House Substitute for SB 394 by Committee on Elections - Relating to signature verification for advance voting ballots, concerning court orders that invalidate or enjoin signature verification triggering a return to allowing advance voting only if certain conditions exist, establishing venue in the district court in Shawnee county for all constitutional challenges to election laws.
SB 394 would automatically end Kansas's mail-in voting program if a court invalidates the signature verification rules for mail-in ballots. If a final court order invalidates these rules, the secretary of state must publish a notice in the Kansas Register, after which all state mail-in voting statutes would be repealed. This would stop Kansas from allowing mail-in voting except where federal law requires it, such as for military and overseas voters under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. The bill repeals numerous existing voting statutes related to advance voting, effective July 1, 2026, or upon publication of the court order notice.
Bill status
died
3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
House Passage
Governor
Introduced Jan 27, 2026
Last action Apr 10, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison
What changed between versions
As Introduced
→
As Amended by Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs
·
2 edits
MINOR
The bill was amended to add a specific timeline for when mail-in voting must be suspended if a court invalidates signature verification laws. Previously, the bill only required suspension after a court order was published. The amendment now mandates immediate suspension if a court ruling occurs within 45 days of an election or after the election until results are certified. The rest of the bill, which repeals existing mail-in voting statutes and sets new signature requirements, remains unchanged.
Scope change
The bill's applicability regarding the suspension of mail-in voting was expanded to cover a specific pre-election and post-election window, whereas it previously applied only to the general publication of court orders.
TIMELINE
Added a 45-day window before an election and a post-election window until results are certified where a court invalidating signature verification laws triggers an immediate suspension of mail-in voting.
ENFORCEMENT
Clarified that the secretary of state must publish notice of a court order within specific timeframes relative to election dates to trigger the suspension of mail-in voting authority.
Floor votes
How they voted
This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
10
Key actions
5
Committee
4
Mar 18, 2026
Lower · Passed
Committee Report recommending substitute bill be passed by House Committee on Elections
lower
Mar 10, 2026
Committee
Referred to House Committee on Elections
lower
Mar 10, 2026
Introduced
Received and Introduced
lower
Mar 5, 2026
Upper · Passed
Emergency Final Action - Passed as amended; Yea 26, Nay 11, Absent 2
upper
Mar 5, 2026
Upper · Passed
Committee of the Whole - Be passed as amended
upper
Mar 5, 2026
Upper · Passed
Committee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted
upper
Feb 12, 2026
Upper · Passed
Committee Report recommending bill be passed as amended by Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs
upper
Jan 28, 2026
Committee
Referred to Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs
upper
Jan 27, 2026
Introduced
Introduced
upper
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
No sponsor information available.
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