30 Mar 2026 Kansas Capitol Review – Week 11 (First Adjournment)
Listen online:
Week 11 of the 2026 Kansas Legislative Session concluded with First Adjournment just after 1:00 a.m., Saturday. The final days of the regular session were largely dominated by conference committee work, where lawmakers negotiated differences between House and Senate versions of key bills. The Legislature will reconvene on April 9 for a brief two- or three-day Veto Session.
Property tax relief was one of the most closely watched and, at times, controversial issues of the session. After weeks of debate over competing proposals, lawmakers were unable to reach a broad agreement on a long-term property tax solution before First Adjournment, passing one bill with a slim margin that is likely to be vetoed by the Governor. The lack of consensus suggests property tax policy will remain a central topic when lawmakers return in less than two weeks, where they will consider any gubernatorial vetoes and revisit unresolved policy issues.
Upcoming Legislative Veto Session – April 9, 2026.
Pesticide Product Labeling Protections
Kansas Agribusiness Retailers Association requested the introduction of HB 2476, a bill that would amend Kansas law to clarify that label language on any US EPA-registered pesticide products satisfies any state statutory or common law duty to warn of potential hazards. After passing the House on a vote of 81-36, the bill received a hearing in the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources before being tabled by the Committee. On March 20, the House Committee on Agriculture added the contents of HB 2476 to SB 390, which would prohibit certain food additives in school food. However, that bill was later stricken from the House calendar. The bill was given further consideration by the joint Agriculture Conference Committee which placed the contents of HB 2476 into a Conference Committee Report on HB 2505. As of the first adjournment, however, no further action had been taken on the bill.
Seed Retailer/Wholesaler Registration Fees
SB 425 would increase maximum annual registration fees for seed wholesalers and retailers. The maximum seed wholesaler fee would be increased from $300 to $400, and the maximum seed retailer fee would be increased from $30 to $50. The bill would also institute a $25 fee for failing to renew your license on time. The proposed fees, which had not been increased for many years, would cover the cost of the seed program. After passing the House and Senate, the bill now goes to Governor Kelly for consideration.
Country of Concern Registration
HB 2759 would require registration of agents and political organizations representing countries of concern. The bill would prohibit any person from acting as an agent of a foreign principal unless such person registers with the Public Disclosure Commission by submitting a registration statement and any required supplemental documents. The bill would require certain information to be included in the registration statement, such as a comprehensive statement of the nature of the agent’s business, the amount of certain payments the agent has received, and other information required by the Commission. The bill requires each foreign-supported political organization to register with the Commission. Violations of the bill would be subject to a civil penalty of up to $5,000 for the first violation, $10,000 for the second violation, and $15,000 for subsequent violations which would be deposited into the Public Disclosure Fee Fund. Following a March 11 hearing in the House Committee on Federal and State Affairs, the bill did not receive further consideration.
Food Additives in School Food
SB 390 would prohibit the following additives in food provided by schools as part of certain food service programs and requiring schools to certify that school facilities do not serve food that contains Butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA) or various other food additives, including Brominated vegetable oil, BVO; potassium bromate; Propylparaben; Azodicarbonamide; titanium dioxide; FD&C blue No. 1; FD&C blue no. 2; FD&C green no. 3; FD&C red no. 3, FD&C red no. 40; FD&C yellow no. 5; or FD&C yellow no. 6. The Senate Committee on Agriculture amended the bill to remove reference to BHA. After passing the Senate 40-0, the House Agriculture Committee amended the bill to add the contents of HB 2476. SB 390, as amended, was later stricken from the House calendar. On March 27, a joint Education Conference Committee placed the contents of SB 390 into Conference Committee Report on HB 2164. After passing the Senate on a vote of 24-13, the bill did not receive a vote in the House before the first adjournment.
