Governor Kelly Signs Batch of Bipartisan Bills on Law Enforcement, Child Welfare, Transparency and Local Government
Measures honor fallen officers, update interstate child placement rules, expand open records and address rural health
TOPEKA, Kan. — Gov. Laura Kelly signed more than a dozen bipartisan bills into law Friday spanning law enforcement support, child welfare, government transparency, health care oversight, water policy and local governance. Among the most prominent is Senate Bill 445, which requires the Kansas Highway Patrol and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation to provide support and assistance for funerals of law enforcement officers who die in the line of duty, as well as aid to their families and agencies. In 2025, Kansas lost four officers in the line of duty — Deputy Brandon Gaede of Phillips County, Deputy Elijah Ming of Wyandotte County, Officer Hunter Simoncic of Kansas City and Sgt. Scott Heimann of Hays.
The governor also highlighted House Bill 2557, which enacts the revised Interstate Compact for the Placement of Children. The updated compact, which passed the House 118-1, replaces existing language with the 2007 version and standardizes procedures for placing children across state lines, ensuring they receive the same protections and services they would in their home state. The bill authorizes the governor to designate a compact administrator to oversee implementation.
On government transparency and water policy, Senate Bill 299 requires the Supreme Court Nominating Commission to release certain records under the Kansas Open Records Act, and House Bill 2477 directs the Kansas Department of Agriculture to publish an online map showing all applied-for water diversions and requested changes of more than 300 feet.
Several bills target health care and public safety credentialing. House Bill 2555 adds legislative oversight to the Rural Health Transformation Program by requiring regular reporting to designated legislative committees, while House Bill 2478 requires advanced practice registered nurses and registered nurse anesthetists to undergo criminal background checks when applying for licensure. House Bill 2540 addresses insurance regulation by exempting contingent deferred annuities from the standard nonforfeiture law for individual deferred annuities.
The governor also signed a series of measures updating local government procedures. House Bill 2711 modernizes the process for dissolving cities of the third class, which have populations under 2,000 residents. House Bill 2624 authorizes county commissioners to disorganize a fire district when it contains no territory, and House Bill 2733 requires candidates for certain offices to be and remain residents of Kansas or the appropriate district. Senate Bill 146 directs the secretary for aging and disability services and the City of Osawatomie to amend a property deed in Miami County, extending the conveyance to July 1, 2046. House Bill 2332 establishes an official seal for the Kansas House of Representatives and provides for its custody and use.
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