Legislative Uodates
This week marked the final full week of committee meetings at the Kansas Statehouse as lawmakers continue moving toward First Adjournment on March 27. While the House wrapped up their work week on Thursday, the Senate held several committee meetings on Friday. This week budget negotiations advanced, with the House and Senate budget conference committee meeting to begin comparing their respective budget proposals. Property tax relief remained a major topic at the Capitol, though progress on both Chambers stalled Thursday leaving the issue unresolved as the session enters its final weeks. Looking ahead, committees will meet for their final day on Tuesday next week, after which the Legislature will spend the remainder of the week primarily working bills on the House and Senate floors as lawmakers move toward adjournment. Below is a recap of some of the issues the legislature took up this week.
Cell Phone Ban in Schools
The Legislature sent the Governor House Bill 2299 this week, which would ban cellphones in public and accredited private schools. The bill would require local school boards and the governing bodies to adopt policies that prohibit students from using or accessing cellphones during the school day, require all cellphones be turned off and securely locked in an inaccessible location during the school day and set enforcement procedures for violations of those policies. An exemption was added to the bill for medical necessity. The Governor has indicated that she will sign the legislation.
Budget
The House and Senate Budget Conference Committee has its initial meeting this week to go over the differences in their budget bills Sub for House Bill 2434 and Sub for Senate Bill 315. An expected vote on an agreed to budget is expected before First Adjournment to give time for the Governor to consider budget vetoes. The Governor has the power to line-item veto provisions only in the budget bill. She must either veto, sign, or allow a bill to become law on all other bills presented. Lawmakers will return on April 9, 2026 for Veto Session.
Property Tax
The Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee passed House Bill 2745. The bill requires cities and other local governments to cap property tax revenue at 3% annually. The committee amended the bill to remove the exemption for property coming off a bond or IRB, changed the threshold to stop a budget increase over the 3% with a protest petition signed by 10% of the electorate of the taxing jurisdiction submitted to the county clerk by September 15th. Unlike the House version of the bill, the Senate’s version included school district, which must submit adopted budgets to the state board on October 1. The Committee also adopted an amendment to adopt the CPI average for the last three years to the Revenue Neutral Rate. The Senate was scheduled to debate the bill the bill on Thursday, but the Senate passed over the bill and then referred it back to the Senate Tax Committee. This signaled that leadership was still negotiating a final agreement on property tax reform, which is a top issue for the 2026 Kansas legislature.
The House failed to advance Senate Concurrent Resolution 1616, which caps the assessment of property valuation increases at 3% annually starting with 2022 valuations. After debate, the House did not advance the measure to final action on a voice vote. However, the bill retains its place on the calendar and can be taken up at a later time.
Unemployment Insurance
The House debated and passed Senate Bill 229, an unemployment insurance bill this week. The amended bill includes updates to the parameters for temporary layoffs, guidelines for supplemental unemployment benefits plans and a prohibition of passing UI legislation through a budget proviso. The bill passed the House on a vote of 84-35 and will now go to the Senate where they can concur with the House changes or send the bill to a Commerce Conference Committee.
Data Centers
An amendment was offered but failed on House Bill 2433, a water regulation bill, that would prohibit data center’s from locating or operating in counties that have drought declarations. Earlier in the month, Senate Bill 526 was introduced and would require that data centers only be built on land zoned for manufacturing or industrial use as of July 1, 2025 in order for the project to be eligible for sales tax exemptions has not yet been scheduled for hearing.
World Cup Security
Senate Judiciary worked Senate Bill 523, which authorizes the governor to declare a need for enhanced security during extraordinary events and grants certain emergency powers during that period. A total of $38 million from the State of Kansas has been allocated for support of the KC2026 World Cup security and transportation plan. Several amendments were adopted by the committee including an amendment that establishes that the State Finance Council would review declarations, set an initial 15-day declaration period, and set out allowed extensions up to 150 days with legislative oversight. The bill applies not only to the World Cup but to other major events. The amended contents were amended into House Bill 2212 in order to expedite the legislative process.
App Store Accountability Act
Senate Bill 372 was tabled by the House Federal and State Affairs Committee this week. The bill regulates app store and developer operations in regard to minors and creates age verification requirements. Proponents stated the bill would protect children from harmful digital material while opponents expressed concerns about liability issues and data collection concerns. After much discussion, the House Committee tabled the bill and recommended the issue be studied during an interim committee.
Pharmacy Benefit Managers
On Wednesday, the Houses Insurance Committee held a hearing on Senate Bill 360, which enacts the Kansas Consumer Prescription Protection and Accountability Act. The bill would expand state regulation of pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), increase reporting and transparency requirements, and includes a mandatory $10.50 dispensing fee. Kansas Insurance Commissioner Vicki Schmidt testified in support of the bill, but many businesses and local government groups expressed concerns regarding the dispensing fee. It is unclear if the House Insurance Committee will work the bill.
Freedom of Speech Training
Senate Education held a hearing Friday on Senate Bill 496. This bill requires the Kansas Board of Regents, in consultation with the attorney general, to create annual training for public colleges and universities on campus free speech, association, and religious rights. The training must explain relevant Kansas laws and constitutional protections, including the First Amendment, and be provided to administrators, faculty, campus officials, and those overseeing student organizations. The Board of Regents must report yearly to state leaders confirming the training occurred, and the attorney general may enforce compliance if schools fail to follow the law. This bill is blessed and not subject to deadlines.
