April 13, 2025
Topeka
GOVERNOR VETO OVERRIDES
Last week it was Veto Session for the Legislature, as it was the last week of the 2025 regular session. During this week the House of Representatives and Senate voted to override bills vetoed by the Governor. Overall the House of Representatives overrode vetoes on 13 bills, detailed below is a sample of four bills from that list.
· First is House Bill (HB) 2240. This bill prohibits state agencies from seeking or implementing any public assistance program waiver, or other authorization, from the federal government that expands eligibility for public assistance programs or increases costs to the state. The bill also prohibits potential changes to services for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities without express consent or approval from either the Legislature or the Legislative Coordinating Council.
· Second is HB 2217. This legislation expands the scope of the investigatory powers of the Inspector General within the Office of the Attorney General to all state cash, food, and health assistance programs. The bill also grants the Inspector General the power to subpoena, administer oaths, and execute search warrants. The bill would also add and amend several definitions and make technical, clarifying, and conforming amendments to state law.
· Third is Senate Bill (SB) 125, the state’s budget bill for fiscal years (FY) 2025 and 2026. The Governor made 40 line-item vetoes, and the Legislature overrode 15 of these.
I will highlight a few of them here.
First is the $3 million State General Fund (SGF) for the Pregnancy Compassion Awareness Program in FY 2026. Second is $1 million SGF for Purple UAS certification innovation grant in FY 2026, aimed at growing the drone manufacturing industry in Kansas. Third and last is the bonding authority for construction of a new State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, critical to agriculture in our state.
· Fourth is SB 29. This piece of legislation would make several changes to current law. First is that it would require the Secretary of Health and Environment to have probable cause, supported by evidence, before taking action to prevent the spread or introduction of infectious diseases. Second, parties aggrieved by said actions would be permitted to pursue civil action against the Secretary of Health and Environment, or any local health officer. Third, local health officers and joint boards would be limited to issuing recommendations against public gatherings to control the spread of disease. Fourth and last would be eliminating the ability for either the Secretary of Health and Environment, or local health officers, from ordering law enforcement assistance regarding those orders.
I voted in favor of overriding the Governor’s veto for each of these bills.
CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REPORTS
Even though it was Veto Session both chambers of the Legislature were still conferencing on bills. When the conference committees on said bills are finished, and significant changes to the bill are made, a conference committee report (CCR) is created, which is the final version of the bill before enrollment to the Governor. The topics of these CCRs ranged from changing tax policy to streamlining childcare regulations. Ten conference committee reports were voted on this week and detailed below is a sample of four.
First is the CCR for House Bill 2045. This legislation creates the Office of Early Childhood, which will serve as the sole office charged with regulating early childcare in Kansas and consolidates current efforts by several state agencies.
Second is the CCR for House Bill 2125. This bill reauthorizes the statewide school property mill levy, changes certification dates for property tax filings at the county level, extends state reimbursements for mailing and printing costs incurred by county clerks on tax notifications, and eliminates filing fees for repeat appeals, over different years, with the State Board of Tax Appeals.
Third is the CCR for House Bill 2335. This legislation creates a cap on several housing tax credits and enables transference of the Kansas Housing Investor Tax Credit, even retroactively back to tax year 2022.
Fourth and last is the CCR for House Bill 2007. This is the aforementioned reconciliation bill for the 2025 legislative session, which means that the bill extends authority to the Office of Revisors, the legal team that drafts laws for the legislature, to reconcile potential contradictions created by laws passed during the session.
UNCLAIMED PROPERTY
Two weeks ago, my office had mailed constituents that the State Treasurer’s office had identified as possessing right to unclaimed property. Such property ranges from bank accounts to dividends, which had been forgotten and unclaimed. However, a significant number of letters mailed were returned to my office by the postal service due to the recipient no longer residing at the address. Due to this I am noting it here on the newsletter. To verify if you have unclaimed property and to initiate the claim process, please visit the unclaimed property website at: https://unclaimedproperty.ks.gov/.
It is a distinct honor to serve as your representative for the 109th Kansas House District and the state of Kansas. Please contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and questions. I always appreciate hearing from the residents of the 109th House District and others from the state of Kansas, as well.
Contact My Office
Representative Troy L. Waymaster
300 SW 10th Street
Topeka, Kansas 66612
[email protected]
www.kslegislature.org