Kansas Bills

HB 2769 requires that members of governing bodies for local service districts (like county service districts) must be residents of those districts. This applies only if the district imposes property taxes on residents or authorizes budgets for public services within the district. The bill targets municipalities (cities, counties, or unified governments) creating such districts, ensuring local decision-makers live in the communities they serve. It does not change tax rates or services but sets a residency requirement for governing body appointments.

HB 2644 requires Kansas county appraisers to adjust property values or obtain an independent appraisal if residential or commercial property values increase by more than 5% annually for five years following a successful valuation appeal. It directly affects property owners who previously won appeals reducing their assessed value, particularly those with appeals finalized on or after January 1, 2026. The key mechanism gives appraisers two options: adjust values based on the prior appeal’s evidence or order a new appraisal by a certified appraiser. This applies only to increases not caused by new construction, changes in use, or classification. The bill aims to prevent excessive annual value jumps after appeal-driven reductions.

HB 2761 establishes a licensing system for speech-language pathology assistants (SLPAs) in Kansas, requiring them to meet specific education and training standards to practice. To become licensed, applicants must complete a bachelor's degree (or equivalent coursework) in communication sciences, 100 hours of supervised clinical experience, and meet national certification requirements. The law mandates that SLPAs work under direct or indirect supervision by a licensed speech-language pathologist and complete 12 hours of continuing education every two years for license renewal. This bill directly affects current and future SLPAs by setting clear qualifications, supervision rules, and renewal requirements for their practice.

HB 2737 creates a new "Taxpayer Agreement Act" for Kansas cities, allowing them to enter binding agreements with property developers for economic development projects. These agreements require developers to make payments (in lieu of or alongside tax increment revenues) to secure project financing, with a lien on the property that takes priority over most other liens except prior tax liens. The bill ensures cities aren’t liable for financing, bonds issued under it don’t count toward debt limits, and developers can’t challenge the lien or tax assessments. It provides an optional alternative to traditional tax increment financing but doesn’t require cities or developers to use this method.

SB 435 allows the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) board to elect its own vice chairperson, replacing the prior process where the position was appointed by the governor or legislative leaders. It requires new employers joining the Kansas Police and Firemen's Retirement System (KP&F) to pay the full actuarial rate for both past and future pension service, ensuring the system remains financially stable. The bill also repeals existing rules that permitted state and local elected officials to work after retirement without reducing their pension benefits. These changes directly affect KPERS board members, new KP&F employers, and state/local elected officials.

HB 2613 authorizes Kansas' Crime Victims Compensation Board to establish fees for medical examinations of sexual assault victims and to use funds from the Crime Victims Compensation Fund to cover these costs. The bill requires counties where alleged assaults occurred to pay the fees - never the victim or their insurance - regardless of whether the victim reports the crime to law enforcement. It also mandates that medical facilities use approved evidence collection kits during examinations and follow specific procedures for handling unreported kits. This change directly affects counties, medical facilities, and the Crime Victims Compensation Board in administering victim care.

HB 2618 requires Kansas' state board of education to submit annual reports to the legislature detailing all federal education funds received, distributed, or spent. These reports must include specific information like the purpose of each fund, how it was used, amounts involved, and plans for sustaining programs after federal funding ends. The bill repeals an existing reporting requirement (K.S.A. 72-5538) and ends certain outdated educational reporting obligations. It directly affects the state board of education (which must file reports) and the legislature (which receives the reports), streamlining oversight of federal education funding.

HB 2702 requires physician assistant license applicants in Kansas to undergo criminal background checks through fingerprinting and state/federal record checks. The law also establishes that the state board of healing arts may collect fees to cover the cost of these checks and adds provisions allowing license revocation for specific violations. This directly affects individuals seeking or maintaining physician assistant licensure by requiring background checks as part of the application process. The bill amends existing statutes to formalize these requirements and the board's authority to enforce them.

SB 459 changes who appoints members to Kansas' prisoner review board and sets new qualifications for those members. It also requires parole hearings to be postponed if victims aren't properly notified about the public comment session. This directly affects victims of crimes (who must receive notice) and the parole review board (which must follow the new appointment rules). The key change is a procedural requirement: parole hearings cannot proceed without valid victim notification for the public comment period.

This bill authorizes Kansas' State Historical Society to acquire the junior officers' quarters at Fort Dodge (a specific historic property in Ford County) through purchase, donation, or grant. Once acquired, the Society would manage the property as a historical landmark, responsible for its preservation, maintenance, and public use. The acquisition requires prior approval from the Attorney General to ensure the property is conveyed in fee simple to the state. The bill directly affects the State Historical Society and the Fort Dodge property owners.

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.

HB 2739 prohibits requiring fire sprinkler systems in multi-family buildings with four or fewer attached living units statewide, including preventing local governments from enforcing such rules. It redefines "apartment buildings" in the fire code to exclude townhouses (which have fire-separated units and exterior access), clarifying that only larger properties with three or more units require sprinklers. Property owners may still voluntarily install sprinklers. The law takes effect upon publication in the statute book.