Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas House Bill HB2378

Introduced
2/11/25  
Refer
2/11/25  
Report Pass
2/27/25  
Engrossed
3/6/25  
Refer
3/7/25  
Report Pass
3/5/26  
Enrolled
3/26/26  

Caption

Establishing the removal of squatters act, providing a procedure to remove a squatter from a dwelling unit, requiring owners or agents of dwelling units to provide an affidavit to the county sheriff department or police department , requiring notice to vacate by the sheriff, establishing the crime of providing a false affidavit and establishing a civil cause of action for wrongful removal of a person from a dwelling unit, allowing attorney fees and punitive damages.

Impact

The legislation aims to enhance the rights of property owners by providing a mechanism to quickly address illegal occupancy while establishing penalties for those who submit false affidavits. If an owner knowingly provides misleading information, they may face criminal charges, reflecting the bill's commitment to protecting both the rights of property owners and the legal process. Additionally, the act introduces a civil cause of action for individuals wrongfully removed, allowing them to seek reparations, including punitive damages, thus creating a balance between owner rights and tenant protections.

Summary

House Bill 2378, known as the Removal of Squatters Act, is designed to establish a clear legal process for property owners to remove unauthorized occupants, commonly referred to as squatters, from their properties. The bill requires owners or their agents to submit a notarized affidavit to law enforcement, asserting the absence of legal authorization for the squatters' occupancy. It includes specific criteria that must be present in the affidavit and mandates that law enforcement verify the owner's claim before taking any action to remove the unauthorized person from the dwelling unit.

Sentiment

The sentiment surrounding HB 2378 has been supportive among property owners and real estate advocates, who view it as a much-needed reform in addressing the challenges of squatters. However, some critics have expressed concerns about the potential for misuse of the affidavit process, fearing it may enable wrongful removals of legitimate occupants. The debate reflects a broader concern for maintaining fair housing practices while addressing property owner rights.

Contention

Notable points of contention include the potential for abuse of the affidavit process by unscrupulous property owners and the implications for tenants who may struggle to prove their residency in disputes. Further, concerns have been raised regarding the adequacy of protections for individuals who are wrongfully identified as squatters, as the bill could unintentionally facilitate wrongful removals unless strict oversight is enforced.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

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 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 SB6

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

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 SR1701

Providing for the organization of the Senate for the 2024 special session of the Legislature.

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 HR6001

Providing for the organization of the House of Representatives for the 2024 special session of the Legislature.

KS SB8

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

KS HCR5002

Providing for the adjournment sine die of the 2024 special session of the Legislature.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.