Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas Senate Bill SB104

Filed/Introduced
 
Introduced
1/29/25  
Refer
1/30/25  
Report Pass
2/11/25  
Engrossed
2/19/25  
Refer
2/19/25  
Report Pass
3/3/25  
Enrolled
3/25/25  

Caption

Granting the Shawnee county board of county commissioners the discretion to create a citizens commission on local government.

Summary

SB 104 changes Kansas law governing citizens commissions on local government by making the creation of such a commission discretionary rather than mandatory for qualifying counties. Under current law, counties with populations between 170,000 and 200,000 must have a citizens commission on local government. The bill amends K.S.A. 19-2670 so that a commission "may" be created instead of "shall" be created, and the bill caption indicates the practical effect is to give the Shawnee County board of county commissioners the choice whether to establish one. The bill also retains the structure of the commission if a county chooses to create it. That body would include county commissioners, representatives of first-class cities, township trustees, school board chairs, public utility board chairs, drainage district chairs, mayors of second- and third-class cities, and 18 appointed county residents who are not local government officers or employees. The bill repeals the existing statute and reenacts the section with the discretionary language, taking effect upon publication in the statute book.

Impact

SB 104 narrows the mandatory application of K.S.A. 19-2670 by converting a required local-government advisory structure into an optional one for counties within the specified population range, which in practice appears aimed at Shawnee County. If enacted, it would relieve the affected county board of county commissioners from the statutory duty to create a citizens commission on local government, while preserving the commission’s composition and appointment framework for any county that elects to establish one. The bill therefore affects county governance procedures and the statutory obligations of local officials and participating municipal, township, school, utility, and drainage district leaders.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests broad support for the bill. It passed the Senate Consent Calendar unanimously, 40-0, and later passed the House on emergency final action by a strong margin of 119-4. No committee transcripts were provided, but the overwhelming votes indicate the measure was generally viewed favorably and as noncontroversial by most legislators.

Contention

The main point of contention appears to be whether the citizens commission on local government should remain mandatory or be left to county discretion. Supporters likely favored local control and flexibility for the county board, while the small number of House dissenters may have preferred preserving the existing statewide requirement for counties in the affected population bracket. Because no committee debate transcript is available, the specific objections are not documented, but the issue centers on the balance between mandated intergovernmental coordination and optional local governance structures.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

KS SB5

Authorizing counties to impose an earnings tax.

KS HB2004

Authorizing counties to propose an earnings tax for ballot question.

KS SCR1602

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

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 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 SB3

Clarifying the procedures and restrictions on accepting a nomination for an elected office.

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 SB8

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

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.