Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas House Bill HB2106

Introduced
1/28/25  
Refer
1/28/25  
Report Pass
2/13/25  
Engrossed
2/17/25  
Refer
2/18/25  
Report Pass
3/6/25  
Enrolled
3/21/25  

Caption

Banning contributions from foreign nationals for the support or defeat of a proposed amendment to the Kansas constitution.

Summary

HB2106 amends Kansas campaign finance law for ballot measures involving proposed amendments to the Kansas Constitution. The bill requires people or groups that raise or spend money to support or oppose a constitutional amendment to file annual, preliminary, and supplemental reports with the secretary of state, including contributor and expenditure information above specified thresholds. It also adds certifications that the filer and donors are not foreign nationals, and it bars acceptance of contributions or expenditures from foreign nationals for these campaigns. The bill defines “foreign national” broadly to include non-U.S. citizens and non-permanent residents, foreign governments, foreign political parties, foreign entities, and certain U.S. entities that are majority-owned by foreign nationals unless their funds and decision-making meet specified conditions. It authorizes the attorney general to prosecute violations, allows complaints to be filed with the attorney general, and permits civil enforcement with injunctive relief and statutory damages up to twice the amount of the prohibited contribution or expenditure. Existing reporting penalties remain in place, including daily civil fines for late reports and misdemeanor liability for intentional failure to file.

Impact

HB2106 would tighten and clarify the reporting and disclosure rules for campaigns involving Kansas constitutional amendments by adding foreign-national certification and an outright prohibition on foreign-national contributions or expenditures in this context. It amends K.S.A. 25-4180, which governs reporting for persons promoting or opposing constitutional changes, and preserves the existing campaign finance framework while expanding enforcement tools and penalties. The bill affects campaign committees, donors, independent spenders, the secretary of state, the Governmental Ethics Commission, and the attorney general.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have broad legislative support and little recorded opposition. It passed the House on emergency final action by a 94-25 vote and then passed the Senate unanimously, 39-0. That voting pattern suggests general agreement with the bill’s goal of preventing foreign influence in Kansas constitutional amendment campaigns and improving disclosure.

Contention

The main point of contention is the scope and enforceability of the foreign-national ban and certification requirements. Supporters likely view the bill as a safeguard against outside influence in state constitutional elections, while any critics would be concerned about the breadth of the definition of foreign national, the compliance burden on donors and committees, and the potential for civil and criminal penalties. The bill also creates a new role for the attorney general in enforcement, which may raise concerns about prosecutorial discretion and litigation exposure for campaign participants.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

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 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 SCR1603

Proposing to amend section 1 of article 11 of the constitution of the state of Kansas to limit property tax valuation increases for residential property.

KS HB2002

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

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 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 HB2004

Authorizing counties to propose an earnings tax for ballot question.

KS SR1702

A resolution honoring the life, career and trailblazing achievements of Kansas icon Ed Dwight.

KS SB8

Exempting the sale of firearms, firearms accessories, ammunition, firearm safes and firearm safety devices from the retatilers' sales tax.

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.

Similar Bills

OH HB250

Enact the Ohio Anti-Corruption Act

UT HB0393

Banning Foreign Funding in Ballot Propositions and Elections

LA HB693

Provides for revisions to the Campaign Finance Disclosure Act (EN +$97,000 GF EX See Note)

NJ S1988

Requires enhanced reporting of campaign contributions and expenditures by independent expenditure committees.

SC S0813

Campaign Contributor Information

KS HB2206

Renaming the Kansas governmental ethics commission to the Kansas public disclosure commission, defining terms in the campaign finance act, requiring the filing of statements of independent expenditures, prohibiting agreements requiring contributions in the name of another and requiring the termination of unused campaign finance accounts.

NV AB497

Revises provisions relating to campaign finance. (BDR 24-996)

TX SB2035

Relating to prohibiting contributions, expenditures, and related activities involving political committees that support or oppose a ballot measure; creating a criminal offense; providing a civil penalty.