Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas Senate Bill SB61

Filed/Introduced
8/8/26  
Introduced
1/22/25  

Caption

Requiring an electric public utility to pay a landowner's attorney fees when a party appeals the appraisers' award and the jury renders a verdict that is greater than the appraisers' award in an eminent domain action.

Impact

The bill seeks to amend K.S.A. 26-509, which outlines the procedures for eminent domain cases involving condemnors, and it highlights the obligation of electric public utilities to cover landowner legal fees in successful appeals. By doing this, the legislation is expected to provide more equitable treatment to landowners, encouraging them to challenge unjust appraisals without the risk of incurring high legal costs. This potential shift could lead to increased scrutiny on how utilities conduct their business regarding land acquisition.

Summary

Senate Bill 61 introduces measures concerning the process of eminent domain as it pertains to electric public utilities. Specifically, the bill mandates that if an electric public utility appeals an award by court-appointed appraisers and the jury's verdict is in favor of the landowner, the utility must bear the attorney fees of the landowner. This amendment aims to shift some of the financial burdens of legal proceedings onto the utility companies, as opposed to the landowners who are already facing the challenges of having their land appropriated.

Contention

Notably, there may be contention surrounding this bill as utilities might argue that imposing attorney fee responsibilities could complicate and slow down the process of eminent domain actions. Proponents, on the other hand, advocate that the bill empowers landowners, ensuring they have adequate representation during disputes with powerful utility companies. The debate surrounding this bill indicates contrasting values concerning the rights of landowners versus the operational needs of utility providers, reflecting broader discussions about property rights and corporate responsibility.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

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 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 SB4

Requiring all advance voting ballots be returned by 7:00 p.m. on election day.

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 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 HB2002

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

KS SB3

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

KS SB8

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

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.