Kansas Legislature Tackles Sprawling Policy Agenda as Session Pace Quickens
Committees advance dozens of bills on topics from property taxes to special education
The Kansas Legislative session reached its halfway point this week during turnaround week, the last opportunity for bills to pass out of their chambers before the deadline.
Standing committees in both chambers churned through a heavy workload Monday, with the House reporting out recommendations on more than 40 bills and the Senate advancing measures on topics ranging from special education funding to homestead property tax refunds to unemployment insurance reform.
Among the notable committee actions, the House Committee on Elections recommended passage of HB 2453, which would modify advance voting ballot application deadlines, and HB 2491, concerning voter registration at public assistance agencies — both politically charged election administration issues. The House Appropriations Committee recommended a substitute version of HB 2434, a multi-year appropriations bill covering fiscal years ending June 30, 2026, through 2029, setting up what is likely to be one of the session's most consequential floor debates.
On the Senate side, the Education Committee recommended passage of an amended SB 382 containing extensive special education provisions and changes to virtual school assessments, while the Assessment and Taxation Committee advanced SB 402 with amendments to homestead property tax refund provisions and SB 303 authorizing county sales tax options for Leavenworth, Lincoln and Sheridan counties. The Government Efficiency Committee moved SB 450 with an amendment adding protections for state employees who investigate or audit state agencies — a whistleblower-adjacent measure that could generate bipartisan interest.
The volume of committee activity reflects the quickening pace typical of mid-session, as leadership in both chambers works to move bills through the process ahead of key deadlines. The breadth of the agenda — spanning elections, education, taxation, criminal justice and energy policy — ensures that the coming weeks of floor debate will test the cohesion of the Republican supermajorities in both chambers.