Kansas Senate Bill SB195

Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/4/25
• Refer: 2/5/25

Caption

Establishing the property tax task force that shall study the property tax system in Kansas and develop recommendations and suggest improvements to law.

Summary

SB 195 creates a temporary legislative property tax task force to study Kansas’s property tax system and recommend statutory changes. The task force would be made up of nine legislative members, including the chairs and ranking minority members of the Senate and House tax committees, plus additional members appointed by legislative leaders. A Senate member appointed by the president of the Senate would serve as chair, and the group could meet anywhere in the state, take action by majority vote, and receive legislative per diem and related compensation subject to approval. The task force is directed to review the state’s property tax system and develop recommendations aimed at making the system more efficient or cost-effective. The bill specifically highlights property valuations and tax levies on real property as areas for review, but its mandate is broad enough to include other aspects of the property tax structure. The task force must submit a report to the legislature by January 31, 2026, and the statutory authority for the task force expires on that same date.

Impact

If enacted, SB 195 would not immediately change property tax rates, valuation rules, or levy formulas. Instead, it would create a short-term legislative study body with authority to examine Kansas property tax law and propose future reforms. The bill would temporarily engage legislative staff resources from the Revisor of Statutes, Legislative Research Department, and Division of Legislative Administrative Services, and it would authorize compensation for participating legislative members under existing law. Its practical effect would be to set up a formal process for reviewing and potentially revising statutes governing property taxation in Kansas.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee testimony or votes in the provided materials, the overall sentiment appears procedural and exploratory rather than adversarial. The bill is framed as a bipartisan legislative study effort, with membership drawn from both chambers and both parties. That structure suggests an intent to build consensus around property tax reform rather than enact immediate policy changes. No recorded votes or transcript comments are available to indicate opposition or support beyond the bill’s sponsorship and design.

Contention

The main point of potential contention is likely the scope and direction of any future property tax reforms the task force may recommend, especially around property valuations and tax levies on real property. Because the bill itself only establishes a study group, there is little direct policy conflict in the text; however, stakeholders could disagree later over whether recommendations should lower taxes, shift burdens among property classes, or alter valuation methods. Another possible issue is the use of legislative time, staff support, and per diem for a temporary task force, though the bill does not present that as a major controversy.