Legislative Updates

During the legislative session, KSCPA’s government affairs representatives – Marlee Carpenter and Natalie Bright of Bright & Carpenter Consulting, LLC – track bills and provide legislative updates and a bill tracker summary weekly via video, podcast, and write-up. See below.

Note: This content is only accessible to KSCPA members. Log in or join to view.

2024 Special Session Update

June 20, 2024

The Kansas Legislature returned to Topeka for a one-day special session on June 18 to pass another income tax cut bill after three previous versions failed to get Governor Laura Kelly’s signature this spring.
Read more


Veto Session Wrap-up

May 2, 2024

Lawmakers officially adjourned the 2024 Kansas Legislative Session just past midnight on Wednesday morning. The three-day veto session included successfully overriding several of Governor Kelly’s vetoes, passing the omnibus budget, and finishing a few remaining conference committee reports.
Read more


2024 Veto Session Preview

April 26, 2024

Read more


Legislative Update - April 9, 2024

April 9, 2024

The Kansas Legislature adjourned the regular part of the 2024 Legislative Session around 2:30 am Saturday morning after voting to suspend the midnight rule and continue their work. Before leaving for their three-week spring break, lawmakers spent several long days and nights in conference committees and on the floor approving bills to send to the Governor’s desk.
Read more


Legislative Update - April 1, 2024

April 1, 2024

Last week was a quick but full week in the Kansas Legislature. The House and Senate spent Monday through Wednesday debating and passing over 100 bills. Thursday was technically the last day for all non-exempt bills to be considered in either chamber, but most Legislators were on their way home by Wednesday evening.
Read more


Legislative Update - March 25, 2024

March 25, 2024

Friday marked the last day for non-exempt committees to meet for the 2024 Kansas Legislative Session. Last week was a frenzy of a week as committee chairs churned through bills and worked quickly to wrap up their business for the year.
Read more


Legislative Update - March 18, 2024

March 18, 2024

The Senate debated and passed their budget bill last week, signaling that the end of the 2024 Kansas Legislative Session is nearing. As important deadlines loom, committees were busy hearing and working bills – many with three to four hearings a day. They have this week to complete their work before March 22, when all non-exempt committees are done meeting for the year.
Read more


Legislative Update - March 11, 2024

March 11, 2024

As usual, the last few weeks of committee meetings are packed full of back-to-back hearings and final action on bills. Other than those that are exempt from legislative deadlines (Budget, Tax, Federal and State Affairs), committees have two more weeks to complete their work. March 22 is their last day to meet and pass any bills they want to move forward this session. After that, Legislators are mostly on the floor, then conference committees begin their work on April 1.
Read more


Legislative Update - March 4, 2024

March 4, 2024

Lawmakers returned from their five-day recess last Wednesday to officially start the second half of the 2024 Legislative Session. The Legislature was Pro Forma on Wednesday and Friday, making last week very quiet. While they slowly eased back into committee work, over 75 hearings are scheduled for this week. It is typically after Turnaround when the tempo speeds up significantly to meet bill deadlines for the year. It should be fast and furious from here on out.
Read more


Legislative Update - February 26, 2024

February 26, 2024

The Kansas Legislature adjourned for Turnaround break late Thursday afternoon and will return to Topeka on Wednesday, February 28. Committees met on Monday and Tuesday and spent Wednesday and Thursday debating and passing legislation on the floor. Any non-exempt bills that did not pass their house of origin or get “blessed” by leadership last week are dead for the year.
Read more


Legislative Update - February 19, 2024

February 19, 2024

Last week was the last full week for non-exempt committees to complete their work for the first half of the legislative session. Nevertheless, the Statehouse was quieter than usual on Monday following the Chiefs Super Bowl win, and several lawmakers were out for the parade on Wednesday.
Read more