Higher Education Restructuring
On Thursday, House Majority Leader Chris Croft testified in favor of House Bill 2798, which he introduced. The bill proposes to restructure Kansas higher education governance by separating oversight of the state’s three research universities (Kansas State, the University of Kansas, and Wichita State) from the regional universities. The bill would give research universities more autonomy over contracts, construction, land transactions, and procurement unless state funds are involved, while the Board of Regents would continue overseeing regional schools. Supporters say it would help research universities respond more quickly to economic and innovation changes, but the Board of Regents warns it could weaken oversight, reduce accountability, and create imbalance within the state university system. The Governors Chief of Staff Will Lawrence also testified in favor of the bill.
School Choice Tax Credits
The Senate passed House Bill 2468 on a vote of 27-13 . This bill would expand a state credit program that gives scholarships to students to attend private schools. Senate amendment reduced the cap increase from $30 million to $20 million in tax year 2025. The bill also allows Kansans to participate in a federal program where individuals can claim up to $1,700 in federal tax credits for contributions to conference committee where these changes will be discussed.
Kansas Sports Authority
A joint House and Senate Commerce Committee heard House Bill 2793 this week. The bill creates the Kansas Sports Authority, which needs to be created for ownership of the sports facilities being built for the Kansas City Chiefs. Proponents included members of the KC Chiefs, the Kansas Department of Commerce, and other localities where the Chiefs plan to locate their facilities. No amendments were adopted and the House Commerce Committee passed the bill to the full House. The Senate Commerce Committee will work the bill next Monday.
Even Year Elections
Aon Tuesday, the House Elections Committee voted to revive a bill that would move city, school board, and community college elections to even-numbered years, after the proposal had previously died on the House floor at the Legislature’s turnaround deadline when it lacked the House speaker’s approval. Despite objections from Democratic lawmakers, the committee inserted the proposal into House Sub for Senate Bill 231, effectively bringing the measure back for further consideration.
Sports Tourism Grants
The Senate Commerce Committee heard House Bill 2346, which creates a Sports Tourism Grant program to retain and attract sporting events in the state. Supporters encouraged action on the bill, stating that this will help retain major tournaments and bring visitors to Kansas. The Committee was also encouraged to allow the Secretary of Commerce to prioritize new events over recurring events. The Senate Commerce Committee will work the bill next Monday.
Unused Tax Credits
House Bill 2757 is on House General Order’s waiting to be scheduled for House debate. The bill repeals more than 20 unused or rarely used tax credits. An informational hearing was held in the Senate Commerce Committee on Friday to brief the Committee on the bill’s contents.
By-Right Housing
On Tuesday, the House Commerce Committee passed out Senate Bill 418. The bill is aimed at making it easier to build single family homes in communities throughout Kansas by reducing local regulations. The committee adopted amendments to alleviate concerns expressed by municipalities. The bill now goes to the full House for consideration.
Aviation Tax Credits
House Bill 2464 extends the sunset for the aviation tax. The Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee amended the bill to change the 10-year extension of the tax credit to a 3-year extension. The bill will now go to the full Senate.
Renewable Energy Tax
The Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee heard Senate Bill 534 on Friday. This bill would impose a new tax on wind farms and solar facilities to create a property tax relief fund. The tax collected would be allocated to reduce the statewide property tax mill levy for schools. Opponents raised concerned about the additional taxes on the industry and noted the costs would be passed on to consumers. The House Taxation Committee held an informational hearing on the bill Thursday.
Kansas Medical Freedom Act
On Friday, the Senate Public Health & Welfare Committee held a hearing on Senate Bill 522 which would prohibit private entities from denying, restricting or penalizing individuals’ access to services, products, venues, or transportation based on individual’s use or nonuse of medical interventions. Proponents of the measure want to protect individuals’ medical decisions while opponents argue the bill denies employers’ ability to provide basic workplace safety and could drive litigation against employers.
Transient Guest Tax
The Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing on House Bill 2481, which makes changes to the transient guest tax during the two months of the World Cup. The bill would preempt local ordinances on prohibitions of short-term rentals, reduce the TGT collection number to one room or more and waive the 28-day requirement for TGT to be collected. Conferees expressed concern that some amendments were inconsistent with current law outside of the World Cup two-month period.
Expert Evidence
The House Judiciary Committee passed Senate Bill 398 an expert evidence tort reform bill to the full House for consideration. The bill requires an expert witness to demonstrate that it is more likely than not that they have specialized knowledge to help the trier before the witnesses may testify.
Next Week
Next week committees will meet on Monday and Tuesday to finish committee action for the 2026 Session. Legislators will then be on the floor for the balance of the week working to pass bills to the opposite chamber. The deadline for bills to be out of the second house is scheduled for Friday, March 20th. Conference Committee’s will primarily meet the week of March 23rd, with the last day of the session scheduled for March 27th.
STAR Bonds-The Senate Commerce Committee will have an informational hearing on the contents of Sub for House Bill 197 on Monday. The bill is in the Commerce Conference Committee, but the Seante Committee has yet been briefed on the bill.
Social Media and Telecommunications Fraud-An information hearing on House Bill 2648 will be held in both the Senate Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee and the House Financial Institutions Committee on Monday.
Exemption from Daylight Savings Time-A hearing will be heard on Senate Bill 1 on Tuesday in the Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee.
