Kelly signs 12 bills
Bipartisan package tackles state workforce shortages, foster care stability and property rights
TOPEKA, Kan. — Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, signed 12 bipartisan bills into law Monday, enacting a package of legislation that offers up to $10,000 bonuses to retain critical state workers, creates new legal avenues to remove squatters and keeps foster families intact.
Among the new laws is House Bill 2237, which cleared the Kansas House on a 122-1 vote and the Senate 29-11. The measure authorizes state agencies to offer hiring, recruitment and retention bonuses of up to $10,000. The incentives are designed to combat high turnover and staffing vacancies across state government, particularly among frontline social workers and client-facing staff.
Kelly also approved multiple measures aimed at supporting Kansas foster families and vulnerable youth. House Bill 2524 prevents families from losing their foster care licenses or being forced to displace children if a young adult resident has a prior prohibited offense, provided the state determines there are no safety concerns. House Bill 2320 allows children in state custody to attend school in any district and mandates timely transfer of their educational records.
The package also strengthens private property rights through the newly established Removal of Squatters Act. Under House Bill 2378, property owners can bypass lengthy court evictions by filing a sworn affidavit with their county sheriff to rapidly remove unauthorized occupants from a residential dwelling.
Other notable bills signed by the governor create a specialty medical student loan repayment program to attract obstetricians, gynecologists and psychiatrists to the state; grant legal immunity to motorsports venues facing civil nuisance lawsuits; and establish discounted lifetime combination hunting and fishing licenses for Kansas residents 65 and older.
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