2026 Capitol Review
Week One
Jan. 12 – Jan. 16, 2026
The 2026 Kansas legislative session began on Monday, Jan. 12 as members of the House of Representatives and Senate returned to Topeka ahead of fall elections where statewide offices and 125 House seats stand for election. Senate President Ty Masterson (R-Andover) and Speaker of the House Dan Hawkins (R-Wichita) gaveled in their respective chambers for what could be the final time as Masterson embarks on a race for governor, while Hawkins is seeking to be elected as the state’s insurance commissioner.
Week Two
Jan. 20 – Jan. 23, 2026
The second week of the 2026 Kansas legislative session began with a shortened schedule due to the Martin Luther King Jr. federal holiday, with committee activity ramping up later in the week. Lawmakers continued to introduce bills and hold committee hearings across a range of policy areas, including education, taxation, tort reform, public safety, and economic development. The first bill of the session addressing property tax relief – a proposed constitutional amendment to cap annual assessments – was advanced favorably from the Senate Tax Committee. With limited floor action, much of the focus remained on early committee work and setting the stage for more substantive debate in the weeks ahead.
Week Three
Jan. 26 – Jan. 30, 2026
The third week of the Kansas legislative session maintained momentum with committees and floor debate picking up, and several hot-button social policy issues drawing lengthy hearings. Alongside those debates, a few items of direct interest to the agriculture community moved forward. The House passed bills concerning theft of grain, livestock, and agricultural equipment, and a bill clarifying that federal pesticide warning or labeling requirements satisfy any state pesticide warning or labeling requirements. Both measures now head to the Senate for consideration. Lawmakers continued their discussions on other bills touching on taxation, land use, regulatory reform, employer obligations, and economic development programs, all of which will be monitored closely as the session quickly progresses.
Week Four
Feb. 02 – Feb. 06, 2026
The Kansas Legislature entered the fourth week of the 2026 session with activity at the Statehouse picking up quickly as lawmakers worked to meet bill introduction deadlines. Between Monday, Feb. 2, and Friday, Feb. 6, more than 210 bills were introduced in the House and Senate, a typical surge in production as legislators file proposals ahead of key procedural cutoffs. The increase in bill introductions marks a shift in the session’s pace, with committees beginning to move beyond informational briefings and into more substantive policy discussions. The growing volume of legislation reflects continued attention on issues affecting businesses and supply chains, including tax policy, energy and environmental programs, workforce and economic development. With most bill introductions now complete, legislative focus will turn to committee hearings, amendments, and floor debate in the weeks leading up to Turnaround Day, when many policy bills must advance to remain alive for the remainder of the session.
Week Five
Feb. 09 – Feb. 13, 2026
Week Five of the 2026 Kansas Legislative Session marked a noticeable shift from early-session bill filings to more substantive committee work and initial floor debate. With most bill introductions complete, lawmakers spent the week refining proposals and moving priority measures forward ahead of Turnaround Day, next Thursday, Feb. 19, when most nonexempt bills must clear their chamber of origin in order to remain alive for this session. As the Legislature moves closer to key deadlines, the pace of activity is expected to accelerate, with more bills appearing on chamber calendars and negotiations beginning to take shape.
Week Six
Feb. 16 – Feb. 20, 2026
Week Six of the 2026 Kansas Legislative Session brought one of the busiest stretches of the year as lawmakers worked to meet the Legislature’s Turnaround deadline. From Monday through Thursday, the House and Senate spent long days debating and advancing legislation. By the end of the week, nearly 200 bills had cleared their chamber of origin, sending a large volume of proposals to the opposite chamber for further consideration. As the pace accelerated, committees wrapped up hearings and leadership prioritized legislation that had gained traction during the first half of the session. The extended floor debates reflected the push to move policy proposals forward before the mid-session deadline, a routine but significant milestone that helps shape the Legislature’s workload for the remainder of the year. Lawmakers considered proposals tied to tax policy, regulation, water resources, energy, and infrastructure, all areas closely watched by stakeholders impacted by proposed legislation. With Turnaround now behind them, attention will shift to reviewing bills that crossed chambers, along with continued budget discussions and policy negotiations.
Week Seven
Feb. 24 – Feb. 27, 2026
Following the Turnaround, the Kansas Legislature’s seventh week quickly shifted to major policy and budget debates. While committees in both chambers began hearing bills from the opposite chamber, the House took up two of the session’s most closely watched issues: the state budget and property tax relief. With the Legislature now in the second half of the session, committees will work through bills that survived Turnaround, and negotiations will intensify on other high-profile measures.
Week Eight
March 02 – March 06, 2026
Week Eight of the 2026 Kansas Legislative Session continued the steady pace of post-Turnaround activity as hearings on opposite-chamber bills occupied most of the week before the Legislature’s next set of deadlines the week of March 16. Fiscal policy and the state budget remain the central focus. During the week, the Kansas Senate passed its version of the state budget, with the minimum required number of votes, 21-19. With both chambers now having approved their separate budget bills, appropriators in the two chambers will now meet in a conference committee to resolve differences between the two plans. Property tax policy also remains a prominent topic. Lawmakers continued discussing separate House and Senate proposals aimed at providing property tax relief. Among them is SCR 1616, a proposed constitutional amendment approved by the Senate and, this week, by the House Tax Committee. The bill would place limits on increases in property assessed valuations. If the full House approves the measure with the required two-thirds majority, it would be placed before Kansas voters as a ballot question. As the Legislature progresses into the second half of the session, House and Senate leaders will narrow their focus on those bills that will potentially receive final approval, while negotiations intensify on the budget and tax proposals. The following report highlights developments from Week Eight.
