Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas Senate Bill SB194

Introduced
2/4/25  
Refer
2/5/25  
Report Pass
3/5/25  
Engrossed
3/10/25  
Refer
3/10/25  
Report Pass
3/12/25  
Enrolled
3/21/25  

Caption

Providing that covenants, conditions or restrictions established between January 1, 1948, and December 31, 1958, that restrict the use of real property owned by state educational institutions for only single-family residence purposes and contain discriminatory provisions to restrict ownership or tenancy by race are against public policy and therefore void.

Summary

SB 194 declares certain covenants, conditions, and restrictions on real property owned by a Kansas state educational institution to be void and unenforceable when those restrictions both limit the property to single-family residential use and contain racially discriminatory ownership or tenancy provisions. The bill applies only to covenants or related amendments, supplements, or conditions established between January 1, 1948, and December 31, 1958. In practical terms, the bill targets historic deed restrictions tied to property held by state educational institutions and removes their legal effect as a matter of public policy. It does not broadly rewrite all restrictive covenants in Kansas; rather, it creates a narrow rule for a specific class of racially discriminatory restrictions from a defined postwar period.

Impact

The bill affects Kansas property law by invalidating a limited category of restrictive covenants on real estate owned by state educational institutions, making those provisions and any related amendments or supplements unenforceable. It reinforces state public policy against racial discrimination in property ownership and tenancy, while leaving other covenants outside the specified date range and property category unchanged.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been broadly supported and noncontroversial in the legislature. It passed the Senate 40-0 and the House 122-0, indicating unanimous approval in both chambers. The vote pattern suggests strong agreement with the bill’s anti-discrimination purpose and its narrow, targeted approach.

Contention

No significant opposition is reflected in the available discussion or voting record. The main policy point is the bill’s limited scope: it applies only to covenants tied to state educational institution property and only to restrictions created between 1948 and 1958. Any potential concern would likely center on the bill’s narrowness and whether it addresses only a subset of historically discriminatory deed restrictions, but no explicit objections are shown in the provided materials.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

KS SB3

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

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 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 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 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 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 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.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.