Amending Definition of “Conviction” to Include DUI Diversion
A recent Kansas Court of Appeals opinion held that the state’s definition of “conviction” was not equivalent to the federal definition of “conviction” which includes non-judicial DUI resolution, such as diversion. For that reason, HB 2606 was introduced to align the state definition in the Kansas Uniform Commercial Driver’s License Act with the federal definition. The change was necessary to ensure the State did not lose federal funding or risk decertification of the state’s commercial driver’s license program. Contents of the bill were placed into CCR SB 403, which was passed by the House and Senate. The bill now goes to Governor Laura Kelly for consideration.
Citizenship Status on Driver’s License
HB 2448 would require a person’s citizenship status to be listed on their driver’s license. After passing the House on a vote of 77-41, the bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs. During a Conference Committee between the House and Senate, the contents of the bill were placed into CCR HB 2587, and then passed by the Senate (27-12) and the House (77-42). The bill will now be presented to Governor Laura Kelly for consideration.
Gross Vehicle Weight
HB 2604 was introduced at the request of the Kansas Dept. of Revenue to amend statutory definitions regarding commercial motor vehicles by: adding gross vehicle weight to the definitions of class A, B, and C commercial vehicles in vehicle registration statutes; align definitions of commercial motor vehicles in the Kansas Uniform Commercial Drivers’ License Act (CDL Act) and the registration statute. The bill was passed by the House and then referred to the Senate Committee on Transportation which held a hearing on March 3. However, the bill received no further action.
Tort Reform – Adopting Certain Federal Expert Witness Rules of Evidence
SB 398 would require a proponent to demonstrate that it is more likely than not that certain specialized knowledge will help the trier of fact to understand evidence before certain qualified witnesses may testify. After passing the Senate, and the House, with amendments, the bill will be now sent to Governor Laura Kelly for consideration.
Tort Reform – Prohibiting Recovery in Certain Civil Actions
SB 463 would prohibit certain persons from recovering damages in certain civil actions. The bill would prohibit persons who engaged or participated in wrongful conduct from bringing an action for negligence, or collecting damages for negligent conduct, related to such wrongful conduct. The House Judiciary Committee amended the bill to address concerns of attractive nuisances for children. A joint Judiciary Conference Committee placed the contents of the bill to CCR SB 462. After passing the House and Senate, the bill now goes to Governor Laura Kelly for consideration.
Tort Reform – Public Nuisance Claims
SB 462 would prohibit certain public nuisance claims, require the attorney general to bring nuisance actions that are not wholly contained in one political subdivision, require special injury for certain public nuisance actions, and provide an accrual period for the statute of limitations in public nuisance actions. A joint Judiciary Conference Committee added the contents of SB 463 to the bill, creating CCR SB 462. After passing the House and Senate, the bill now goes to Governor Laura Kelly for consideration.
Tort Reform – Prohibiting Practice of Jury Anchoring
SB 413 was introduced to prohibit the practice, known as “jury anchoring,” where legal counsel suggest a large damage amount for noneconomic loss in civil action for the purpose of increasing the negotiated damage award. The bill was supported by various business stakeholder groups. After passing the Senate 29-11, the bill was referred to the House Judiciary Committee but did not receive a hearing.
Attorney General Litigation Review
HB 2593, requested by the Kansas Attorney General, would require the attorney general to approve any contingency fee contract for legal services proposed or considered by any political subdivision of the state. After passing the House and the Senate, with amendments, the bill now goes to Governor Laura Kelly for consideration.
Judicial Deference to Regulatory Agencies
Governor Laura Kelly signed HB 2183 into law. The bill prohibits a state court or an administrative hearing officer from deferring to a regulatory agency’s interpretation of certain statutes, rules or regulations. While the court or officer could consider the agency’s interpretation, they would be required to interpret the meaning and effect of such statute, rules and regulation, or document, de novo using their own reasoning independent of the agency’s interpretation.
Crush Transnational Repression
SB 454 would enact the “Crush Transnational Repression” act. Under the act, “transnational repression” would mean actions and behaviors intended to harass, intimidate, or censors that are committed by an agent of a foreign adversary, defined as the People’s Republic of China, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Republic of Cuba; Islamic Republic of Iran; Democratic People’s Republic of Korea; Russian Federation; Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela; and any organization that is designated as a foreign terrorist organization as of July 1, 2026, pursuant to the Immigration and Nationality Act, except where otherwise adopted by the Fusion Center Oversight Board. The bill was included in CCR HB 2413 and passed unanimously by the House and the Senate. The bill now goes to Governor Laura Kelly for consideration.