Legislative Update - February 13, 2024

February 12, 2024

With only two weeks left before Turnaround – when bills must pass their original chamber to stay alive for the year – the pace picked up significantly last week in the Kansas Legislature. Revisors worked furiously to meet Friday's deadline when all non-exempt bills must be introduced. The House began considering a few non-controversial bills on their General Orders, 162 more bills were introduced, and hearings quickly filled up committee calendars. The last day for non-exempt committees to meet is February 20, followed by Turnaround on February 23.
Read more


Legislative Update - February 5, 2024

February 5, 2024

Last week was the fourth week of the legislative session, and 112 more bills were introduced. This is typically when committees go into overdrive to meet approaching legislative deadlines. Over 65 hearings are scheduled for this week.
Read more


Legislative Update - January 29, 2024

January 29, 2024

The pace picked up significantly last week in the Kansas Legislature. Lawmakers hit the first legislative deadline today when all member-sponsored bill drafts must be requested by the revisor's office. We saw 93 new bills introduced last week and 60 hearings scheduled for this week.
Read more


Legislative Update - January 22, 2024

January 22, 2024

The Legislature began their second week of work on Tuesday, January 16. However, bitterly cold temperatures and more snow kept some legislators at home another day, making last week another short week. While a few committee meetings were cancelled on Tuesday, it was mostly business as usual as lawmakers were eager to fast-track a tax bill to the Governor’s desk by the end of the week.
Read more


Legislative Update - January 15, 2024

January 15, 2024

The 2024 Kansas Legislative Session kicked off on January 8, 2024, with rare first-day floor action to pass resolutions showing support for Israel but was quickly halted by a winter storm that hit Topeka Monday night. Most committee chairmen cancelled their meetings on Tuesday, so Wednesday was essentially the first day of business.
Read more


2023 Veto Session Wrap-Up

May 1, 2023

The 2023 Legislature adjourned Sine Die late Friday night after passing the omnibus and education budgets and attempting to override many of the Governor’s Vetoes. Sine Die adjournment means the 2023 Legislative Session is officially concluded, and legislators will not be able to return to override any additional vetoes on bills that may occur. Traditionally, Sine Die comes three weeks after the veto session ends, but this year Leadership made the decision to combine the two and officially end the 2023 Legislative session on the 89th day.
Read more


2023 Veto Session Preview

April 26, 2023

Kansas lawmakers return to Topeka today to officially begin the 2023 Kansas Legislative Veto Session after a two-week spring break. Both House and Senate Republican leaders have stated that they hope to be adjourned by the end of the week. That would give the Legislature just enough time to pass an omnibus budget, attempt any veto overrides, and wrap up some outstanding conference committee reports.
Read more


Legislative Update - April 10, 2023

April 10, 2023

The Kansas Legislature left for a two-week spring break on Friday, officially adjourning the regular part of the 2023 Legislative Session just after 4:00 a.m. Lawmakers had a busy week of conference committees and floor debate but left several larger items for the Veto Session, including education funding and tax policy.
Read more


Legislative Update - April 3, 2023

April 3, 2023

Last week was a short but full week in the Kansas Legislature. Wednesday was the last day for all non-exempt bills to be considered in either chamber, so the House and Senate spent Monday through Wednesday debating and passing nearly 130 bills. The House adjourned early afternoon on Wednesday, while the Senate worked into the evening and adjourned at 8:30 p.m.
Read more


Legislative Update - March 28, 2023

March 28, 2023

Friday was the last day for non-exempt committees to meet for the 2023 Kansas Legislative Session. Last week was a frenzy of a week as committee chairs churned through bills and worked quickly to wrap up their business for the year.
Read more


Legislative Update - March 20, 2023

March 20, 2023

The Senate debated and passed their budget bill early last Thursday evening, signaling that the end of the 2023 Kansas Legislative Session is nearing. As important deadlines loom, committees were busy hearing and working bills last week – many with three to four hearings a day. This is the last week to complete their work before March 24, when all non-exempt committees are done meeting for the year. Lawmakers will then debate bills the week of March 27th and return the following week for conference committee work with a First Adjournment (end of regular session) date of April 6. Veto session will begin Wednesday, April 26th.
Read more


