HB 2372 Kansas House · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Senate Substitute for HB 2372 by Committee on Federal and State Affairs - Creating the crime of unlawful approach of a first responder and providing penalties therefore, requiring traffic laws that apply to local and state law enforcement to apply to federal law enforcement; including federal law enforcement in the definitions used in the crime of interference with law enforcement; including buildings owned by the United States in the crime of interference with the conduct of public business of public buildings; including enforcement of federal laws and executive orders in the exceptions from liability in the tort claims act, relating to the enforcement of detainers issued by the United States immigration and customs enforcement by a county sheriff operating a county jail; requiring municipal insurance pools to provide coverage of law enforcement agencies enforcing federal law; requiring the state to pay certain judgements in federal civil actions and provide legal representation by the attorney general, exempting section 287(g) federal immigration agreements from certain provisions of the interlocal cooperation act.

HB 2372 designates the existing fallen firefighters memorial at the Kansas Firefighters Museum in Wichita as Kansas' official state memorial for firefighters who died in the line of duty. It replaces the Kansas Firefighters Memorial Advisory Committee with a new nine-member Kansas Fallen Firefighters Memorial Council, composed of representatives from firefighter associations and state agencies, to oversee the memorial's maintenance and related activities. The bill also establishes the Kansas Fallen Firefighters Memorial Fund, authorizing state funds for constructing, updating, repairing, and honoring the memorial through expenditures from this dedicated fund. (HB 2372, Session 2025)
Bill status vetoed 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Mar 2026
House Passage
Mar 2025
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
Vetoed
Apr 2026
Introduced Feb 11, 2025 Vetoed Apr 9, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

As Amended by House Committee on Federal and State Affairs Enrolled · 6 edits
MODERATE
The bill was completely replaced with a new version that shifts focus from firefighter memorials to law enforcement and immigration enforcement. The original text establishing a council to honor fallen firefighters and manage a memorial fund was removed. The new text creates a crime for approaching first responders, expands federal law enforcement protections, and mandates that county jails honor immigration detainers.
Scope change
The bill's scope changed entirely from honoring state firefighters to regulating law enforcement interactions with federal immigration authorities and defining new criminal offenses.
SCOPE

Removed the creation of the Kansas Fallen Firefighters Memorial Council and the abolition of the previous advisory committee.

FISCAL

Removed the establishment and funding rules for the Kansas Fallen Firefighters Memorial Fund.

Added a mandate for the state to pay civil judgments against law enforcement agencies acting in good faith during federal immigration enforcement.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirements for county sheriffs to detain individuals based on immigration detainers issued by federal authorities.

ENFORCEMENT

Added a new crime for unlawfully approaching first responders and expanded the definition of interference with law enforcement to include federal agents.

ELIGIBILITY

Added provisions requiring municipal insurance pools to cover law enforcement agencies when they enforce federal immigration laws.

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
24
Key actions
15
Committee
10
Apr 9, 2026
Vetoed
Motion to override veto prevailed; Yea 31, Nay 9
upper
Apr 9, 2026
Vetoed
Motion to override veto prevailed; Yea 85, Nay 38, Absent 2
lower
Apr 9, 2026
Vetoed
Vetoed by Governor; Returned to House on Wednesday, April 8, 2026
lower
Mar 27, 2026
Lower · Passed
Conference Committee Report was adopted; Yea 85, Nay 39, Absent 1
lower
Mar 26, 2026
Upper · Passed
Conference Committee Report was adopted; Yea 30, Nay 9, Absent 1
upper
Mar 26, 2026
Lower · Passed
Conference Committee Report agree to disagree adopted; Rep. Tom Kessler, Rep. Rebecca Schmoe and Rep. Heather Meyer appointed as second conferees
lower
Mar 26, 2026
Upper · Passed
Conference Committee Report agree to disagree adopted; Sen. Mike Thompson, Sen. Tory Marie Blew and Sen. Oletha Faust Goudeau appointed as second conferees
upper
Mar 26, 2026
Upper · Passed
Conference committee report now available
upper
Mar 24, 2026
Upper · Passed
Motion to accede adopted; Sen. Mike Thompson, Sen. Tory Marie Blew and Sen. Oletha Faust Goudeau appointed as conferees
upper
Mar 23, 2026
Lower · Passed
Nonconcurred with amendments; Conference Committee requested; appointed Rep. Tom Kessler, Rep. Rebecca Schmoe and Rep. Heather Meyer
lower
Mar 19, 2026
Upper · Passed
Final Action - Substitute passed; Yea 31, Nay 9
upper
Mar 18, 2026
Upper · Passed
Committee of the Whole - Substitute bill be passed
upper
Mar 18, 2026
Upper · Passed
Committee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted recommending substitute bill be passed
upper
Mar 10, 2026
Upper · Passed
Committee Report recommending substitute bill be passed by Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs
upper
Mar 6, 2025
Committee
Referred to Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs
upper
Mar 5, 2025
Introduced
Received and Introduced
upper
Mar 5, 2025
Lower · Passed
Final Action - Passed as amended; Yea 118, Nay 0, Absent 7
lower
Mar 4, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee of the Whole - Be passed as amended
lower
Mar 4, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted
lower
Feb 27, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee Report recommending bill be passed as amended by House Committee on Federal and State Affairs
lower
Feb 11, 2025
Committee
Referred to House Committee on Federal and State Affairs
lower
Feb 11, 2025
Introduced
Introduced
lower
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.