Agency Rules and Regulations
HB 2719 amends the state’s Rules and Regulations Filing Act to streamline and clarify the rulemaking process. The bill allows agencies to make “technical amendments” – minor non-substantive changes to existing rules – without going through the full rulemaking process. The bill also creates a “priority status” designation for proposed rules and regulations that an agency has been directed to adopt by the legislature within nine months of a law’s effective date. The bill specifies that the budget director is not required to review proposed rules that are mandated by federal law regardless of their implementation costs. The bill also strengthens legislative oversight of rules by requiring that before any bill is presented to the legislature for ratification of a rule expected to cost more than one million dollars over five years the proposing agency must first submit the rule to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules and Regulations. Any rule ratified by the legislature must be resubmitted to that same committee. The bill has been presented to the Governor Laura Kelly for consideration.
State Budget
The state budget bill, HB 2513, provides adjustments to the current budget and state agency funding for FY 2027 and FY 2028. The current fiscal budget was increased to $27.8 billion, including $10.9 billion in state general funds (SGF). This is an all-funds increase of 6.4 percent, but a 1.9 percent decrease in SGF. The budget will result in projected SGF ending balances of $2.2 billion on June 30, 2026, $1.8 billion on June 30, 2027, and approximately $500 million by June 30, 2030. The budget adds $16.6 million to restore select State Water Plan Fund (SWPF) reappropriations in FY 2026 and fully funds the SWPF for this year and next. In addition, for FY 2026, the bill includes $40 million for a 1 percent salary adjustment for Executive Branch employees. For FY 2027, the budget includes an additional $1.7 million to the SWPF for Aid to Conservation Districts, $1 million for the Musil Center for Sustainable Wheat Production, $1 million for the SWPF-contamination remediation, $304,000 for SWPF-CREP, and $225,000 for a SWPF-Water Systems Regionalization Feasibility Study. Find a full overview of the budget here.
State Water Plan Funding
HB 2558 would have increased the statutory transfer from the state general fund to the state water plan fund to $60M per year (currently $35M), on July 1, 2026, through July 1, 2030. The bill did not survive turnaround week and was removed from the House Calendar. However, the state budget fully funds the State Water Plan. Find a full overview of the budget here.
Water Right Change Notification
Governor Laura Kelly signed HB 2477 into law on March 20, 2026. The bill amends notice requirements for change-of-use water applications for stakeholders within a certain distance from the water right. The current notification process involves identifying surrounding water-right holders, including domestic well users, many of whom are unregistered. KDA seeks to notify all potentially affected residents and water-right holders. A map of the affected areas will be posted on the agency website, which the agency indicated was intended to protect privacy while still providing the relevant information for potentially affected water rights holders.
Water Structures
KDA requested the introduction of HB 2114 to amend the Stream Obstruction Act. The bill would allow the state to provide inspections of stream obstructions on a cost-for-service basis, require any licensed professional engineer who conducts inspections required by the act to be approved by the chief engineer, and certify non-state entities to perform inspections. The legislation would create application fees based on the hazard classification for new construction or modifications. The bill adds a civil penalty for intentional violations of the act. Passed as CCR HB 2114, the bill will now go to Governor Laura Kelly for consideration.
County Authority over Water Transfers
Introduced by Rep. Wasinger (R-Hays), HB 2433 clarifies county authority over the transfer or appropriation of water by placing such authority, except for domestic use, with the chief engineer and water transfer hearing panel. The bill prohibits a county from enacting or enforcing any resolution or other action regulating the transfer or appropriation of water that conflicts with, interferes with, is more stringent than, or would duplicate the control, regulation, enforcement, or oversight of the Chief Engineer or the Water Transfer Hearing Panel regarding the transfer or appropriation of water per continuing law. The bill prohibits a county from requiring any license, permit, or conditional use permit to transfer or appropriate water, or imposing any condition, restriction, limitation, requirement, fee, or charge related to transfer or appropriation of water. The bill applies to all existing and future county resolutions that affect water transfers or appropriations. After passing the House and the Senate, Governor Laura Kelly signed the bill into law on March 20, 2026.
