Sign Up
SB 480 Kansas Senate · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Reviving repealed statutes related to estates of absentees and requiring nonresident fiduciaries to appoint an agent residing in this state.

SB 480 revives and updates Kansas statutes governing the management of estates for missing persons, directly affecting individuals who have disappeared without contact for five years or are reported as prisoners of war/missing in action (POW/MIA). The bill establishes court jurisdiction to appoint a trustee for their property, requiring detailed petitions about the person's disappearance and assets, with notice to family and others likely to contact them. It presumes death after five years of disappearance (or three years for POW/MIA), allowing estates to be administered as if the person had died, while permitting property to be used for dependents' support during the process. Key provisions mirror standard estate administration rules for decedents, including a three-year waiting period before final asset distribution and mechanisms for reactivating estates if the person returns.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Mar 2026
House Passage
Mar 2026
Signed into Law
Apr 2026
Introduced Feb 4, 2026 Signed Apr 9, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

{As Amended by Senate Committee of the Whole} → As Amended by House Committee · 2 edits
MINOR
The bill was amended to add a new requirement for nonresident fiduciaries to appoint an in-state agent for service of process, while also updating the text of the absentee estate sections to fix formatting errors and clarify the scope of the act.
Scope change
The bill's scope expanded to include a new provision regarding nonresident fiduciaries, in addition to the existing provisions for estates of absentees.
REQUIREMENT

Added a new Section 1 requiring nonresident fiduciaries to appoint a written agent residing in the state to accept service of legal notices and court processes.

TECHNICAL

Revised the title and operative text to reflect the addition of the nonresident fiduciary requirement and to correct grammatical errors and repetitive phrasing in the absentee estate sections.

Floor votes

How they voted

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

Actions timeline

Total actions
19
Key actions
14
Committee
6
Apr 9, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by Governor on Thursday, April 9, 2026
upper
Mar 26, 2026
Upper · Passed
Concurred with amendments in conference; Yea 39, Nay 0, Absent 1
upper
Mar 23, 2026
Lower · Passed
Motion to accede adopted; Rep. Susan Humphries, Rep. Laura Williams and Rep. Dan Osman appointed as conferees
lower
Mar 23, 2026
Upper · Passed
Nonconcurred with amendments; Conference Committee requested; appointed Sen. Kellie Warren, Sen. Kenny Titus and Sen. Ethan Corson
upper
Mar 18, 2026
Lower · Passed
Emergency Final Action - Passed as amended; Yea 124, Nay 0, Absent 1
lower
Mar 18, 2026
Lower · Passed
Motion to advance to Emergency Final Action adopted
lower
Mar 18, 2026
Lower · Passed
Committee of the Whole - Be passed as amended
lower
Mar 18, 2026
Lower · Passed
Committee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted
lower
Mar 12, 2026
Lower · Passed
Committee Report recommending bill be passed as amended by House Committee on Judiciary
lower
Feb 25, 2026
Committee
Referred to House Committee on Judiciary
lower
Feb 25, 2026
Introduced
Received and Introduced
lower
Feb 18, 2026
Upper · Passed
Emergency Final Action - Passed as amended; Yea 40, Nay 0
upper
Feb 18, 2026
Upper · Passed
Committee of the Whole - Be passed as amended
upper
Feb 18, 2026
Upper · Passed
Committee of the Whole - Amendment by Sen. Kellie Warren was adopted
upper
Feb 18, 2026
Upper · Passed
Committee of the Whole - Motion to Amend - Offered by Sen. Kellie Warren
upper
Feb 16, 2026
Upper · Passed
Committee Report recommending bill be passed by Senate Committee on Judiciary
upper
Feb 5, 2026
Committee
Referred to Senate Committee on Judiciary
upper
Feb 4, 2026
Introduced
Introduced
upper
0 primary · 0 co-sponsors

Sponsors

No sponsor information available.