Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas Senate Bill SB442

Introduced
2/2/26  

Caption

Increasing the criminal penalties for exposing another to a communicable disease and modifying the elements of such crime to include otherwise lawful or unlawful sexual intercourse or sodomy.

Impact

The implications of SB442 could lead to a more stringent approach to the regulation of behaviors associated with communicable diseases, particularly those that are life-threatening. By raising the penalties associated with these actions, the bill seeks to deter individuals from engaging in risky behaviors. The proposed change aligns with broader public health objectives aimed at controlling the spread of communicable diseases, although it may also raise concerns about the criminalization of behaviors that some might argue should be addressed through public health education rather than legal penalties.

Summary

Senate Bill 442 aims to modify the legal framework around the crime of exposing another person to a communicable disease. The bill proposes to expand the scope of this crime by including actions that involve otherwise lawful sexual intercourse or sodomy, thereby increasing the circumstances under which individuals could be prosecuted. It explicitly criminalizes the intentional exposure of others to a life-threatening communicable disease through sexual acts or the sharing of bodily fluids, thereby emphasizing the seriousness of these offenses in the context of public health.

Contention

Notably, the bill's provisions may lead to contentious debates regarding personal privacy, sexual health education, and the balance between criminal law and public health policy. Critics may argue that such stringent penalties could dissuade individuals from seeking medical help or disclosing their health status out of fear of legal repercussions. This aspect of the bill could lead to discussions surrounding the appropriateness of criminalizing health-related behaviors, particularly in light of the stigma associated with certain communicable diseases.

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 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.

KS SB8

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

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 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 HB2002

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

KS HB2004

Authorizing counties to propose an earnings tax for ballot question.

KS SB3

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

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.