Reuse of Treated Water
HB 2462 requires the Secretary of Health and Environment to adopt rules and regulations that allow for the direct and indirect potable reuse of treated wastewater. After being placed into CCR HB 2462, the House and Senate passed the bill on a near-unanimous vote. The bill now goes to Governor Laura Kelly for consideration.
Property Tax Relief Proposals
HB 2745 proposes the creation of a protest petition process for the adoption of local government budgets in excess of a funding limit. The bill allows for the use of a protest petition to contest any taxing jurisdiction’s budget from property taxes in excess of the prior year’s amount adjusted for inflation, according to the Consumer Price Index for the Midwest Region, up to a maximum adjustment of 3 percent per year. The bill passed by slim margins in the Senate (22-18) and the House (63-59), which means it is unlikely to survive a veto by the Governor.
SCR 1603 would have proposed a constitutional amendment to limit, for property tax purposes, the annual growth of taxable assessed value of residential, commercial, industrial, and agricultural real property to 9 percent (or to a lesser percentage as provided in state). After failing to pass the House on a 59-63 vote late in the evening of March 27, the bill was referred back to the Joint Tax Conference Committee for further consideration during the legislative veto session.
Excise Taxes on Renewable Energy Facilities
SB 534 would implement new excise taxes by imposing a nameplate capacity tax and a production tax on certain wind farms and solar facilities beginning in tax year 2027. For the privilege of constructing and operating a renewable energy facility for commercial purposes in the state, any company owning, controlling, managing, or leasing any real or personal property used or intended for use as a wind farm or a solar facility would pay an annual tax equal to $4 per kilowatt multiplied by the nameplate capacity of the renewable energy facility. The bill defined a “renewable energy facility” as any wind farm or solar facility with at least 5,000 kilowatts. The bill also would include definitions of “collector system,” “company,” “solar facility,” and “wind farm.” Following a hearing in the Senate Tax Committee, the bill received no further action.
Property Tax Proposed on Battery Energy Storage Systems
HB 2083 was introduced in 2025 to end the permanent property tax exemption on battery energy storage system (BESS) units and instead provide a 10-year property tax exemption. This session, the Senate Tax Committee amended the bill to immediately place a property tax on all energy storage equipment beginning January 1, 2027. Following additional committee discussion, the bill did not advance from the committee.
Property Tax Valuation Cap
House Bill 2644 would require a county appraiser to adjust the value of residential and commercial property upon a final determination of a valuation appeal or obtain an independent fee simple appraisal if the appraised value exceeds a 5% increase each year for five years. The requirement would apply to commercial and residential real property, and tangible personal property after January 1, 2026. The requirement would apply in cases where the valuation for such property has been reduced due to a final determination of value pursuant to the valuation appeals process, and if the valuation has increased by more than 5 percent above the prior year’s valuation. The requirement would apply in cases where the valuation for such property has been reduced due to a final determination of value, pursuant to the valuation appeals process, and if the valuation has increased by more than 5 percent above the prior year’s valuation. The bill, which had no proponents during House or Senate hearings, was passed and presented to the Governor for consideration on March 27.
Lottery Tax Revenues for Property Tax Relief
The House Tax Committee passed out Sub for SB 303, which would enact a privilege tax on sports wagers, impose retail sales and compensating use taxes on certain lottery tickets, and schedule the sunset of certain sales tax exemptions for named entities. The bill would direct revenues from these tax provisions to the Property Tax Relief Fund, created by the bill, and reduce the statewide uniform school finance property tax levy based on the amount of revenue generated from the new taxes. The Sports Wagering Privilege Tax would enact a 2 percent privilege tax on each sports wager placed with a lottery gaming facility manager to be paid by the person placing the wager and collected by the lottery gaming facility manager. Lottery gaming facility managers would be required to remit all such collections to the Department of Revenue on the 25th day of the month following the collection of the tax, along with a report of information necessary to establish the amount of tax due. In addition, the bill would sunset existing sales tax exemptions for more than 50 organizations. The bill might receive further consideration during the legislative veto session.
