Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas House Bill HB2026

Filed/Introduced
8/8/26  
Introduced
1/16/25  

Caption

Requiring all persons to be 18 years of age to be eligible to give consent for marriage and eliminating exceptions to such requirement.

Impact

The proposed changes would eliminate exceptions that allowed for individuals aged 15 to 17 to marry with the consent of a judge and their parents or guardians. This means that individuals who were previously eligible to enter into marriage contracts at a younger age would now be restricted from doing so unless they reach the age of majority. The removal of these exceptions reflects a shift towards protecting younger individuals from early marriages and ensuring that they are legally capable of making such life-altering decisions.

Summary

House Bill 2026 seeks to amend existing laws by establishing a uniform age requirement for marriage consent, specifically mandating that individuals must be 18 years of age or older to consent to marriage. This bill repeals any previous provisions that allowed for individuals younger than 18 years to marry under certain circumstances, such as parental consent or judicial approval. The implications of this legislation are significant, as it aims to safeguard minors by prohibiting marriages that may otherwise involve risk or coercion, particularly for those under the age of 18.

Contention

There are potential points of contention surrounding HB 2026, particularly among advocates for minors' rights who may argue that certain exceptions should still apply in cases where marriage could be in the best interest of young individuals. On the other hand, proponents of the bill might assert that setting a clear age limit is a necessary reform that supports social and legal standards aimed at eliminating child marriages. Discussions in legislative circles may center on balancing parental rights, judicial discretion, and safeguarding the well-being of potential minors seeking marriage.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

KS SB4

Requiring all advance voting ballots be returned by 7:00 p.m. on election day.

KS HB2003

Establishing the veterans' valor property tax relief act providing for an income tax credit or refund for eligible individuals, modifying the definition of household income and increasing the appraised value threshold for eligibility of seniors and disabled veterans related to increased property tax claims and citing the section as the homeowners' property tax freeze program, providing property tax exemptions for certain personal property including watercraft, marine equipment, off-road vehicles, motorized bicycles and certain trailers, excluding internal revenue code section 1031 exchange transactions as indicators of fair market value, providing for certain exclusions from the prohibition of paying taxes under protest after a valuation notice appeal and providing four prior years' values on the annual valuation notice.

KS HB2002

Expanding medical assistance eligibility and enacting the cutting healthcare costs for all Kansans act.

KS SB2

Eliminating the income limit to qualify for the subtraction modification exempting social security benefits, increasing the income tax credit amount for household and dependent care expenses, establishing the veterans' valor property tax relief act providing for an income tax credit or refund for eligible individuals, citing the increased property tax homestead refund claim section as the homeowners' property tax freeze program, decreasing the normal privilege tax rate, increasing the extent of property tax exemption for residential property from the statewide school levy, decreasing the rate of ad valorem tax imposed by a school district; providing for certain transfers to the state school district finance fund, reducing the state rate of tax on sales of food and food ingredients and modifying the percent credited to the state highway fund from revenue collected.

KS SB7

Authorizing federally licensed firearm dealers, in addition to county sheriffs, to receive applications for concealed carry licenses and forward such applications to the attorney general, prohibiting sheriffs from assessing any fee related to application services and allowing dealers to assess a fee related to application services not to exceed $20.

KS HB2001

Authorizing the secretary of commerce to enter into agreements with major professional sports franchises to establish STAR bond projects for a major professional sports complex, providing for additional revenue sources, expanding the powers and discretion of the secretary and making other changes to the STAR bonds financing act to facilitate such projects, limiting the secretary’s authority to approve such projects to one year unless extended by the legislative coordinating council, authorizing the Kansas development finance authority to issue STAR bonds for such projects, transferring funds under certain circumstances from the state gaming revenues fund to the attracting professional sports to Kansas fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, and, if approved by the legislative coordinating council, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026.

KS SB1

Modifying income tax rates for individuals, exempting all social security benefits from Kansas income tax, increasing the Kansas standard deduction and the Kansas personal exemption, increasing the income tax credit amount for household and dependent care expenses, decreasing the privilege tax normal tax, excluding internal revenue code section 1031 exchange transactions as indicators of fair market value for property tax valuation purposes, increasing the extent of property tax exemption for residential property from the statewide school levy, providing for certain transfers to the state school district finance fund and abolishing the local ad valorem tax reduction fund and the county and city revenue sharing fund.

KS SCR1604

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 mobile homes.

KS SB6

Providing a sales tax exemption for sales of electricity to residential premises by municipally owned or operated utilities.

KS HB2004

Authorizing counties to propose an earnings tax for ballot question.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.