In the first issue of this series, we focused on the key legislative issues that KNEA was monitoring and actively engaging in during the legislative session. In this issue, we will briefly discuss the “veto session” and final adjournment, review the gubernatorial vetoes and legislative response, and then dive into the bills on which we provided testimony during the session.

The Kansas Legislature has adjourned sine die. In simple terms, this means that the 2025 session is officially over. The legislature will now transition into what is referred to as the interim. During this time, special interim committees will meet over the summer and fall until lawmakers reconvene in January 2026 for next year’s session. The list, composition, and subject matter of these interim committees are determined by the Legislative Coordinating Council (LCC). The LCC is a committee composed of both Republican and Democratic leadership from the Kansas House and Senate.

The highly publicized veto session began on the morning of April 10 and wrapped up by mid-evening on Friday, April 11. In recent years, the so-called veto session has become more of a “wrap-up session,” dedicated to resolving unfinished legislative business that had been delayed or deferred throughout the session. This year, however, the veto session was primarily focused on addressing veto actions from the Governor.

Governor Kelly continues to use the veto pen more than any of her predecessors in the last 30 years. To learn more about the actions she took on bills during the 2025 legislative session, you can visit the following link: https://www.governor.ks.gov/newsroom/press-releases

The following is a list of bills on which we provided testimony during the 2025 legislative session. Click on each link to read the bill, track its progress through the legislative process, and view supplemental and fiscal information.

Additionally, if you would like to read our testimony on each bill, you can find them at the following link: https://airtable.com/appj9wBhmtHP03DZG/shrr1VLkWMoFYJO0t/tblolC6TeEmaBnrRs

Sub Bill for HB 2007 – Senate Substitute for Substitute for HB 2007 by Committee on Ways and Means – Making and concerning supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2025 and appropriations for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 for various state agencies.

HB 2011 – Decreasing the rate of ad valorem tax imposed by a school district, increasing the extent of exemption for residential property from the statewide school levy and providing for certain transfers to the state school district finance fund.

HB 2033 – Including programs and services provided by nonprofit organizations accredited by the international multisensory structured language education council as approved at-risk educational programs.

HB 2071 – Enacting the help not harm act to restrict the use of state funds to promote gender transitioning, prohibit healthcare providers from providing gender transition whose gender identity is inconsistent with the child’s sex, authorize a civil cause of action against healthcare providers for providing such treatments, require professional discipline against a healthcare provider who performs such treatment and prohibit professional liability insurance from covering damages for healthcare providers that provide gender transition treatment to children and adding violation of the act to the definition of unprofessional conduct for physicians.

HB 2086 – Adjusting the KPERS 3 dividend interest credit by lowering the dividend interest credit threshold to 5% and increasing the dividend share to 80%.

HB 2104 – Standardizing firearm safety programs in school districts.

HB 2129 – Transferring teachers from the KPERS 3 cash balance plan to the KPERS 2 plan and defining teachers for purposes of KPERS.

HB 2136 – Expanding student eligibility under the tax credit for low income students scholarship program, increasing the amount of the tax credit for contributions made pursuant to such program and providing for aggregate tax credit limit increases under certain conditions.

HB 2194 – Providing a KPERS working after retirement exemption from the employer contribution rate for retirants who are employed as teachers by a school district in a position for which a certificate to teach is required.

HB 2236 – Establishing the mental health intervention team program in the Kansas department for aging and disability services in state statute and providing incentives for coordination between school districts, qualified schools and mental health intervention team providers.

HB 2299 – Substitute for HB 2299 by Committee on Education – Declaring antisemitism and antisemitic acts to be against public policy and establishing a statutory definition of such terms.

HB 2303 – Enacting the longitudinal data act, establishing the division of longitudinal data in the legislative research department, authorizing the appointment of a director of the division by the legislative coordinating council and providing for the development and management of the Kansas longitudinal data system for the purpose of tracking and analyzing education, workforce and related data.

HB 2318 – Providing that future income and privilege tax rate decreases be contingent on exceeding tax receipt revenues.

HB 2348 – Providing that tenure at postsecondary educational institutions shall not be defined, awarded or recognized as an entitlement, right or property interest in a faculty member’s current, ongoing or future employment by an institution.

HB 2404 – Prohibiting certain sex offenders from entering onto school property or attending school activities and creating criminal penalties for violation thereof.

SB 19 – Enacting the conscientious right to refuse act to prohibit discrimination against individuals who refuse medical care and creating a civil cause of action based on such discrimination and revoking the authority of the secretary of health and environment to quarantine individuals and impose associated penalties.

Sub Bill for SB 29 – Substitute for SB 29 by Committee on Public Health and Welfare – Removing the authority of the county or joint board of health or local health officer to prohibit public gatherings when necessary for the control of infectious or contagious disease.

SB 48 – Requiring school districts to demonstrate improvement in academic performance and be in compliance with all federal and state statutes and rules and regulations to achieve or maintain accreditation.

SB 63 – Enacting the help not harm act, restricting use of state funds to promote gender transitioning, prohibiting healthcare providers from providing gender transition care to children whose gender identity is inconsistent with the child’s sex, authorizing a civil cause of action against healthcare providers for providing such treatments, requiring professional discipline against a healthcare provider who performs such treatment, prohibiting professional liability insurance from covering damages for healthcare providers that provide gender transition treatment to children and adding violation of the act to the definition of unprofessional conduct for physicians.

SB 75 – Establishing the education opportunity tax credit to provide an income tax credit for taxpayers with eligible dependent children who are not enrolled in public school.

SB 76 – Requiring employees of school districts and postsecondary educational institutions to use the name and pronouns consistent with a student’s biological sex and birth certificate and authorizing a cause of action for violations therefor.

SB 87 – Expanding student eligibility under the tax credit for low income students scholarship program, increasing the amount of the tax credit for contributions made pursuant to such program and providing for aggregate tax credit limit increases under certain conditions.

SB 254 – Prohibiting aliens who are unlawfully present in the United States from receiving any state or local public benefit in accordance with applicable federal law.

SB 259 – Providing that future personal and corporate income tax rate and privilege tax rate decreases be contingent on exceeding tax receipt revenues.

SB 263 – Establishing standards and requirements for active shooter drills conducted by public and accredited nonpublic elementary and secondary schools.

SB 275 – Requiring school districts to include a fetal development presentation as part of the curriculum for any course that addresses human growth, human development or human sexuality.

SB 282 – Enacting the Kansas retirement investment and savings plan (KRISP) act and establishing terms, conditions, requirements, membership elections, accounts, benefits, contributions and distributions related to such plan.

SB 288 – Prohibiting certain sex offenders from entering onto school property or attending school activities and creating criminal penalties for violation thereof.

SCR 1603 – Proposing to amend section 1 of article 11 of the constitution of the state of Kansas to limit property tax valuation increases for real property and personal property classified as mobile homes.

SCR 1611 – Proposing a constitutional amendment to provide for direct election of supreme court justices and abolish the supreme court nominating commission.