(March 26, 2025) – Conference Committee Reports and Bills Passing Chambers
Today, the House saw a motion to concur on House Bill 2118. The legislation requires any person who solicits a fee for filing or retrieving certain documents from the federal government, the state, a state agency, or a local government to give certain notices to consumers and provides that violation of such requirements is a deceptive act or practice subject to penalties under the Kansas Consumer Protection Act. The motion to concur with the Senate passed the House on a vote of 123-0 and will now go to the governor.

The Senate debated and passed Senate Sub for House Bill 2228. The legislation requires that a political subdivision hold an open meeting to discuss a contingency fee contract for legal services before approving such contract and requires the attorney general to approve such contracts. The bill passed the Senate on a vote of 28-12.

Conference Committee Reports making their way through the process include:

• Conference Committee Reports on House Bill 2062 provides for child support orders for unborn children from the date of conception
• Conference Committee Reports on House Bill 2075 relates to the revised Kansas code for the care of children; determines when a law enforcement officer may or shall take a child into custody; requires the secretary for the Kansas Department for Children and Families to provide a means for a law enforcement officer to refer potential cases of abuse or neglect and that the secretary provide a response to such referrals within 24 hours; requires the court to review parent and interested party involvement in permanency planning; requires that a permanency hearing for a child in custody of the secretary be held within nine months of such child's removal from such child's home and subsequent hearings be held every six months thereafter
• Conference Committee Reports on House Bill 2022 concerns elections; requires that any special election be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March or on the same day as a general or primary election.
• Conference Committee Reports on Senate Sub for House Bill 2056 public health licensure compacts; relates to school psychologists; enacts the School Psychologist Compact to provide interstate practice privileges; relates to dieticians; enacts the Dietician Compact to provide interstate practice privileges; relates to the practice of cosmetology; enacts the Cosmetology Licensure Compact; relates to physician assistants; enacts the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact to provide interstate practice privileges
• Conference Committee Reports on House Bill 2160 establish the Kansas Municipal Employee Whistleblower Act to provide legal protections for municipal employees who report conduct that is dangerous or unlawful and would define terms for purposes of that act
• Conference Committee Reports on House Bill 2116 requires cities and counties of certain population sizes to use standard contract provisions prescribed by the Department of Administration as used in state contracts. It also would authorize the City of Topeka to conduct periodic inspections of private residential housing properties when the owner of the property is receiving direct public financial assistance for tenant rent, define "direct public financial assistance" for this purpose, and establish requirements to conduct such inspections
• Conference Committee Reports on House Bill 2275 authorizes the submission of local sales taxes to voters in Finney, Jackson, Pawnee, and Seward counties; modifies the apportionment of countywide sales taxes; and specifies that a sales tax exemption certificate is not required for the sales tax exemption for certain custom meat processing services
• Conference Committee Reports on SB 250: The bill would authorize a manufacturer operating in an eligible facility to make available individualized investigative treatments and allow individuals with life-threatening or severely debilitating illnesses to request an individualized investigational drug, biologic product, or device from such manufacturers (referred to herein as "investigational treatment products"). The bill defines terms used in the Act; defines and establishes a procedure for use of a patient's biospecimen; addresses requirements for informed consent for investigational treatments, manufacturer requirements, and liability exemptions; and clarifies insurance and health coverage pursuant to the Act. The bill also makes technical and conforming amendments.

The Senate also took up Senate Concurrent Resolution 5011, a constitutional amendment to section 1 article 11 of the Constitution of the state of Kansas; relates to property taxation; limits valuation increases for real property. The bill failed to meet the two-thirds majority need to pass by a vote of 26 to 14.

The House and Senate will work late into the day and continue working conference committee reports on Thursday, March 27.