School Mill Levy Reduction
HB 2011 would decrease the rate of ad valorem tax imposed by school districts from 20 (currently) to 18.5 in school years 2025 and 2026, and would increase the value of the residential homestead property tax exemption. After passing out of the House Tax Committee on February 12, the bill received no further action.
M&E Property Tax Exemption
SB 320 would remove the 2006 cut-off date for the commercial and industrial machinery and equipment property tax exemption. The Senate Tax Committee held a hearing on the bill, but due to a large economic impact report did not take further action. The House Tax Committee heard and passed out a similar bill in HB 2406, which did not receive further action.
Corporate Income Tax Apportionment
House Bill 2773 would require certain manufacturers of alcoholic liquor to utilize the single sales factor apportionment method to apportion business income to Kansas for corporation income tax purposes beginning January 1, 2027. All other manufacturers of alcoholic liquor would be required to utilize the three-factor apportionment formula in continuing law, which considers the amount of property, payroll, and sales in Kansas. The bill was passed by the House and referred to the Senate Tax Committee. In addition, HB 2336 would require, beginning in tax year 2027, most corporations with income in multiple states to apportion their income for Kansas income tax purposes based upon the share of the corporation’s total sales that occur in Kansas. The House passed the bill last year, and the Senate Tax Committee held a hearing on the bill on February 25, 2026. The bills might receive further consideration during the legislative veto session.
Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income
HB 2642 would decouple the state from specific portions of the federal code regarding GILTI and NCTI following passage of the federal OBBB. GILTI is a US tax provision aimed at ensuring that US taxpayers pay a minimum level of tax on foreign earnings, particularly those derived from intangible assets. The bill removes an obsolete reference to global intangible low-taxed income provided for under the federal Internal Revenue Code in determining Kansas adjusted gross income. After passing from the House on a unanimous vote, the Senate Tax Committee held a hearing on March 13. The bill could receive further consideration during the legislative veto session.
HPIP Reform – Tax Credit Repeal
House Bill 2757 would make changes to the High Performance Incentive Program (HPIP) tax credit and discontinue certain income tax credits. The House Tax Committee amended the bill to remove most of the provisions that amended HPIP and extended the angel investor tax credit. The bill would clarify that transfers of unused HPIP credits for projects placed into service on and after January 1, 2021, as allowed by continuing law, could be made by any taxpayer, including pass-through entities, at any time during the carryforward period. The taxpayer would be required to ensure that any transferred tax credit has not been used. The bill would also allow, starting in tax year 2026, an S corporation wholly owned by an employee stock ownership plan (ESOP), as defined by federal law, to make one or more transfers totaling up to 100 percent of the unused portion of the tax credit. The bill would allow such transfers to be made to one or more transferees in one or more tax years at any time during the carry-forward period, provided any transferred credit has not been used. Find more details on the bill, as amended, here. After passing out of the House Tax Committee, the bill received no further action.
Rural Business Growth Act
HB 2541 would create the Kansas Rural Business Growth Program Act to provide a tax credit to incentivize capital investment in rural areas and a program administered by the Secretary of Commerce. On a vote of 7-12, the bill failed to pass out of the House Tax Committee.
Local Sales Tax Authority
HB 2712 would increase the authority for a countywide retailers’ sales tax and provide for the dedicated apportionment of special purpose tax revenues up to 2%. It would limit the special purpose city and countywide retailers’ sales taxes to 10 years. After passing the House on a vote of 108-11, the Senate Tax Committee held a hearing on March 13. The bill might receive further consideration in a Tax Conference Committee during the veto session.
Short Line Income Tax Credit
HB 2469 would expand the transferability of the existing income tax credit for qualified shortline railroad track maintenance expenditures. After passing out of the House Tax Committee on March 11, the bill did not receive further action.