Legislative Update - March 13, 2023

March 13, 2023

As usual, the last three weeks of committee meetings are packed full of back-to-back hearings and final action on bills. Other than those that are exempt from legislative deadlines (Budget, Tax, Federal and State Affairs), committees have two more weeks to complete their work. March 24 is their last day to meet and pass any bills they want to move forward this session. After that, Legislators are mostly on the floor, and then conference committees begin their work on April 3.
Read more


Advocacy Alert - KSCPA Advocate Task Force

March 10, 2023

An update from the KSCPA Advocate Task Force on KSCPA's advocacy efforts regarding the SALT Parity Act.
Read more


Legislative Update - March 6, 2023

March 6, 2023

Lawmakers returned from their five-day recess last Wednesday to officially start the second half of the 2023 Legislative Session. The Legislature was Pro Forma on Friday, making it a relatively quiet two-day week. While they slowly eased back into committee work, this week is filling up quickly with dozens of hearings already scheduled. It’s typically after Turnaround that the tempo speeds up significantly to meet bill deadlines for the year. It should be fast and furious from here on out.
Read more


Legislative Update - February 27, 2023

February 27, 2023

The Kansas Legislature adjourned for Turnaround break late Thursday evening and will return to Topeka on Wednesday, March 1. Committees only met on Monday and Tuesday, leaving the next two days for debating and passing legislation on the floor. Any non-exempt bills that didn’t pass their house of origin or get “blessed” by leadership this week are dead for this year. Any bill that is introduced through or touches an exempt committee remains alive and actionable for the remainder of session. Exempt committees include Taxation, Federal & State Affairs, and Calendar & Printing.
Read more


Legislative Update - February 20, 2023

February 20, 2023

Last week was the last full week for non-exempt committees to complete their work for the first half of the legislative session. Tuesday marks the official last day for those committees to meet, so a few of them still have agendas on the calendar. Starting Wednesday, Legislators are on the floor working toward Turnaround on Friday, February 24. All non-exempt bills that haven’t passed their House of Origin by Turnaround are dead for the year. Lawmakers will then have a four-day weekend and return to start the second half of the session on Wednesday, March 1.
Read more


Legislative Update - February 13, 2023

February 13, 2023

With less than three weeks left before Turnaround – when bills must pass their original chamber to stay alive for the year – the pace picked up significantly last week in the Kansas Legislature. Revisors worked furiously to meet Friday's deadline when all non-exempt bills must be introduced. Both Chambers began considering non-controversial bills on their General Orders, several hot topic bills were introduced, and hearings are quickly filling up committee calendars. The last day for non-exempt committees to meet is February 21, followed by Turnaround on February 24.
Read more


Legislative Update - February 6, 2023

February 6, 2023

Last week was the fourth week of the legislative session, and 128 more bills were introduced. This is typically when committees go into overdrive to meet quickly approaching legislative deadlines. Over 75 hearings are scheduled for this week.
Read more


Legislative Update - January 30, 2023

January 30, 2023

The pace picked up significantly last week in the Kansas Legislature. The first legislative deadline is today, when all member-sponsored bill drafts must be requested by the Revisor's office. We saw 125 new bills introduced last week and 70 hearings scheduled for this week.
Read more


Legislative Update - January 23, 2023

January 23, 2023

Last week, the Legislature began the second week of work on Tuesday after the Martin Luther King holiday. Committees picked up steam, holding informational hearings on issues that could be headliners this year, including taxes, workforce development, childcare, and water. Over 100 new bills were introduced, and dozens of hearings are scheduled. This week looks to be a busy one as well. The Governor will also give her State of the State Address Wednesday evening, two weeks later than usual.
Read more


