(Feb. 7, 2025) – This week, the Kansas Senate passed the following legislation:
Senate Bill 14 provides for a continuous budget until amended, lapsed or eliminated by the legislature. The bill passed the Senate on a vote of 31-8.

Senate Concurrent Resolution 1603, a constitutional amendment limiting valuation increases for real and personal property classified as mobile homes used for residential purposes. The resolution passed on a vote of 28-11.

The Senate also confirmed the following:

• Carlin Williams as brigadier general, Kansas National Guard
• Kathy Wolfe-Moore, Kansas Board of Regents

The House passed the following:

• House Bill 2044 requires that third-party administrators maintain separate fiduciary accounts for individual payors and not contain funds collected or held on behalf of multiple payors and disclose to the commissioner of insurance any bankruptcy petition filed by or on behalf of such administrator pursuant to Chapter 9 or Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code. The bill passed by a vote of 105-9.
• House Bill 2045 reduces the number of board members appointed by the commissioner on certain insurance-related boards and the frequency of the committee meetings on surety bonds and insurance. The bill passed on a vote of 104-10.
• House Bill 2049 licensing requirements for insurance agents and public adjusters; pertaining to suspension, revocation, denial of licensure and licensure renewal. The bill passed on a vote of 114-0.
• House Bill 2050 authorizes the commissioner of insurance to set the amount of certain fees; requiring the publication of certain fees in the Kansas Register. The bill passed on a vote of 114-0.
• House Bill 2029 designates a portion of the K-5 highway as the Rep. Marvin S. Robinson Memorial Highway. The bill passed on a vote of 111-0.
• House Bill 2042, relating to title insurance; requiring title agents to make their audit reports available for inspection upon request of the commissioner of insurance instead of submitting such reports annually; requiring the amount of surety bonds filed with the commissioner to be $100,000. The bill passed on a vote of 103-8.
• House Bill 2043, relating to unfair and deceptive acts or practices; requiring agents and insurers to respond to inquiries from the commissioner of insurance within 14 calendar days; authorizing certain rebate pilot programs to exceed one year in duration. The bill passed on a vote of 97-14.

These bills will now go to the opposite chamber for further review.