News from Kansas Senator Elaine Bowers

Senate Highlights

Friday marked a critical deadline known as “turnaround,” marking the official halfway point for the 2022 Legislative session. It was a busy week for the Senate, as we spent two full days debating and voting on and passing out over 30 bills ahead of the Turnaround deadline. After being on the floor all day Tuesday and Wednesday, the Legislature will break until March 1st to give clerical staff time to process the significant amount of paperwork resulting from this week. By “turnaround,” a bill, with few exceptions, must have passed its chamber of origin in order to be considered by the other chamber before session is over for the year. When the Senate returns on Tuesday, the legislature is scheduled to meet for another month before our April recess. We would then return for a brief period to consider any vetoes prior to final adjournment. The focus for the next month will be to consider bills passed by the House Chamber and bills exempt from the Turnaround deadline. Under legislative rules, most bills must be adopted by one chamber in order to be considered by the other chamber. The major items we must complete prior to adjournment are passing the budget as well as adoption of maps for the Kansas Legislature.

Floor action this week—February 21st-23rd

SB 421—Legislation that would transfer $253.9 million from the State General Fund (SGF) directly to the Kansas Public Employees System (KPERS) Trust Fund to pay off outstanding accounts.

SB 443 would appropriate $332.2 million from the State General Fund (SGF) to the Department of Administration in FY 2022 to pay off the remaining balance of two series of callable bonds ahead of the final maturity dates in FY 2035.

SB 368 would amend the definition of “sexually violent crime” in the Kansas Offender Registration Act (KORA) to include the crimes of internet trading in child pornography and aggravated internet trading in child pornography.

SB 385 would amend the definition of “sex offender” in the Kansas Offender Registration Act to include any person who is convicted of breach of privacy by: Installing or using a concealed camcorder, motion picture camera, or photographic camera of any type to secretly videotape, film, photograph, or record, by electronic or other means.

SB 395 would prohibit KDWP employees who are authorized to enforce the laws of the State from conducting surveillance on private property unless authorized pursuant to a lawfully-issued warrant, court order, or subpoena, the U.S. Constitution, or an exception to the search warrant requirement.

SB 366 would amend the definition of the crime of burglary by expanding the locations in which a person may not, without authority, enter or remain within any locked or secured portion of any dwelling or building.

SB 408 would amend the definition of the crime of theft to make theft of property that is mail of the value of less than $1,500 from three separate locations within a period of 72 hours. This bill is directed at “porch pirates”—stolen boxes delivered to your home.

SB 382 would amend the Real Estate Brokers’ and Salespersons’ License Act by requiring individuals and organizations dealing in assignable contracts for the purchase, sale, or option on real estate to be licensed by the Kansas Real Estate Commission. The Commission would also be authorized to issue cease and desist orders.

SB 150 addresses this by preserving free speech while defining and prohibiting certain deceptive lawsuit advertising practices and restricting the use or disclosure of protected health information to solicit individuals for legal services.

SB 493 which would prohibit municipalities from adopting or enforcing an ordinance, resolution, or regulation that restricts, taxes, prohibits, or regulates the use of auxiliary containers. The bill would define “auxiliary container” as a bag, cup, package, container, bottle, device, or other packaging.

SB 161 authorizes personal delivery devices to operate on any sidewalk, crosswalk, or public highway of any municipality. Operation on highways would be limited to gaining or regaining access to a sidewalk or crosswalk.

SB 441 addresses when an accident occurs at a biological laboratory by enacting the Biological Laboratory Accident Transparency Act. The bill would require institutions and organizations to publicly report, in a summary format, any laboratory accident or near-miss event that occurs in any high-risk biological laboratory.

SB 446 would designate each of three bridges in Cherokee County as Veterans Memorial Bridges.

SB 451 would remove a requirement for which a Kansas resident must provide satisfactory proof that the person is at least 1/16 Indian by blood for purposes of receiving a free, permanent license to hunt, fish, and fur harvest.

SB 336 would amend certain investment limitation requirements to increase the permissible investment options in equity interests and preferred stock for Kansas-domiciled life insurance companies.

SB 348 would exempt threading from the definition of cosmetology in law related to the licensure of cosmetologists.

SB 367 would require officers to file copies of receipts with the court when property is seized under a search warrant and providing requirements and procedures for destruction or disposition of dangerous drugs and return or disposition of weapons.  

SB 373 would appropriate $500,000 from the State General Fund for the fiscal year ending June 30th, 2022, to the University of Kansas Medical Center for use at the Midwest Stem Cell Therapy Center.