Enhancing Criminal Penalties for Grain Theft
HB 2422 would increase the presumptive criminal penalty for theft of at least 400 bushels of grain to a severity level 6, non-person felony. This is a “border-box” penalty allowing either presumptive probation or imprisonment based on the defendant’s criminal history. After passing the House, the Senate amended the bill to add theft of 20,000 pounds of hay. The contents of the bill were then added to CCR HB 2413, which was passed unanimously by the House and Senate. The bill will now be presented to Governor Laura Kelly for consideration.
Enhancing Criminal Penalties for Livestock and Implements of Husbandry
HB 2413 increased the presumptive criminal penalty for the theft of livestock or implements of husbandry to a severity level 5, non-person felony, which is presumptive imprisonment. The bill defines “livestock” as meaning “cattle and horses”. After passing the House and the Senate, the bill was placed into a conference committee, which added the contents of three other bills, creating CCR HB 2413. The bill was then passed unanimously by the House and Senate and will be presented to Governor Laura Kelly for consideration.
Mobile Phone Use in Construction Zones
Sub for SB 366 would prohibit use of a mobile telephone in a school zone or road construction zone under certain circumstances and would authorize certain uses and colors of warning lights on highway construction vehicles. Prohibiting Use of a Mobile Telephone in School and Work Zones The bill would add a prohibition in the Uniform Act Regulating Traffic on Highways on use of a mobile telephone in a school zone when a reduced speed limit is enforced or in a road construction zone while workers are present (school or work zone) and signs are posted at the beginning of the road construction zone alerting drivers to such workers. Holding a mobile telephone would constitute a rebuttable presumption of a violation of that prohibition. Following passage by the House (116-7) and the Senate (31-9), the bill was presented to Governor Kelly for consideration on March 24.
Kansas Fire Code Updates
CCR HB 2739 would exclude the construction of certain types of residential housing from specified requirements in law and create a limited exception to the requirements for proposed rules and regulations promulgated by the State Fire Marshal for purposes of updating the Kansas Fire Prevention Code. Through a Senate floor amendment, the bill would remove the requirement for the OSFM to provide an economic impact statement when submitting proposed regulations on or before December 21, 2026, to update the Kansas Fire Prevention Code with provisions of the 2024 edition of the National Fire Protection Association Standards. After passing the House and Senate, the bill now goes to Governor Laura Kelly for consideration.
Occupational Licensing
CCR SB 30 requires adoption of new occupational licenses, and material changes to existing licenses, be approved by the Legislature. The bill also requires agencies to annually report certain information of such occupational licensing to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules and Regulations (JCARR). An “occupational license” is defined as an exclusive authorization in law establishing the personal qualifications necessary to engage in an occupation or profession and any associated rules and regulations. Various industries were exempted from the bill. After passing the House and Senate, the bill was presented to Governor Laura Kelly for consideration on March 27.
Critical Infrastructure Protection – Countries of Concern
SB 453 would have enacted the Kansas critical infrastructure protection act to prohibit access to state critical infrastructure by countries of concern and the acquisition of critical software and other technology used in state infrastructure from countries of concern. After referral to the Senate Committee of Federal and State Affairs, the bill did not receive a hearing.
Public Benefits Restrictions for Immigrants
SB 254 establishes restrictions on access to state and local public benefits for individuals who are unlawfully present in the United States. It prohibits undocumented aliens from receiving any state or local public benefit, with the only exceptions being those benefits that federal law. For applicants who are 18 years of age or older, the bill mandates that anyone seeking a state or local public benefit must provide documentary proof that they are either a United States citizen, a permanent resident, or an alien who is lawfully present in the country. Acceptable documentation includes materials recognized by the division of motor vehicles for driver’s license applications as well as any federal government document confirming lawful presence. The bill further requires that no state, county, or local agency may provide any public benefit to an alien without first verifying that person’s lawful presence and status as a qualified alien through the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program, operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The bill explicitly prohibits undocumented aliens from receiving in-state tuition or reduced fee amounts under any circumstances and declares void any conflicting provisions of existing Kansas law. After passing the House (78-46) and Senate (22-18), the bill has been presented to Governor Laura Kelly for consideration.
