Kelly signs first bill of 2026, a bipartisan crime package

TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, signed the first bill of the 2026 session Friday, putting her name on a four-part crime package that sailed through the Legislature with near-unanimous support. HB 2347, introduced by the House Committee on Judiciary, passed the House 119-4 and cleared the Senate 39-0 in January after carrying over from the 2025 session.

The law raises the minimum fine for buying sexual relations from $1,200 to $2,000 and imposes stricter educational and treatment requirements on offenders. It also makes theft of a motor vehicle valued between $500 and $1,500 a severity level 10 nonperson felony, adds gift cards to the state's financial card fraud statute and creates a new offense for aiming a laser pointer at an on-duty law enforcement officer or an aircraft in flight.

Sen. Kenny Titus, R-Manhattan, said the bill "ensures that Kansas law enforcement possess the tools necessary to protect our most vulnerable citizens" and that the enhanced penalties would "reduce the demand for human trafficking." House Minority Leader Dan Osman, D-Overland Park, called the measure "wide-ranging" in its approach to combating crime. The lopsided vote margins reflect the rare bipartisan consensus that public safety legislation can still command in an otherwise sharply divided Statehouse. Kelly also signed HB 2183, which codifies judicial deference to state agencies' interpretation of rules and regulations.

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