Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas Senate Bill SB297

Filed/Introduced
8/8/26  
Introduced
3/12/25  

Caption

Providing for local government control over wages, compensation and benefits for construction projects.

Summary

SB 297 would change Kansas law governing local authority over wages, compensation, and benefits on construction projects. The bill amends existing statutes that currently declare conflicting city ordinances and county resolutions void, and it repeals the underlying provisions that limit local regulation in this area. In practical terms, the measure appears intended to give cities and counties more control over labor standards tied to construction work, including pay and benefits requirements, rather than leaving those rules preempted by state law. The bill specifically targets K.S.A. 12-16,131 and related preemption language in K.S.A. 12-16,132 and 19-26,114. By repealing those sections and revising the conflict provisions, SB 297 would alter the current balance between state and local government authority over construction-project labor rules. Its effect would be to remove or reduce state-level barriers to local wage and benefit ordinances for construction projects, affecting municipalities, counties, contractors, developers, and construction workers operating in Kansas.

Impact

SB 297 would amend and repeal statutes that currently preempt local ordinances and resolutions on construction-project wages, compensation, and benefits. The bill would therefore shift legal authority from state preemption toward local control, allowing cities and counties greater ability to adopt and enforce their own labor-related requirements for construction projects. It would directly affect local governments, public and private construction contractors, and workers on covered projects by changing which level of government may set applicable wage and benefit standards.

Sentiment

The available record does not include committee transcripts or recorded votes, so there is no direct evidence of support or opposition from debate or roll call history. Based on the bill caption and text, the measure appears to be framed as a local-control bill, which typically appeals to supporters of municipal and county autonomy. At the same time, because it would alter existing state preemption of local labor regulation, it could draw concern from construction industry stakeholders who prefer uniform statewide rules.

Contention

The main point of contention is likely the scope of local government power versus statewide uniformity in construction labor standards. Supporters would likely favor giving cities and counties flexibility to set wages, compensation, and benefits for construction projects, while opponents may argue that differing local rules create compliance burdens, cost increases, and uncertainty for contractors working across jurisdictions. The bill’s repeal of state preemption provisions is the central legal change and the likely source of disagreement.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

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 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 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 SB6

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

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 SB3

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

KS HB2002

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

KS SB5

Authorizing counties to impose an earnings tax.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.