Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas House Bill HB2215

Introduced
2/3/25  
Refer
2/3/25  
Report Pass
2/13/25  
Engrossed
2/19/25  
Refer
2/20/25  
Report Pass
3/13/25  
Enrolled
3/25/25  

Caption

Modifying the definition of public-private partnership to increase the allowable cost-share limit for expenditures by the department of corrections on certain correctional institution construction projects.

Summary

HB2215 amends Kansas law governing public-private partnerships for correctional institution construction projects. The bill changes the definition of a “public-private partnership” so that the Department of Corrections may contribute up to 50% of the total cost of developing, financing, constructing, or renovating a building at a correctional institution, rather than the prior 25% limit. The measure applies to projects carried out through contracts with private entities, including faith-based organizations. The bill also retains and restates related definitions used in the corrections public-private partnership statutes, including “private entity,” “secretary,” “correctional institution,” “public-private project,” “faith-based organization,” and “spiritual needs.” By amending and repealing the existing statute, HB2215 updates the legal framework for how the Department of Corrections may structure and fund these projects going forward.

Impact

HB2215 directly changes K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 75-52,167 by increasing the state cost-share cap for Department of Corrections public-private partnership construction projects from 25% to 50%. This expands the department’s authority to participate financially in correctional facility development, financing, construction, or renovation projects and may make more projects feasible under the public-private partnership model. The bill affects the Department of Corrections, private contractors, and potentially faith-based organizations involved in correctional programming or facility projects.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition. It passed the House 119-0 and the Senate 40-0, indicating unanimous approval in both chambers. The absence of recorded committee testimony or debate in the provided materials suggests the measure was viewed as a technical or administrative update rather than a highly controversial policy change.

Contention

No specific points of contention are reflected in the available transcripts or vote history. The main policy issue embedded in the bill is the increased state cost-share limit, which could raise questions about public spending, project financing, and the appropriate role of private entities in correctional construction. However, the unanimous votes suggest those concerns were not significant enough to generate recorded opposition. The inclusion of faith-based organizations and references to spiritual needs are part of the existing statutory framework and do not appear to have been a source of dispute in the materials provided.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

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 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 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 SB8

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

KS SB6

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

KS HB2002

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

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 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 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.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.