What passed, what’s pending in the Legislature

The Kansas Legislature ended its regular session last week, after ushering in major changes to school funding and gun laws, among other things. Here’s a look at where some of the more significant bills stand.

Abortion

The Legislature passed Senate Bill 95, sponsored by Kansans for Life. The bill bans what it calls “dismemberment abortion.” It makes Kansas the only state in the nation to prohibit the abortion procedure known as dilation and evacuation, or D&E.

Deer

The Legislature passed a bill, which the governor signed, requiring state identification of all domestic deer, elk, moose and related animals, alive or dead, that enter or leave a premises. Slaughterhouses are exempt.

Disabilities

The Legislature passed the state version of the federal ABLE Act, which allows people with disabilities and their families to set up an account for their future needs similar to the 529 college savings plan. Under current law, disabled people would lose eligibility for government care and medical benefits if their total assets exceed $2,000. If the governor signs the bill, they’ll be able to save $14,000 a year in their ABLE accounts, up to a maximum of $100,000.

Environment

The Legislature passed House Bill 2192, establishing an Environmental Stewardship Fund to pay for cleanups at “orphan” contaminated sites where no party can be found responsible for paying for remediation. A minimum of $2 million and maximum of $5 million for the fund will come from gasoline taxes.

Guns

People in the state will be able to carry concealed firearms in public without a permit or training beginning July 1 under Senate Bill 45, which has been signed by the governor. Under current law, residents must register with the state and take a training class to get a concealed-carry permit. Permits will still be available to enable those who want to carry in other states.

Ride-sharing

A bill addressing gaps in insurance coverage and requiring background checks of drivers in ride-sharing services like Uber easily cleared the Legislature and awaits the governor’s signature. It requires insurance coverage from the time drivers make themselves available to potential riders, not just at the moment they pick up a fare. California adopted a similar requirement last month. Uber has threatened to leave the state if the governor signs the bill into law.

School funding

At Gov. Sam Brownback’s urging, the Legislature passed a bill repealing the current school-finance formula and replacing it with block-grant funding for two years while a new school-finance formula is crafted by lawmakers. Supporters say the law offers flexibility and stability in funding. But many school districts, including Wichita’s, contend that the funding falls short of the constitutional requirement for fair and adequate provision for education. A special school-finance court has indicated it may block the new law until an ongoing finance case runs its course.

Welfare

The Legislature reduced the lifetime cap on Temporary Assistance to Needy Families from four years of assistance to three years, except in cases of extreme hardship. The federal limit is five years. The bill also limits recipients’ automated teller withdrawals to $25 a day on welfare debit cards.

Budget

The Senate passed a budget that is acting as a template for negotiations with the House, which has not run a budget bill. Many details remain to be worked out in the veto session that begins April 29, but negotiators have reached agreement to scrap Senate-proposed cuts to state universities and to freeze tuition for two years.

Campus religion

The Senate passed a bill that would allow university and college religious groups to exclude individuals who don’t adhere to the group’s religious beliefs and rules. It would prohibit administrators from enforcing anti-discrimination rules against campus religious organizations. The bill awaits action in the House.

Elections

The Senate passed a bill to shift municipal elections from the spring to the fall, with elections to be held in odd-numbered years when they would not share a ballot with state and federal election cycles. A House committee has sought to amend the measure to consolidate local elections with the state and federal ballots. Negotiations between the two chambers are ongoing.

Teacher prosecution

The Senate passed a bill that would allow criminal prosecution of teachers for providing “harmful materials” to minors. The bill is in response to a Johnson County school case where a sex education teacher used a poster containing terms that some parents found offensive. The bill awaits action in the House.

Unemployment

The House passed Senate Bill 154, which caps unemployment benefits at $474 a week until the average wage of Kansas workers rises by 9 percent. The bill loosens requirements that hiring be based on a competitive exam and lifts a ban on partisan political activity by department workers. The U.S. Labor Department has warned it could jeopardize $18 million in federal funding; Kansas Labor Department lawyers say that’s not true. The bill awaits action in the Senate, where passage is expected.

This story was originally published April 4, 2015 at 4:17 PM with the headline "What passed, what’s pending in the Legislature."