Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas House Bill HB2256

Introduced
2/4/25  
Refer
2/4/25  

Caption

Directing the governor to create and award the order of the sunflower to recognize military spouses' service to their communities.

Summary

HB 2256 creates a new state honor called the “Order of the Sunflower” and directs the governor to award it to military spouses who have served their communities with distinction. The bill frames the award as a recognition of service to a military unit, installation, community, or the state of Kansas, and requires that recipients be shown to have made a significant impact in one of those areas. The bill also establishes a process for nominations and recommendations through the governor’s constituent services website. Submissions must include the dates of service, significant accomplishments, and recommendations from the unit command. The measure is administrative in nature and does not create a regulatory program or funding mechanism; instead, it formalizes a gubernatorial recognition award for military spouses.

Impact

HB 2256 would add a new honorary award to Kansas state practice and direct the governor’s office to administer the selection and presentation process. It would not amend criminal, tax, or benefits statutes, but it would create a formal recognition mechanism tied to the governor’s constituent services process and could affect how military spouses are publicly honored by the state.

Sentiment

The available context suggests a positive and supportive posture toward the bill. It was introduced by the House Committee on Veterans and Military, which indicates institutional interest in recognizing military families, and the bill’s purpose is framed as an honorific tribute rather than a controversial policy change. No recorded votes or committee debate are available, so there is no evidence of organized opposition in the provided materials.

Contention

No specific points of contention are documented in the available record. Potential areas of discussion, if any arose, would likely concern the criteria for determining who qualifies as having served “with distinction,” how nominations are vetted, and whether the governor’s office should manage the award through constituent services. However, the provided materials do not show any stated objections from legislators, veterans’ groups, or military family advocates.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

KS SCR1601

Informing the Governor that the two houses of the Legislature are organized and ready to receive communications.

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 SR1703

Recognizing November 14, 2024, as Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day.

KS HB2002

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

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 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 SB8

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

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 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 SCR1602

Approving the creation of a port authority in Wyandotte County Kansas.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.