new fund within the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) for alcohol/drug abuse treatment, transfer funds & liabilities to the fund and abolish a corresponding KS Department of Corrections (KDOC) fund. HB 2221 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2222 would require the manufacturer of an ignition interlock device to pay certain fees to the Kansas Highway Patrol for the administration, oversight, and monitoring of the ignition interlock program. HB 2222 passed 38-2. I voted yes.
HB 2335 would amend the Health Care Provider Insurance Availability Act to add certain maternity centers to the definition of “health care provider.” The bill would require a maternity center participating in the Health Care Stabilization Fund to have accreditation by the Commission for the Accreditation of Birth Centers and meet the licensure definition for maternity center (KSA 65-503). HB 2335 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2172 would create a 13-member Water Program Task Force and a 5-member Water Planning Work Group to study and make recommendations to the Legislature on water policy and funding. HB 2172 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2052 would amend provisions of the Kansas Personal and Family Protection Act concerning the issuance of provisional and standard concealed carry licenses and the carrying of a concealed handgun by an off-duty law enforcement officer. HB 2052 passed 34-6. I voted yes.
HB 2192 would amend criminal laws related to domestic battery to require a domestic violence offender assessment for first-time domestic battery offenders, redefine the availability of work release for persons convicted of a second domestic battery offense, and remove the possibility of work release for persons convicted of a third or subsequent offense of domestic battery. HB 2192 passed 39-1. I voted yes.
SB 284 would enact the Defense of Drug Delivery Act, pertaining to the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program (340B Program). The Act would prohibit limitations on the acquisition or delivery of a 340B drug to a covered entity and prohibit manufacturers from requiring health information not otherwise required by the 340B Program as a condition of receiving 340B drugs. The bill would provide for the Attorney General to adopt rules and regulations and the creation of a fund in the State Treasury for the implementation of the Act. The bill would also provide for civil penalties to be assessed for violations of the Act and empower the State Board of Pharmacy to investigate complaints. HB 284 passed 34-6. I voted yes.
HB 2152 would establish the public moneys pooled method and make changes related to the deposit of public moneys in financial institutions and the investment of public moneys by financial institutions. HB 2152 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2334 would establish the Protected Cell Captive Insurance Company Act and amend the Captive Insurance Act. HB 2334 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2158 would exempt beekeepers who meet certain requirements from obtaining a state food establishment or food processing plant license to sell packaged honey or honeycomb at retail. HB 2158 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2028 would amend law concerning the resident senior combination hunting and fishing pass and the Kansas kids combination lifetime hunting and fishing license. HB 2028 passed 37-3. I voted yes.
HB 2056 would amend the conduct included under the election crime of false representation of an election official to add the intent to cause a person to believe that the person is an election official. The bill would remove the criterion of “engaging in conduct that gives the appearance of being an election official.” The bill would also clarify that engaging in conduct, including, but not limited to, using an official seal or other insignia of the Secretary of State or any county election office in any communication with voters, with the intent to cause a person to believe that the person engaging in the conduct is an election official would be a qualifying criminal act. HB 2056 passed 34-6. I voted yes.
HB 2160 would establish the Kansas Municipal Employee Whistleblower Act to provide legal protections for municipal employees who report conduct that is dangerous or unlawful and would define terms for purposes of that act. HB 2160 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2195 would create the Kansas Technical College Operating Grant Fund within the State Treasury. HB 2195 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2313 would prohibit state agencies from allowing employees to access artificial intelligence (AI) platforms of concern on state-owned or state-issued electronic devices and prohibit all medical and research facilities in the state from using genetic sequencers or operational or research software used for genetic analysis produced in or by a foreign adversary or affiliated entity. HB 2313 passed 37-3. I voted yes.
HB 2128 would establish that the Kansas Insurance Commissioner would select and announce the most recent version for the risk-based capital instructions promulgated by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) in the Kansas Register by December 1. HB 2128 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2039 would amend statutes relating to home health agencies to clarify the definition of “home health agency” for the purposes of credentialing. The bill would exempt from the definition entities that are not reimbursed by Medicare Part A and only provide services of persons licensed or certified under the Physical Therapy Practice Act and Occupational Therapy Practice Act and persons licensed as speech-language pathologists. HB 2039 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
HB 2255 would change fees for weights and measures inspections, add “electric vehicle supply equipment” to the list of devices that could be regulated by the Kansas Department of Agriculture, and reorganize portions of Chapter 83 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated regarding weights and measures. HB 2255 passed 39-1. I voted yes.
