March 20, 2026

This week, the House and Senate held their final committee meetings of the 2026 session. On Wednesday and Thursday, the Legislature worked on the floor and passed more than 150 bills, sending many measures to conference committees. Senate worked into the evening to finish their General Orders while progress in the House stalled Thursday afternoon when leadership abruptly adjourned despite several bills remaining on General Orders. Friday marked the deadline for bills to be passed out of their second chamber. Next week, House and Senate conference committees will meet to reconcile differences between their versions of legislation, with major tax and budget issues still unresolved. Below is a summary of key issues that saw action this week.

Budget

The House and Senate Budget Conference Committee began meeting on Thursday afternoon to sort out differences and move toward a final agreed upon bill. A considerable number of the differences in their budget bills Sub for House Bill 2434 and Sub for Senate Bill 315 exist.  

Property Tax  

The Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee again took up House Bill 2745. They amended the bill to remove the petition and instead require an election if exceeding the 3% annual cap. The Senate Tax Committee then inserted the amended contents of the bill into House Bill 2396. The Committee did not pass the bill out of committee. It is unknown if the Committee will meet again to pass the bill out to the full Senate.

On Thursday, the House took up Senate Concurrent Resolution 1603, a measure carried over from last year. The resolution proposes a constitutional amendment that would set the taxable value of certain properties at the lower of either their fair market value or an averaged fair market value, calculated using a formula established by the legislature. During floor debate, an amendment from Speaker Pro Tem Blake Carpenter, Wichita-R, aimed at freezing property taxes for senior citizens in residential housing, was adopted. The bill advanced to final action by a vote of 85-40, however, because the House session ended abruptly, a final vote is now expected on Monday. A two-thirds majority approval vote is required by both House and Senate for the proposed constitutional amendment to appear on the ballot.

School Choice Tax Credits

On a final vote, sending the bill to the Governor, the Conference Committee Report for House Bill 2468 passed the House 76 to 44 and the Senate 27 to 12. The bill expands a state credit program that gives scholarships to students to attend private schools and allows Kansans to participate in a federal program.

App Store Accountability Act

Senate Bill 372 was passed by the House Federal and State Affairs Committee on Wednesday. The bill regulates app store and developer operations with respect to minors and creates requirements for age verification. An amendment was adopted that requires personal information collected for verification to be deleted once verification is done. The bill is exempt from deadlines and can be acted upon at any time.

Kansas Sports Authority

The House passed House Bill 2793 on a vote of 79-41. The bill creates the Chiefs Sports Authority for state ownership of the sports facilities being built for the Kansas City Chiefs’ stadium and training facilities. The House amended the bill to give the mayors of the two cities where the facilities will be located, as voting members to the authority. The issue will be added to a conference committee report where it is expected additional amendments will take place.

Sports Tourism Grants

On Thursday, the Senate passed House Bill 2346, which creates a Sports Tourism Grant program to retain and attract sporting events in the state, by a vote of 28 to 12. An amendment was adopted to allow the Secretary of Commerce to prioritize qualifying new events over recurring events. Additionally, an amendment was adopted to ensure no state general funds were used for the program.

By-Right Housing

On Wednesday, the House passed Senate Bill 418 on a vote of 97 to 27. The bill is aimed at making it easier to build single family homes in communities throughout Kansas. The bill had previously been amended by the House Committee to alleviate some concerns expressed by municipalities.

Transient Guest Tax

The Senate passed House Bill 2481, which makes changes to the transient guest tax (TGT) during the two months of the World Cup, Thursday by a vote of 33 to 7. The bill would preempt local ordinances on prohibitions of short-term rentals and makes permanent the requirement to collect TGT on one room or more, regardless of the type of accommodation. The bill now heads to conference committee.

World Cup Liquor Sales

The Senate passed Senate Bill 393, allowing for 23-hour liquor sales for the two months of the World Cup. The Senate Commerce Committee adopted an amendment to allow for a county opt-in of the expanded liquor sales instead of an opt-out. The bill can now be considered by a conference committee.

