Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas Senate Bill SB399

Introduced
1/27/26  

Caption

Providing an exception to unauthorized practice of law under the Kansas consumer protection act for an employee of the judicial branch or a district court providing a standard form to a member of the public.

Impact

The introduction of SB399 is expected to have a significant impact on the regulatory landscape surrounding legal practices within the state. By offering a clear exception to the unauthorized practice of law provisions, the bill will legally enable certain court employees to assist individuals, promoting greater efficiency in legal proceedings. This change aims to empower citizens to engage more fully with the legal system, equipping them with essential documentation necessary for various legal processes.

Summary

Senate Bill 399 aims to amend the Kansas Consumer Protection Act by providing exceptions concerning the unauthorized practice of law. The bill specifically allows employees of the judicial branch or district courts to provide standard forms to members of the public without being considered as engaging in unauthorized legal practice. By enacting this bill, Kansas legislators intend to ensure that individuals can access necessary legal documents without the need for a licensed attorney, thereby facilitating easier access to legal processes.

Contention

While proponents of SB399 argue that it will enhance access to legal resources and simplify procedural matters for individuals, there may be concerns regarding the potential for misinformation or misuse. Critics may argue that allowing non-attorneys to provide legal forms could lead to unintentional errors or misunderstandings of the legal requirements, thereby complicating individual cases. Ensuring consumer protection while expanding access remains a key point of contention among advocates and opponents of the bill.

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 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 SB6

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

KS HB2002

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

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 SCR1602

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

KS SR1701

Providing for the organization of the Senate for the 2024 special session of the Legislature.

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.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.