Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas Senate Bill SB353

Introduced
1/21/26  
Refer
1/22/26  
Refer
2/2/26  
Report Pass
2/12/26  
Engrossed
2/24/26  
Refer
2/24/26  
Report Pass
3/10/26  
Enrolled
4/9/26  

Caption

Designating an official Kansas railroad hall of fame and establishing the Kansas railroad hall of fame selection committee.

Summary

SB 353 creates the official Kansas Railroad Hall of Fame and names the Great Plains Transportation Museum in Wichita as its official site and repository. The bill is intended to recognize Kansans who made significant contributions to rail transportation in the state, including people who worked for railroads, manufactured railroad-related products, or otherwise played an important role in Kansas rail history and preservation. It also formally names the act the Kansas Railroad Hall of Fame Act. The bill establishes a Kansas Railroad Hall of Fame selection committee to manage the hall of fame, review nominations, select inductees, and oversee related displays, ceremonies, and records. The committee includes museum and historical society officials, gubernatorial appointees, legislative appointees, and representatives from the railroad industry, labor, and the Kansas Railroad Association. The committee is authorized to hold public meetings, accept gifts and donations, maintain a website, arrange indoor and outdoor displays, and charge attendance fees for induction ceremonies to help cover expenses.

Impact

SB 353 adds a new state-recognized honorary program but does not create a regulatory scheme for railroads. It designates a specific museum in Wichita as the official location for the hall of fame, creates a governing committee, and sets out procedures for nominations, inductions, displays, funding, and public access. The bill affects the Great Plains Transportation Museum, the State Historical Society, the Kansas Department of Transportation, and railroad-industry stakeholders by giving them formal roles in the program and by allowing the committee to solicit donations and use public or private partnerships to support the hall of fame.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have been broadly well received. Voting was overwhelmingly favorable in both chambers, including unanimous or near-unanimous final and conference committee votes, which suggests little partisan or policy opposition. The measure is framed as a celebration of Kansas history and railroad heritage, and the voting record indicates strong support for the concept of an official hall of fame and its location at the Great Plains Transportation Museum.

Contention

There is little evidence of major controversy in the available record. The main points that could have prompted discussion are the selection committee’s composition, which gives seats to museum leadership, historical society leadership, industry representatives, labor, and legislative appointees, and the committee’s authority to accept donations, charge fees, and manage displays on public property. Any concern would likely center on governance, public access, or the use of public space and funds, but the near-unanimous votes suggest these issues were not strongly disputed.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

KS HB2002

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

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 SR1702

A resolution honoring the life, career and trailblazing achievements of Kansas icon Ed Dwight.

KS SCR1602

Approving the creation of a port authority in Wyandotte County Kansas.

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 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 SB8

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

KS SB6

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

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.

Similar Bills

NV AB446

Revises provisions relating to transportation. (BDR 58-207)

NJ A1530

Provides certain requirements concerning railroad safety.

TX SB2366

Relating to a grant program to fund certain short line railroad projects.

TX HB4662

Relating to financial assistance for rail facilities.

MA H3721

Relative to railroad crew transportation

MA S2342

Relative to railroad crew transportation

KS HB2607

Designating the official Kansas railroad hall of fame and establishing the Kansas railroad hall of fame selection committee.

KY SB188

AN ACT relating to railroad safety.