Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas Senate Bill SB525

Introduced
3/3/26  

Caption

Establishing requirements for a county sheriff operating a jail for the enforcement of detainer requests issued by the United States immigration and customs enforcement, requiring municipal insurance pools to provide coverage for law enforcement that enforces federal laws, requiring the state to pay certain judgments in federal court actions, requiring the attorney general to provide representation in certain civil actions and exempting section 287(g) agreements from certain provisions of the interlocal cooperation act.

Impact

The legislation marks a significant expansion of the powers available to sheriffs with respect to immigration enforcement. It specifically outlines that law enforcement agencies could be eligible for legal immunity in civil actions if they are acting according to the requirements of the bill. Furthermore, if a civil judgment is met against a law enforcement agency or officer acting in good faith under the agreement with ICE, the state will cover any judgment costs not paid by the federal government. This places substantial liability on the state while also mandating public safety measures through municipal insurance coverage for criminal actions undertaken in cooperation with federal enforcement agencies.

Summary

Senate Bill 525 establishes new regulations concerning the authority of county sheriffs to enforce immigration detainers issued by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This bill allows sheriffs to detain individuals based on a facially sufficient ICE detainer request without bringing criminal charges against them, thus facilitating their transfer to ICE custody. The new provisions aim to strengthen the partnership between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities, making it clear when sheriffs can act under the authority of federal immigration law. Additionally, the bill provides an automatic mechanism for legal responsibilities and protections for sheriffs and their agencies when they act in good faith under such detainer requests.

Contention

Controversy surrounds SB525, with concerns raised regarding the impacts on civil liberties and the potential for racial profiling in immigration enforcement. Critics argue that by allowing local law enforcement to act in accordance with ICE detainers without the requirement of criminal charges, the bill may lead to unjust detentions and exacerbate tensions between immigrant communities and law enforcement. Additionally, the bill draws attention for granting extensive legal protections to sheriffs, which some see as a justification for overreach in enforcement activities that may not directly pertain to local criminal law, potentially undermining local governance in matters related to immigration enforcement.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

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 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 SB6

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

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 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 HR6002

Providing for assignment of seats in the House of Representatives for the 2024 special session of the Legislature.

KS HR6001

Providing for the organization of the House of Representatives for the 2024 special session of the Legislature.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.