SB 399 would amend the Health Care Provider Insurance Availability Act by adding maternity center to the definition of a health care provider.

Sub for SB 400 would amend the Kansas Uniform Trust Code to add to the list of trust matters that could be resolved by a nonjudicial settlement agreement, to increase the limit on the total value of a trust before a trustee could seek to terminate such trust as being non-economic, and to amend the definition of a “resident trust.”

SB 405 would authorize and direct Kansas Historical Society (KSHS) to convey by quitclaim deed, a 0.52-acre parcel of land in Johnson County to the Shawnee Tribe.

SB 417 would establish new permit renewal fee limitations for solid waste disposal areas & solid waste processing facilities that are regulated by the federal standards for the disposal of coal combustion residuals.

SB 419 would allow the Secretary of Corrections, with the consent of the Director of Police Training of the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center (KLETC) to designate an employee of KDOC to attend KLETC.

SB 425 would amend a law governing access, exchange, and disclosure of information in the Revised Kansas Code for Care of Children to require the Secretary for Children and Families to disclose confidential agency records to the law enforcement agency investigating the alleged or substantiated report or investigation of abuse or neglect.

SB 434 would amend a statute in the Kansas Open Records Act governing procedures for obtaining access to public records to require requests for records that contain captured license plate data.

SB 435 would expand law enforcement officers' jurisdiction to include situations when an illegal act is observed that the officer reasonably believes will jeopardize the safety of any person without immediate action.

SB 440 would authorize occupational therapists to provide limited services to patients without referral from a health care provider and amend the Occupational Therapy Practice Act.

SB 448 would amend the state Unfair Trade Practice Law to exempt additional practices from those practices considered to be unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the business of insurance that relate to unfair discrimination and rebates.

Sub for SB 450 would enact law and amend law relating to the sale of certain state real property, particularly in the area of state educational institutions under the Kansas Board of Regents and the disposition of proceeds from the sale of surplus real estate of state agencies.

SB 453 would amend statute concerning training for certified aides to work in adult care homes to allow licensed practical nurses to teach certain training courses.

SB 313 designates a portion of US highway 69 as the Senator Tom R Van Sickle Memorial Highway.

SB 483 would increase criminal penalties for theft and criminal damage to property involving remote service units such as automated cash dispensing machines and automated teller machines.

SB 215 would transfer the authority for postsecondary driver's education programs and driver training schools from the State Board of Regents to the Department of Revenue.

SB 457 would require a waiver of extradition proceedings as a condition of bond.

SB 141 would enact the Kansas Uniform Directed Trust Act (UDTA) to allow for the creation of directed trusts and amend provisions in the Kansas Uniform Trust Code (UTC) to reflect the enactment of the UDTA.  

SB 362 would require local school boards to annually review state academic assessments and utilize such assessments and the school district’s building needs assessment when reviewing and approving the school district’s budget.

Sub for SB 34 promotes the principle of limited government by requiring all rules and regulations adopted under the Rules and Regulations Filing Act to be reviewed by agencies every five years, would establish reporting requirements for agencies.

A full description of each bill can be found at www.kslegislature.org as well as the Final Action vote on each measure.

Unclaimed Property in Kansas

The State of Kansas has over $400 million dollars in unclaimed property waiting for the rightful owner to find and claim. These holdings at the treasurer’s office include bank accounts, cash, stocks, bonds, refunds (utilities), royalties, insurance proceeds and even safe deposit box contents.

To search for your name, visit www.kansasstatetreasurer.com and enter your name or business name to see if your name is on this list.  Senate District #36 has over 1,000 entries in the thirteen counties it covers. If you would like more personal assistance, call 800-432-0386 or 785-296-4165.

Thank you for all of your calls, emails, and letters regarding your thoughts and concerns about happenings in Kansas. I always encourage you to stay informed of the issues under consideration by the Kansas Legislature. Committee schedules, bills, and other helpful information can be easily accessed through the legislature’s website at www.kslegislature.org. For those who want to pursue a more in-depth analysis of bills, go to and pull up “Bills & Laws,” then “Senate Bills,” before scrolling to the desired number and hitting “SN” (Supplemental Notes) for a general explanation which is written by the Legislative research & reviser staff.  You are also able to ‘listen in live’ at this website.

Please do not hesitate to contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and suggestions. An email is the best at this point in the session.

Thank you for the honor of serving you!