Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas Senate Bill SB261

Introduced
2/11/25  

Caption

Authorizing the director of alcoholic beverage control to issue certain licenses to persons convicted of certain felonies if such conviction is more than 10 years old.

Impact

The impact of SB261 is significant as it revises the criteria under which individuals can obtain licenses to operate businesses related to alcoholic beverages, potentially increasing the pool of applicants. This could lead to a more competitive environment for licensing in Kansas, as individuals who previously faced barriers due to felony convictions will now have the opportunity to secure such licenses. The bill's provisions are designed to foster economic growth and employment opportunities for a demographic that has historically been marginalized in the industry.

Summary

Senate Bill 261 aims to amend the Kansas liquor control act and the club and drinking establishment act related to the eligibility for certain liquor licenses. Specifically, it allows the director of alcoholic beverage control to issue licenses to individuals who have felony convictions provided that such convictions occurred more than ten years prior to the application date and that the individual demonstrates sufficient rehabilitation. This change is arguably a step towards inclusivity, aiming to reintegrate individuals with past felony convictions into the workforce, particularly within the alcohol industry.

Contention

Despite its positive intentions, the bill has egged some contention among stakeholders. Critics have raised concerns regarding public safety and the potential for licensing individuals who may have histories of damaging or illegal behaviors associated with alcohol. Supporters, however, argue that the rehabilitative approach taken by SB261 recognizes the capacity for change in individuals and acknowledges the unjust barriers that a felony conviction imposes on reintegration into society. The legislation reflects an evolving perspective on justice and rehabilitation in Kansas.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

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 SB5

Authorizing counties to impose an earnings tax.

KS HB2004

Authorizing counties to propose an earnings tax for ballot question.

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 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 SB6

Providing a sales tax exemption for sales of electricity to residential premises by municipally owned or operated utilities.

KS SB8

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

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 HB2002

Expanding medical assistance eligibility and enacting the cutting healthcare costs for all Kansans act.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.