Legislative Update - January 17, 2023

January 17, 2023

The 2023 Kansas Legislative Session kicked off last Monday with the inauguration of Governor Laura Kelly into her second term of office, as well as the swearing-in of 32 new House members and two new Senators.
Read more


2023 Legislative Session Preview

January 9, 2023

Lawmakers return to Topeka for the start of the 2023 Kansas Legislative Session today, with roughly $2 billion in the State General Fund. With tax revenues drastically exceeding estimates every month this fiscal year and last, expect to see some tension around how that money is spent. 
Read more


2022 Kansas General Election Report

November 10, 2022

While 29,000 mail-in ballots have not been returned and provisional ballots are still being tallied, Kansans woke up on Wednesday to more certainty and fewer surprises than many expected.
Read more


2022 Kansas Primary Election Legislative Report

August 8, 2022

The 2022 Primary Election was highlighted by a few highly contested statewide races and several surprising House district upsets. We continue to analyze and digest the results from the primary election in anticipation of the 2022 general elections. Please note these reported results are preliminary and are not official until certified by the Secretary of State’s office.
Read more


2022 Sine Die Wrap-up

May 23, 2022

The Kansas Legislature returned to Topeka on Monday, May 23, for a “Veto Session #2” to redraw their congressional redistricting map. However, last week, the Kansas Supreme Court decided to uphold the congressional map and reverse a district court’s ruling that it was unconstitutional due to partisan and racial gerrymandering.
Read more


Legislative Update - May 2, 2022

May 2, 2022

The Kansas Legislature returned to Topeka on Monday, April 25 after a three-week spring break. After a rule was suspended allowing the Legislature to work past midnight, the four-day start of the Veto Session concluded around 2:00 a.m. Friday morning. Lawmakers had four major pieces of business to wrap up: veto overrides, food sales tax, education, and budget. Medical marijuana was thought to also be a priority for the wrap-up session, but no action was taken, and the bill remains in conference committee.
Read more


Legislative Update - April 25, 2022 - Veto Session Preview

April 25, 2022

Kansas lawmakers return to Topeka today to begin the 2022 Kansas Legislative Veto Session after a three-week spring break. Both House and Senate Republican leaders have stated that little work remains on their agenda and hope to be adjourned by the end of the week. That would give the Legislature just enough time to pass an omnibus budget, attempt any veto overrides, and wrap up some outstanding conference committee reports.
Read more


Legislative Update - April 5, 2022

April 4, 2022

The Kansas Legislature left for a three-week spring break on Saturday, officially adjourning the regular part of the 2022 Legislative Session just before 2:00 a.m. Lawmakers had a very busy week of conference committees and floor debate but left several larger items for the Veto Session. From education funding to food sales tax to medical marijuana to sports wagering, it’s unclear which issues still have a chance when they return and which ones were put on hold intentionally. It’s an election year, so careful consideration is given to the votes on which legislators can campaign.
Read more


Legislative Update - March 28, 2022

March 28, 2022

Last week was a quick but full week in the Kansas Legislature. Wednesday was the last day for all non-exempt bills to be considered in either chamber, so the House and Senate spent Monday through Wednesday debating and passing over 100 bills. The House adjourned early afternoon on Wednesday, while the Senate worked past midnight adjourning close to 2:00 a.m.Thursday morning.
Read more


Legislative Update - March 21, 2022

March 21, 2022

Friday was the last day for non-exempt committees to meet for the 2022 Kansas Legislative Session. It was a frenzy of a week as committee chairs churned through bills and worked quickly to wrap up their business for the year. This week, the House and Senate will be on the floor all of today through Wednesday, followed by a four-day weekend, then another few days of conference committees leading up to first adjournment currently scheduled for April 1.
Read more


Legislative Update - March 14, 2022

March 14, 2022

As usual, the last two weeks of committee meetings are packed full of back-to-back hearings and final action on bills. Other than those that are exempt from legislative deadlines (Budget, Tax, Federal & State Affairs), committees have one more week to complete their work. March 18 is their last day to meet and pass any bills they want to move forward this session. After that, Legislators will primarily do floor work before conference committees begin their work on March 28.
Read more