HB 2109 would require public utilities to enter into pole attachment agreements upon the request of a law enforcement agency to allow the requesting agency to install equipment on utility poles in the public right-of-way. The bill would also exempt the public utilities from civil liability. HB 2109 passed 29-9. I voted yes.
HB 2125 would make various changes to requirements related to the filing of municipal budget information with a county clerk and mailing of certain documents associated with property tax. HB 2125 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
SB 281 would change the Low-Income Family Postsecondary Savings Accounts Incentive (KIDS) Program by reducing the number of grants available, reducing expenditure auditing requirements, and sunsetting the program on January 1, 2028. SB 281 passed 40-0. I voted yes.
SB 211 would modify the appointment of members to the Kansas Wildlife and Parks Commission and modify how proposed rules and regulations are acted upon by the Commission. SB 211 failed 17-23. I voted no. The bill was heavily modified from the original intent.
SB 1 would exempt Kansas from the federal daylight saving time provisions and adopt permanent standard time, provided that Missouri enacts similar legislation. Upon the enactment of a federal law adopting permanent daylight saving time, Kansas would move to permanent daylight saving time. SB 1 passed 33-7. I voted yes.
HB 2060 would amend provisions of the State Governmental Ethics Law regarding legislators’ receipt of reimbursement for expenses related to travel & Executive Branch employees’ receipt of tickets or access to entertainment or sporting events or activities. HB 2060 passed 36-4. I voted yes.
Full texts of the bills and supplemental notes as well as the Final Action vote on these measures can be found at www.kslegislature.org.
WATCH AND LISTEN TO THE KANSAS LEGISLATURE
Kansas Legislature YouTube – Here you can follow the legislature live as it happens, or access archives of past sessions and committee meetings.
Kansas Legislature Audio – Here you can listen in on session or committees when they are in session, or access prior committee meetings, as well.
Kansas Legislature website – www.kslegislature.org - has extensive information on legislators, committees, bills, and past sessions.
LEGISLATIVE TOWNHALLS
Several legislative town halls have already taken place across the 36th Kansas Senate District, with more scheduled in the coming weeks.
- April 1 at 1:00 p.m. – Senator Rick Billinger, Representative Ken Rahjes, and I will be in Stockton for a Legislative Coffee at the Stockton City Building. Later that afternoon at 2:15 PM, we will be in Phillipsburg at the Huck Boyd Community Center. Both Legislative Coffees are sponsored by Farm Bureau.
- April 3 at 8:00 a.m. – Representative Lisa Moser and I will be in Mankato for a Legislative Coffee at Possibilities. Next at 10:30 AM, Representative Troy Waymaster and I will be in Smith Center at Cross-Eyed Cricket. Later that afternoon at 2:00 PM, we will be in Osborne at the Hideout.
- April 5 at 3:00 p.m. – Representative Bill Bloom and I will participate in the Farm Bureau Clay County Forum at the Happy Hippie in Clay Center.
- April 8 at 9:00 a.m. – Representative Troy Waymaster and I will be in Sylvan Grove at the Feedlot Bar and Grill. Next at 11:00, we will be in Russell at the Southwind Bank.
- April 29 at 10:00 a.m. – Representative Troy Waymaster and I will be in Smith County for the VA Town Hall & Health Fair at the American Legion Hall in Kensington.
THANK YOU FOR ENGAGING
Thank you for all of your calls, emails, and letters regarding your thoughts and concerns about happenings in Kansas. I always encourage you to stay informed of the issues under consideration by the Kansas Legislature. Committee schedules, bills, and other helpful information can be easily accessed through the legislature’s website at www.kslegislature.org. You are also able to ‘listen in live’ at this website. Please do not hesitate to contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and suggestions. An email is the best at this point in the session as we wrap the year.
Thank you for the honor of serving you!
Senator Elaine Bowers
Kansas State Capitol Building Room 223-E
300SW 10th St.
Topeka, KS 66612
elaine.bowers@senate.ks.gov
785-296-7389
www.kslegislature.org
www.elainebowers.com