World Cup Security

House Bill 2212 authorizes the governor to declare a need for enhanced security during extraordinary events and grants certain emergency powers for the World Cup and other extraordinary events. The House concurred by a vote of 118-2 and sent the measure to the Governor for her consideration.

Contingency Fees Contracts

The Kansas Senate passed House Bill 2593, a bill giving the state attorney general authority to approve or deny local governments’ use of contingency-fee lawyers in certain class-action lawsuits. Supporters argue this ensures the state speaks with one unified legal voice and prevents misuse of lawsuits driven by trial lawyers, while critics say it limits local control and could block cities from addressing their own issues. The bill now goes back to the House for final approval. Last year a similar measure was vetoed last year.

Aviation Tax Credits

House Bill 2464 extends the sunset for the aviation tax. The Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee amended the bill to change the 10-year extension of the tax credit to a three-year extension. On Thursday, the Senate passed the measure by a vote of 39 to 1.

Angel Investor Tax Credit

House Bill 2466 extends the sunset for the angel investor tax credit. The committee amended the sunset from a five-year sunset to a three-year sunset in 2029. On Thursday, the Senate passed the bill on a vote of 34 to 6.

Cell Phone Ban

On Thursday the Senate sent to the Governor Senate Bill 366 which makes it illegal to have your cell phone in your hands while driving through a school or construction zone. The bill is effective upon publication in the statute book.

Renewable Energy Tax

The Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee met on Wednesday to work Senate Bill 534, which would impose a new tax on wind farms and solar facilities to create a property tax relief fund. The tax collected would be allocated to reduce the statewide property tax mill levy for schools. After working and amending the bill, it was ultimately tabled because of concerns about its long-term impact.

Agritourism

The Senate Agricultural and Natural Resources Committee added agritourism provisions to S Sub for House Bill 2111. The bill prohibits a city or county from enforcing any building code, ordinance, or resolution regulating the use of a non-public registered agritourism location, allowing for agritourism business provisions to be permitted for invitation only businesses. On Thursday, the Senate pulled the bill above the line and made several amendments to the bill and then passing it 26 to 14.

Portable Benefit Plans

House Bill 2602 was passed by the Senate Committee and establishes requirements for a portable benefit plan for independent contractors, determining types of contributions to such plans and providing a subtraction modification for Kansas income tax purposes. The Senate passed the bill on Thursday on a vote of 40-0.

In State Tuition Repeal

A conference committee report on Senate Bill 254 passed the House on a 78–46 vote. The bill would eliminate in-state tuition for undocumented students as part of a broader measure restricting state and local benefits for individuals living in the country illegally. The conference committee report reflects a compromise after the House had previously voted to preserve the tuition program, ultimately agreeing to Senate demands following an opinion from Attorney General Kris Kobach warning the policy may violate federal law and could prompt legal challenges. Supporters argued the change aligns Kansas with federal requirements, while opponents urged maintaining access for students educated in the state. The measure fell short of a veto-proof majority and now awaits Senate action, however, similar policies in other states have faced successful federal challenges.

Expert Evidence

The House passed Senate Bill 398 which require an expert witness to demonstrate that it is more likely than not that they have specialized knowledge to help the trier before the witnesses may testify.

Exemption from Daylight Savings Time

The Senate Federal and State Affairs Committee passed Senate Bill 1, which exempts Kansas from Daylight Savings Time if Missouri also passes a similar law. The bill is exempt and can be worked at any time.

Next Week

Conference Committee’s will primarily meet with first adjournment scheduled for March 27th. Conference committees are comprised of each committee’s leadership-Chair, Vice Chair and Ranking Minority member. Conference committee will be called to work out the differences in House and Senate versions of bills. Once a conference committee agrees on language, the House and Senate may vote the measure up or down but may not make any floor amendments to the conference committee report.