Bills affecting your community in Kansas — 2026 session

Amending the Kansas act against discrimination to include sexual orientation, gender identity or expression and status as a veteran.

Providing that under rental agreements governed by the residential landlord tenant act, a landlord is required to count certain income when considering a tenant or prospective tenant's qualifications for housing, providing for the sealing and expungement of court records in eviction actions related to such rental agreements and requiring mediation in such eviction cases unless the court finds that mediation would not aid the parties materially.

Substitute for HB 2357 by Committee on Judiciary - Providing for expungement of certain court records and consideration of mediation in eviction actions in which the underlying rental agreement is governed by the residential landlord and tenant act.

Requiring the department of health and environment in coordination with the Kansas department for aging and disability services to seek federal approval to establish continuous medicaid eligibility for certain individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities who are receiving services through a home and community based services waiver, requiring the secretary for children and families and the secretary of health and environment to enter into data-matching agreements with state agencies to verify eligibility for food and medical assistance, directing the department of health and environment to submit certain data to the centers for medicare and medicaid services, prohibiting certain public assistance program waivers or exemptions without legislative approval, prohibiting self-attestation for purposes of determining eligibility for public assistance programs, limiting retroactive enrollment in the medical assistance program, increasing the age limit for able-bodied adults without certain dependents and prohibiting certain exemptions from work requirements under the food assistance program.

Increasing the personal needs allowance for residents receiving long-term care in a medicaid-approved nursing facility.

Providing that a person shall not lose eligibility for a homestead property tax refund claim or the selective assistance for effective senior relief (SAFESR) tax credit if the appraised valuation of the homestead subsequently exceeds $350,000 after qualifying in a previous tax year.

Excluding social security payments from household income and increasing the household income and appraised value thresholds for eligibility of seniors and disabled veterans related to increased property tax homestead claims.

Increasing the minimum wage for employees that receive tips and gratuities.

Increasing the Kansas minimum wage to $15 an hour.

Requiring the department of health and environment (KDHE) to seek federal approval for continuous medicaid eligibility for certain individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities receiving services through a home and community based services waiver, directing state agencies to report to certain legislative committees on Kansans losing public assistance program eligibility, requiring the Kansas department for children and families and KDHE to enter into data-matching agreements with state agencies to verify eligibility for food and medical assistance and KDHE to submit certain data to the centers for medicare and medicaid services, prohibiting certain public assistance waivers or exemptions without legislative approval and self-attestation for purposes of determining eligibility for public assistance, requiring quarterly eligibility redeterminations for medical assistance and providing exceptions for certain individuals, limiting retroactive enrollment in medical assistance, immediately terminating eligibility for medical assistance upon confirmation of death of the enrollee, increasing the age limit for able-bodied adults without certain dependents and prohibiting certain exemptions from work requirements under the food assistance program.

Prohibiting cities and counties from restricting the discretion of landlords not to rent residential or commercial property on grounds including prospective tenants receipt of housing assistance or eviction or criminal history, and permitting cities and counties to prohibit discrimination by landlords on the basis of receipt of veterans benefits.

Substitute for Substitute for HB 2132 by Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care - Determining when a law enforcement officer may or shall take a child into custody.

Authorizing the chief judge of each municipal court to establish a specialty court program, providing for expungement when a person has completed the requirements of such program, authorizing judges to waive the fee in expungement cases by reviewing and granting a poverty affidavit and requiring judges to waive the fee for petitions for expungement of municipal arrest records in certain cases.

Authorizing judges to waive the docket fee in expungement cases by reviewing and granting a poverty affidavit.

Providing a income tax subtraction modification for amounts received as compensation for serving in the armed forces and providing that a person shall not lose eligibility for a homestead property tax refund claim or the selective assistance for effective senior relief (SAFESR) income tax credit if the appraised valuation of the homestead subsequently exceeds $350,000 after qualifying in a previous tax year.

Prohibiting cities and counties from adopting or enforcing any ordinance or resolution that requires landlords to lease housing to tenants receiving financial assistance from or through the housing choice voucher program or any other housing assistance program or that otherwise restricts a landlord's ability to consider the income source of a prospective tenant.

Authorizing retirement and disability benefits under KPERS, KP&F and the retirement system for judges to be paid on either a biweekly or monthly basis at the option of a member or recipient.

Establishing the mental health intervention team program in the Kansas department for aging and disability services in state statute and providing incentives for coordination between school districts, qualified schools and mental health intervention team providers.

Directing the secretary for aging and disability services to expand and establish peer support specialist certifications and the secretary for health and environment to pursue a medicaid code for telehealth services provided by peer support specialists.

Requiring managed care organizations to provide an explanation of benefits to KanCare and CHIP enrollees.