Kansas Bills

This bill establishes the Kansas Municipal Self-Funded Health and Prescription Drug Insurance Pool Act to regulate how local governments and other groups can create self-funded insurance pools for medical and prescription drug coverage. It requires these pools to meet specific financial standards, including maintaining reserves equal to their maximum potential claim exposure and submitting annual certifications to the Kansas Department of Insurance confirming they are adequately funded. The legislation also mandates regular reporting of financial data, claims information, and requires pools to have excess insurance or sufficient surplus funds to protect against large losses. Municipal groups seeking to operate these pools must apply for a certificate of authority at least 60 days before starting, providing detailed bylaws, governance structures, and evidence of financial stability to the state insurance commissioner.

This bill establishes the Kansas Medical Freedom Act, which prohibits private businesses, government agencies, schools, and event organizers from denying services or access to individuals based on their use or nonuse of medical interventions like vaccines or masks. It also bans requiring medical interventions as a condition for employment, participation in schools or events, or access to government services and public facilities. The law allows enforcement through the state attorney general, who can investigate complaints and impose civil penalties of up to $50,000 per violation for larger entities or $10,000 for smaller ones. The bill includes a provision that these protections remain in effect even during declared emergencies or public health crises.

This bill reduces the property tax rate that Kansas school districts can charge on taxable property, lowering it from the current rate to 20 mills for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years, then gradually decreasing by one mill each year until it reaches 15 mills starting in the 2031-2032 school year. The measure directly affects school districts across Kansas by limiting how much tax revenue they can collect from property owners to fund general operating budgets, maintain public schools, and repay certain redevelopment bonds. Under the new provisions, most tax revenue collected must be sent to the state treasurer and deposited into the state school district finance fund, while districts are prohibited from using certain other tax authority mechanisms. The changes apply to all school districts in Kansas and take effect once the bill is published in the state statute book.

This bill reduces the property tax rate that Kansas school districts can levy on taxable tangible property, lowering it from its current level to 20 mills for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years, with the rate decreasing by one mill each year until reaching 15 mills starting in the 2031-2032 school year. The tax revenue collected will continue to fund general school district budgets, help cover operating and maintenance costs for public schools, and pay off certain redevelopment project bonds for districts established before 1997. Additionally, the bill prevents school districts from using specific legal procedures related to tax levies, and it directs most tax proceeds to the state treasury for the school district finance fund. This change directly affects school districts across Kansas and their property tax obligations.

This bill lowers the property tax rate that Kansas school districts can charge on taxable property. It directly affects school districts, property owners, and the state school finance fund. The new law sets a 20-mill tax rate for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years, reduces it to 19 mills for 2027-2028, and then adjusts the rate annually to maintain the same revenue level as 2027-2028 while ensuring it never falls below 15 mills. Revenue collected under this tax must be sent to the state treasurer and deposited into the state school district finance fund, except for amounts used to pay bond debt on redevelopment projects. The bill also prohibits school districts from using certain tax increase procedures while this rate structure is in effect.

This bill establishes the Kansas Sports Facilities Authority, a state entity designed to build, fund, and manage sports facilities and related infrastructure like parking and utilities. The authority will specifically focus on creating venues for professional football teams and hosting various civic, educational, and commercial events. It creates a nine-member board appointed by various state officials, including the governor, legislative leaders, and a representative from the professional sports team, with background checks required for all appointees. The legislation also clarifies that any debt incurred by the authority is not a liability of the state itself, and it includes provisions ensuring professional sports teams play their home games in publicly funded facilities for the duration of their lease agreements.

This bill grants Kansas state educational institutions greater flexibility in managing contracts, easements, and procurement of goods and services by exempting them from certain state statutes. It allows institutions to execute contracts for facility operations, procure construction and development services with competitive bidding requirements, and grant easements for public utilities across state-owned land. The legislation also permits legislators to request copies of institutional policies and signed contracts within five business days, while maintaining oversight through state board of regents approval.

This Kansas bill clarifies which individuals must undergo criminal history record checks and specifies that the Department for Aging and Disability Services will receive the results of these checks. It authorizes the department to require fingerprinting and background checks for anyone applying for or employed in positions involving direct access to vulnerable adults or children. The bill establishes strict employment prohibitions for individuals convicted of serious offenses such as murder, sexual crimes against children, elder mistreatment, and various fraud or drug-related felonies, with some restrictions lasting indefinitely and others applying within six years of completing a sentence. Applicants or employees must pay a reasonable fee for each criminal history record check, and the department may grant waivers for employment in specific cases.

This bill requires banks and financial institutions that hold Kansas public funds to sign written agreements with the state treasurer, ensuring the state can control those funds if the bank fails. It increases the amount of securities banks must hold as collateral to secure public deposits from 100% to 102% of the deposit value and establishes procedures for handling situations where a bank does not follow state requirements. The legislation also creates a fee fund to cover the costs of operating the public money pooling system and allows exceptions when federal laws conflict with state requirements. These changes apply to municipal corporations, quasi-municipal corporations, and their designated depositories across Kansas.

This Kansas bill imposes a 3% excise tax on all sports wagers placed within the state, requiring individuals who make bets to pay the tax to lottery gaming facility managers, who then remit the funds to the state revenue department. The collected tax revenue is directed to the state school district finance fund, which is used to provide state foundation aid to school districts, while also reducing the statewide property tax levy for school districts by 1.5 mills. The legislation establishes new funds to manage the tax proceeds and refunds, and grants the director of taxation authority to enforce compliance and collect information from gaming facilities. This measure directly affects sports bettors, lottery gaming operators, school districts, and state education funding structures.

This Kansas bill prohibits postsecondary educational institutions from using state funds or student fees to pay collegiate student athletes for the use of their name, image, likeness, or athletic reputation. The law applies to all types of colleges and universities, including public, private, and not-for-profit institutions, and specifically covers athletes registered for courses while participating in varsity intercollegiate athletics. By preventing the commingling of these funds with payments to athletes, the bill aims to restrict how educational institutions can monetize student athletes' identities using taxpayer and student-generated money. The legislation defines key terms such as state moneys, student fees, and collegiate student athletes to ensure clear application across different types of institutions.

SB 474 creates a regulatory framework for Kansas short-term health insurance plans, which are temporary policies lasting up to 364 days (max 36 months total) with an annual coverage limit of $2 million. It requires insurers to clearly disclose that these plans do not cover all essential health benefits mandated by the federal Affordable Care Act (ACA), including pregnancy care and mental health services, and must provide written notice in bold 12-point type. The bill mandates that short-term plans cover emergency services, hospitalization, ambulatory care, and lab services, while requiring insurers to maintain provider networks meeting federal standards for access to care. Insurers cannot charge higher premiums based on health status, and the Kansas Insurance Commissioner gains authority to enforce these rules through adopted regulations.