Governor Laura Kelly today signed several bipartisan bills that will implement meaningful changes for Kansans, communities, and businesses.
“I want to thank the Legislature for their work to get these pieces of bipartisan, commonsense legislation to my desk,” Governor Kelly said. “These bills are a testament to what we can get done for Kansans when we work together, toward mutually-agreeable solutions, to make life better for the people in our state.”
Senate Bill 52 establishes the Sedgwick County Urban Area Nuisance Abatement Act. It authorizes the Board of County Commissioners to order the removal or abatement of any nuisance from any property in the unincorporated area of Sedgwick County. All costs associated with the abatement are the responsibility of the property owner.
Before the abatement process could begin, the bill requires the County to first obtain a conviction for a county code violation regarding the nuisance no more than 12 months before the issuance of the abatement order.
Senate Bill 172 amends the Kansas Criminal Code regarding crimes involving property by eliminating the crime of tampering with a pipeline and establishing four new crimes: trespassing on a critical infrastructure facility (CIF), aggravated trespassing on a CIF, criminal damage to a CIF, and aggravated criminal damage to a CIF. The bill also allows a judge to order restitution for property damage to any victim of the four new crimes.
HB 2022 amend laws concerning the filing of complaints and investigations pertaining to abandoned wells, responsible parties for plugging abandoned wells, and funds used by the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) for plugging abandoned wells.
House Bill 2050 amends statutes to remove requirements that the following reports and certifications be provided to the Legislative Division of Post Audit (LPA), the Post Auditor, or the Legislative Post Audit Committee:
- An audited statement of actual expenditures incurred by a Kansas nonprofit corporation providing legal services to indigent inmates of Kansas correctional institutions;
- A certified summary of the write-off of any accounts receivable or taxes receivable by the Director of Account and Reports;
- An annual audit of corporations who contract with the Board of Regents (Board) or any state educational institution and are substantially controlled by the Board or such institution; and
- An annual report by the Secretary of Revenue regarding tax abatements that reduce final tax liability by $5,000 or more.
Additionally, the bill makes technical amendments to ensure consistency in statutory phrasing and remove an outdated retroactivity provision.
HB 2070 allows private, not-for-profit postsecondary educational institutions in Kansas to collect a surcharge on credit card payments. The Kansas Uniform Consumer Credit Code bars sellers from collecting a surcharge on credit card payments, with certain exceptions that currently include Kansas public institutions, municipal universities, community colleges, technical colleges, and vocational schools.
Senate Substitute for House Bill 2072
Senate Sub. for House Bill 2072 creates the Utility Financing and Securitization Act (UFSA), which allows for the securitization of utility assets to recover energy transition costs for electric public utilities whose retail rates are subject to the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC).
The UFSA also allows electric and natural gas public utilities whose retail rates are subject to the KCC to pursue securitization to help finance qualified extraordinary expenses, such as fuel costs incurred during extreme weather events.
House Bill 2112 permits online advertisement and sales of abandoned property by self-storage rental unit operators; provides for the designation by occupants of an alternate contact; and limits claims for loss or damage of stored property to the property value limit provided in the rental agreement.
House Bill 2126 provides immunity from civil liability for COVID-19 claims for certain covered facilities, including adult care homes, community mental health centers, crisis intervention centers, community service providers and community developmental disability organizations.
House Bill 2145 exempts the retail sale of electricity by public utilities for electric vehicle charging stations from the jurisdiction of the state corporation commission.
House Bill 2155 provides for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment response operations for water and soil pollutant release, discharge, or escape.
House Bill 2162 amends and repeals reapportionment census data laws to conform with 2019 amendments to the Kansas constitution and to remove certain obsolete provisions.
House Bill 2214 authorizes the Secretary of Administration on behalf of the Department of Corrections to convey land in Mitchell county to the city of Beloit.
House Bill 2298 changes requirements for service of process on nonresident drivers and clarifying service of process on certain business entities.
House Bill 2367 authorizes the state corporation commission to regulate certain transmission line wire stringing activities.