Legislative Update - March 7, 2022

March 7, 2022

Lawmakers returned from their five-day recess on March 1 to officially start the second half of the 2022 Legislative Session. The Legislature was Pro Forma on Friday, making it a relatively quiet three-day week. While they slowly eased back into committee work, this week is filling up quickly with dozens of hearings already scheduled. It’s typically after Turnaround that the tempo speeds up significantly to meet bill deadlines for the year. It should be March madness from here on out!
Read more


Legislative Update - February 28, 2022

February 28, 2022

The Kansas Legislature adjourned for Turnaround break on February 23 and will return to Topeka this Tuesday, March 1. Committees only met on Monday, leaving the next two days for debating and passing legislation on the floor. Any non-exempt bills that didn’t pass their house of origin or get “blessed” by leadership by February 23 are dead for this year.
Read more


Legislative Update - February 21, 2022

February 21, 2022

Last week was the last full week for non-exempt committees to complete their work for the first half of the legislative session. Today marks the official last day for those committees to meet, so a few of them still have agendas on the calendar. Starting on Tuesday, Legislators are on the floor working toward Turnaround or halfway point of session on Thursday, February 24. All non-exempt bills that have not passed their House of Origin by Turnaround are dead for the year. Lawmakers will then have a four-day weekend and return to start the second half of the session on Tuesday, March 1.
Read more


Legislative Update - February 14, 2022

February 14, 2022

Last week was a full, fast, and furious week in Topeka, as the Kansas Legislature raced to meet the February 11 deadline, when all non-exempt bills must be introduced. Committees that are exempt from legislative deadlines are: House and Senate Federal and State Affairs, Senate Ways and Means, Senate Assessment and Taxation, and House committees on Calendar and Printing, Appropriations, and Taxation. The last day for non-exempt committees to meet is February 21, followed by Turnaround (halfway point of session when non-exempt bills need to be out of their house of origin) on February 24.
Read more


Legislative Update - February 7, 2022

February 7, 2022

A winter storm cut last week short for the Kansas Legislature. Most legislators went home Tuesday night to beat the snow, with only a few House committees meeting on Thursday. The snow days will put a strain on committees this week to hear and work bills. The Turnaround deadline is quickly approaching on February 24.
Read more


Legislative Update - January 31, 2022

January 31, 2022

Last week was the first full week of the 2022 Legislative Session, and committees were picking up the pace. We also saw 92 new bills introduced as lawmakers near the first legislative deadline today, when all requests for member-sponsored bill drafts by the revisor’s office must be completed.
Read more


Legislative Update - January 24, 2022

January 24, 2022

Redistricting will be a focus of the 2022 Legislative Session, a census process that occurs every ten years. The House and Senate Redistricting Committees introduced their first sets of congressional district maps last week. Most attention is on the third district, currently represented by democrat Congresswoman Sharice Davids. The district has grown significantly, and legislators must reshape the lines covering Wyandotte and Johnson counties. 
Read more


Legislative Update - January 17, 2022

January 17, 2022

The 2022 Kansas Legislative Session kicked off on January 10, 2022, with more steam than usual. Over 70 bills were introduced, with several hearings already scheduled for this week. Committees were busy receiving reports from agency heads on various programs and settling into the rhythm of legislative session.
Read more


CPA Advocate Week - Your Call To Action

January 14, 2022

Help your state legislators understand issues important to Kansas CPAs and let them know that KSCPA is here to be their informational resource! 
Read more


CPA Advocate Week - Advocate Task Force

January 11, 2022

Read more


CPA Advocate Week - 2022 Legislative Session Preview

January 10, 2022

Preview of potential issues
Read more


CPA Advocate Week - KSCPA Political Action Committee

January 10, 2022

Read more