Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas Senate Bill SB217

Introduced
2/5/25  

Caption

Increasing the extent of property tax exemption for residential property from the statewide school levy.

Summary

SB 217 would increase the property tax exemption for residential property from the statewide school levy. Under current law, residential property is exempt from that levy on the first $75,000 of appraised valuation; the bill would raise that exempt amount to $125,000 for taxable year 2025 and all years thereafter. The measure is narrowly focused on one property tax provision and does not change the statewide school levy itself, only the amount of residential value excluded from that levy. By increasing the exempt portion of residential appraised value, the bill would reduce the school-levy property tax burden on homeowners with residential property subject to the statewide school levy. The change would amend K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 79-201x and repeal the existing version of that statute, making the higher exemption the operative law once enacted. The bill would affect residential property taxpayers and potentially reduce revenue collected through the statewide school levy, with the fiscal effect depending on property values and the number of qualifying parcels.

Impact

SB 217 would amend Kansas property tax law by revising K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 79-201x to expand the residential property exemption from the statewide school levy from $75,000 to $125,000 of appraised valuation. This would directly lower the taxable base for qualifying residential property under K.S.A. 72-5142, reducing the amount of school-levy property tax owed by homeowners. The bill repeals the existing statute and replaces it with the new exemption level effective for taxable year 2025 and thereafter.

Sentiment

The available context suggests generally favorable treatment of the bill, or at least no recorded opposition in the materials provided. There are no committee transcripts or recorded votes included, so sentiment cannot be measured from debate or roll call data. Based on the bill’s purpose, it appears intended as tax relief for residential property owners, which typically draws support from taxpayers and homeowner interests.

Contention

The main policy tension is between providing property tax relief to homeowners and preserving revenue for the statewide school levy. Supporters would likely emphasize reduced tax burdens on residential property owners, while opponents or fiscal skeptics may focus on the potential loss of school funding or the need to offset the revenue reduction elsewhere. Because no committee discussion or votes are provided, no specific legislator, group, or formal objection is identified in the record supplied.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

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 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 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 SB8

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

KS HB2004

Authorizing counties to propose an earnings tax for ballot question.

KS SB5

Authorizing counties to impose an earnings tax.

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.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.