Parallel Generation and Large Load Facilities
CCR on SB 92 would amend parallel generation law to extend an existing exclusion regarding large-load facilities from July 1, 2026, to July 1, 2027. SB 92 would extend the time in which the Kansas Corporation Commission would make a final order on a transmission line siting application. The provisions of SB 92 are similar to those of HB 2040, enacted in April 2025. Under current law, a utility is not required to make parallel generation service available to any customer who has a new or expanded facility that receives electric service at a voltage of 34.5 kilovolts or higher and commences such electric service on or after July 1, 2025. In determining a utility’s historic peak demand for purposes of the law’s subsection on aggregate export capacity, a utility’s peak demand does not include the additional demand of any new or expanded facility that receives electric service at a voltage of 34.5 kilovolts or higher and commences such electric service on or after July 1, 2025. Under current law, this subsection expires on July 1, 2026. The bill extends the expiration date to July 1, 2027. The Conference Committee agreed to remove the contents of SB 92, as passed by the House, and insert provisions to extend an exclusion in parallel generation law.
Statewide Fiber Optic Conduit
CCR HB 2647 would establish the Statewide Conduit System (System) for fiber optic transmissions of broadband connections, establish the Kansas Broadband Revolving Fund (Fund) in the State Treasury to create and maintain the System, establish a schedule of fees to be charged to entities installing or using the System, and require the Secretary of Transportation to provide annual reports to the Governor and Legislature. Having been passed by the House and the Senate, the bill will be presented to Governor Kelly for consideration.
Natural Gas Infrastructure
Sub for HB 2435 would amend the Gas Safety and Reliability Policy Act (GSRS) to allow gas utilities to recover growth-related capital investments through the GSRS, make adjustments to the timing of certain Kansas Corporation Commission proceedings, and raise the cap on monthly charges to residential customers. The bill would allow natural gas infrastructure investment projects that could increase revenues by directly connecting to new customers to be considered eligible infrastructure system investments under the GSRS. After passing the House and the Senate, the bill was presented to Governor Kelly for consideration on March 27.
Utility Railroad Crossings
SB 439 would create the Utility Railroad Crossing Act to establish a consistent process for the altering of facilities crossing or parallel to a railroad right-of-way. After passing the Senate, the bill was double-referred to the House Transportation Committee and the House Committee on Energy and Utilities where it did not advance further.
Temporary Unemployment Insurance
SB 229 would clarify Legislative intent and public policy regarding the Kansas Employment Security Law, including the addition of reference to applicable federal laws and guidance. The bill would prohibit certain employment security law measures, from being amended without Legislative review. This would specifically prohibit such amendments from being made through budget provisos, appropriations bills, or temporary fiscal measures. Employer-sponsored supplemental unemployment benefit plans would be allowed if all requirements outlined in the bill were met and such plans were authorized by the Secretary of Labor. The Secretary would be required to maintain and publish a registry of authorized supplemental unemployment benefit plans submitted by employers on the Department of Labor website. In addition, the Secretary would be required to monitor the interaction between supplemental unemployment benefit plans and state unemployment insurance claims to ensure continued solvency of the Employment Security Trust Fund. Find more information here. Following further consideration in a Commerce Conference Committee, CCR SB 229 was passed by the House 88-34. The bill is likely to receive final consideration by the Senate during the 2026 Veto Session.
Portable Benefit Plans
HB 2602, as amended, would establish requirements for portable benefit plans for independent contractors and provide subtraction modifications for Kansas income tax purposes for contributions to such plans. The bill defines a “portable benefit plan” to mean a benefit plan chosen by an independent contractor and assigned to a beneficiary and that is administered by a bank, credit union, investment management firm, or technology provider or program manager that offers services through such entities. Portable benefit plans would not include benefit plans administered by a hiring party. After passing the House and Senate, the bill was presented to Governor Laura Kelly for consideration on March 27.