Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas Senate Bill SB2

Introduced
1/13/25  
Refer
1/15/25  
Report Pass
2/5/25  
Report Pass
2/11/25  
Engrossed
2/25/25  
Refer
2/25/25  
Report Pass
3/7/25  
Enrolled
3/18/25  

Caption

Validating the election results for the bond issuance question submitted by the board of education of USD 200, Greeley county, at a special election held on May 21, 2024.

Summary

SB2 has two main parts. First, it validates the results of the May 21, 2024 special election in Unified School District 200, Greeley County, authorizing the district to issue up to $4.6 million in general obligation bonds. The bond proceeds may be used for improvements to the district’s elementary and junior/senior high school facilities, including safety and security upgrades, playground work, locker room renovations, a gymnasium addition, ADA compliance improvements, other related facility renovations, and the costs of issuing the bonds and paying interest during construction. Second, the bill amends Kansas bond-election notice law for municipalities by requiring notice of bond elections to be published not only in a newspaper of general circulation, but also on the website of the county election office if that office has a website. The online notice must appear at least 21 days before the election and remain posted until the day after the election. The bill also repeals the prior version of the statute and takes effect upon publication in the Kansas Register.

Impact

The bill affects Kansas election and municipal bond law by changing the notice requirements in K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 10-120 and by specifically validating one school district bond election that had already been held. It confirms USD 200, Greeley County’s authority to issue bonds up to $4.6 million for school facility projects, and it applies prospectively to future bond-election notices by adding a website publication requirement for county election offices that maintain websites. The measure primarily affects school districts, county election officers, and other municipalities that conduct bond elections.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have broad support overall, as reflected in its strong final passage in both chambers: 39-1 in the Senate and 121-1 in the House. The lack of committee transcript material limits insight into detailed debate, but the overwhelming votes suggest general agreement with both validating the school bond election and modernizing election notice practices. The near-unanimous margins indicate that the bill was not especially controversial in the legislature.

Contention

The main potential point of contention is the retroactive validation of the USD 200 bond election, which effectively cures any legal defects in the May 21, 2024 vote and authorizes the district to proceed with borrowing. Another possible issue is the new website notice requirement, which could raise administrative concerns for counties without robust web infrastructure or for municipalities adjusting to dual publication obligations. However, the recorded votes suggest that any objections were limited and did not generate significant opposition.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

KS HB2004

Authorizing counties to propose an earnings tax for ballot question.

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 SB4

Requiring all advance voting ballots be returned by 7:00 p.m. on election day.

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 HCR5002

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

KS HR6002

Providing for assignment of seats in the House of Representatives for the 2024 special session of the Legislature.

KS SR1701

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

KS HR6001

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

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.