Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas Senate Bill SB38

Introduced
1/16/25  

Caption

Creating the defend the guard act to establish when the Kansas national guard may be released into active duty combat.

Impact

If enacted, the Defend the Guard Act would significantly impact the deployment powers of the Kansas National Guard, effectively limiting the governor's authority regarding military engagement without congressional approval. This alignment with constitutional provisions highlights the intention of the bill to reassert state sovereignty in military matters, emphasizing a strict adherence to the procedures established by the Constitution. Consequently, it would mandate that any future activation of the National Guard for combat must align with the outlined legal criteria.

Summary

Senate Bill 38, known as the Defend the Guard Act, addresses the conditions under which the Kansas National Guard can be deployed into active duty combat. The bill operates on the constitutional premise that only the U.S. Congress has the authority to declare war, as stipulated in Article I, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution. The legislation asserts that the National Guard may not be released from the state into active combat unless there is an official declaration of war made by Congress or specific legal action that explicitly calls forth the Guard for defined purposes such as executing federal laws or responding to insurrections.

Contention

The potential implications of SB38 have fueled discussions surrounding state versus federal authority in military deployments. Proponents of the bill argue that it protects the rights of both the National Guard members and the state of Kansas by ensuring that only Congress can initiate combat actions. However, critics may view the bill as unnecessarily restrictive or as a challenge to the flexibility needed in responding to emergent military situations. The bill could generate contention regarding the balance of power between state and federal governments, especially in matters of defense and military readiness.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

KS SR1702

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

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 HB2002

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

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 SCR1602

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

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 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 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 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.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.