Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas Senate Bill SB339

Introduced
1/15/26  
Refer
1/16/26  
Report Pass
2/9/26  
Refer
2/19/26  
Refer
2/24/26  
Engrossed
3/11/26  
Refer
3/11/26  

Caption

Requiring school districts to provide elementary students with a certain amount of daily recess, prohibiting limiting or withholding recess for disciplinary reasons, requiring a Kansas state fitness test and designating required recess time as part of the school term.

Impact

By designating recess as part of the school term, SB339 reinforces the importance of free play and physical activity at an early age, aligning with educational and health recommendations for children. The legislation modifies existing education policies to ensure consistent application across all districts, thereby establishing a baseline standard for recess that may prevent schools from eliminating playtime amid academic pressures. Such an initiative reflects a growing recognition of the need for balanced educational practices that incorporate both academic learning and student health.

Summary

Senate Bill 339 requires all school districts in Kansas to provide a minimum of 30 minutes of daily organized recess for students in grades kindergarten through five during school days that exceed five hours. The bill aims to enhance students' physical activity and mental well-being by incorporating structured playtime into the school curriculum. Additionally, it emphasizes that while 30 minutes is the minimum requirement, ideally, schools should strive to provide at least 60 minutes of recess, promoting an environment that values leisure and social interaction during the school day.

Conclusion

Overall, SB339 represents a significant step towards enhancing the educational experience for young students in Kansas by integrating essential recreational time within their school day. If successful in its implementation, the bill could serve as a model for similar educational reforms aimed at promoting children's healthy development while maintaining academic rigor. As states continue to navigate educational policy reforms, the outcomes of this bill will be pivotal in assessing the value of structured play in the school environment.

Contention

The introduction of SB339 could face challenges related to its implementation across diverse school districts in Kansas. Some school officials may express concerns regarding the potential resource implications, such as staffing and scheduling adjustments needed to accommodate the mandated recess time. Additionally, there could be debates around the balance between instructional time and playtime, especially in schools where academic performance metrics heavily influence daily scheduling. Ensuring that this legislation is thus effectively balanced in practice will require careful planning and potential additional funding or resources.

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 HB2002

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

KS SB4

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

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 SB8

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

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 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 SB6

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

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