HOUSE DELIBERATIONS
Last week was Turnaround Week in the legislature, so the Kansas House of Representatives debated and voted on many, many bills. In total 86 bills were debated and voted on, all of which passed their votes and moved onto the Senate. On Wednesday, in the afternoon, I even chaired the deliberation for six hours, covering 29 bills.
Below is a selection of 10 bills from that long list of legislation:
House Bill (HB) 2170. This bill designates the first full week of February as Burn Awareness Week in Kansas, in order to raise awareness on the dangers and last impact of burn wounds.
HB 2031, which amends state law by adding valid drivers licenses from other states as sufficient criteria for meeting the listed requirements in attaining a driving instructor license in Kansas.
HB 2155, this legislation changes state law to specify that in performance of official acts related to the charge and custody of jails sheriffs, and deputies, are to be held liable.
HB 2280, which expands the list of authorized activities that emergency medical responder personnel can perform under supervision of healthcare professionals, permit nonemergency ambulance services to operate for less than 24 hours in a day, and require external automated defibrillators be registered with the Emergency Medical Services Board.
HB 2016, this bill adds published online obituaries as sufficient criteria for election officers to remove deceased voters from voter rolls, under state law.
HB 2075, which adjusts state law regarding initial permanence hearings deadlines for children taken into the custody of the Kansas Department of Children and Families, changing it from the current 12 to 9 months. The bill would also require that a hearing be held every 9 months for the child after the initial hearing.
HB 2121, which alters state law regarding registration fees for hybrid and all-electric vehicles. A $30 fee for all-electric motorcycles would be created, the fee for electric hybrids would be increased from $50 to $100, the fee for all-electric motor vehicles would be raised from $100 to $175, and fees for electric and hybrid trucks and tractors with a gross weight less than 12,000 pounds would also be increased to $200 and $125, respectively. All revenue raised from these increases would be remitted to the State Highway Fund and the Special City and County Highway Fund.
HB 2333, this bill renames the Kansas Insurance Department to the Kansas Department of Insurance, along with several related offices. The bill also eliminates the requirement of senate confirmation for the Department of Insurance Assistant Commissioner, and appointees in the securities division.
House Concurrent Resolution (HCR) 5008, which proposes a constitutional amendment, adding to Article 2 of the Kansas Constitution, granting the legislature the ability to revise and revoke administrative rules and regulations by adoption of a concurrent resolution, which requires supermajority support from both chambers. If passed the resolution would go to a public vote in the primary election of 2026.
HB 2134, which establishes limits on fees Executive Branch agencies may charge for access to copies of public records. For printed copies fees would not exceed 25 cents per page and for electronic copies fees would be prohibited. Cost related to employee time for making records available would not exceed the lowest hourly rate of the aforementioned employee. The bill would also permit appeals to the agency heads responsible if the costs of requesting the documents were felt unreasonable.
I voted yes on each of these bills.
BUDGET PASSES THE HOUSE
The House passed Substitute for House Bill 2007, the legislature’s budget, in final action on Wednesday, the 19th, by a vote of 83 to 36, I voted yes. This budget is the product of diligent labor by the Special Legislative Budget Committee, House Appropriations Committee, and its subcommittees, over the past five weeks. I am confident that this budget both adequately funds the state’s core functions and works toward meeting key needs of Kansans, like our nursing homes and the state water plan. And just as important the spending within this budget is conservative, total state general fund (SGF) is reduced by $246.1 million between fiscal years 2025 and 2026.
Debate on the bill lasted roughly two and a half hours and six amendments were brought during debate. Two of those amendments passed, relating to funding for the operating budgets of the Department of Commerce and the State Fire Marshall. The failed amendments ranged from Medicaid Expansion to Summer EBT spending increases.
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
www.troywaymaster.com