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Category Archives: Kansas
Criminal Justice Reform: Other Legislation Signed
Governor Laura Kelly Signs Criminal Justice Reform Bill; Additional Bipartisan Legislation
TOPEKA – Today, Governor Laura Kelly signed House Bill 2026 into law, creating a drug abuse treatment program for people on diversion.
“This bill is a significant step towards criminal justice reform in Kansas,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “Through this new drug abuse treatment program, our judicial system can redirect individuals struggling with addiction to the services they need to get healthy and successfully reenter society. I want to thank the entire legislature for passing this important legislation.”
More information about House Bill 2026 can be found here.
Additionally, Governor Kelly today signed the following bipartisan legislation into law:
Transferring duties concerning address confidentiality program (safe at home) and the registration of charitable organizations from the secretary of state to the attorney general, enacting the Kansas fights addiction act to establish a grant program for the purpose of preventing, reducing, treating and mitigating the effects of substance abuse and addiction and requiring posting of a human trafficking awareness notice approved by the attorney general in certain businesses and public places.
Establishing the joint committee on child welfare system oversight, providing certain exceptions to the confidentiality of state child death review board documents, requiring visual observation of an alleged victim of child abuse or neglect as part of an investigation, exempting the caregiver of a child in state out-of-home placement from the child care assistance 20-hour-per-week work requirement, permitting the secretary for children and families to license certain family foster homes where a former foster care youth with certain juvenile adjudications resides making permanent provisions for the advisory committee on trauma and the statewide trauma system regional council to conduct closed meetings and keep privileged records regarding trauma cases.
HB-2158 contains Adrian’s Law (requiring visual observation of an alleged victim of child abuse or neglect as part of an investigation). The bill is name after Adrian Jones of Kansas City, Kansas, a 7-year-old boy who was murdered by his father and stepmother after years of reported abuse went uninvestigated.
Expanding the definition of “infectious disease” in certain statutes related to crimes in which bodily fluids may have been transmitted from one person to another.
Senate Substitute for Substitute for HB 2397 by Committee on Ways and Means – Reconciling conflicting amendments to certain statutes.
KS Legislative Update May 22 at FSCC
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KDHE amends travel quarantine list
TOPEKA – The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) has amended its travel quarantine list to include Maine, 12 counties in Colorado and the countries of Costa Rica, French Guiana, Georgia, Lithuania and the Netherlands. Several states and countries have been removed from the list, including eight Colorado counties. These changes are effective today, May 20.
A comprehensive list of those individuals needing to quarantine includes visitors and Kansans who have:
- Traveled on or after May 20 to Maine or the Colorado counties of Alamosa, Baca, Costilla, Dolores, Mesa, Mineral, Otero, Prowers, Rio Grande, Saguache, Sedgwick or Yuma.
- Traveled on or after May 20 to the countries of Costa Rica, French Guiana, Georgia, Lithuania or the Netherlands.
- Traveled on or after May 6 to the Colorado counties of Adams, Arapahoe, Archuleta, Conejos, Crowley, Douglas, El Paso, Elbert, Fremont, Huerfano, Jefferson, Larimer or Pueblo.
- Traveled on or after May 6 to the countries of Cabo Verde, India, Maldives or Seychelles.
- Traveled on or after April 22 to Minnesota or the countries of Argentina, Bahrain or Sweden.
- Traveled on or after April 8 to the country of Uruguay.
- Traveled between May 6 to May 20 to the Colorado counties of Bent, City and County of Denver, Chaffee, Lake, Park, Phillips, Rio Blanco or San Juan.
- Traveled between April 22 and May 20 to Croatian, Cyprus or Turkey.
- Traveled between April 8 and May 20 to Pennsylvania.
- Traveled between March 26 and May 20 to Delaware, Michigan or Rhode Island.
- Traveled between March 12 and May 20 to the State of Palestine.
- Attendance at any out-of-state mass gatherings of 500 or more where individuals do not socially distance (6 feet) and wear a mask.
- Been on a cruise ship or river cruise on or after March 15, 2020.
The travel quarantine period is seven days with a negative test result or 10 days without testing, with release from quarantine on Day 8 and Day 11, respectively. Further information on quarantine periods can be found on KDHE’s website.
For those traveling internationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is requiring testing within three days of flights into the U.S. For further information on this and other requirements, visit their website.
For those who are fully vaccinated (meaning it has been greater than two weeks since they completed their vaccinations) they are not required to quarantine regarding travel if they meet all of the following criteria:
- Are fully vaccinated (i.e., ≥2 weeks following receipt of the second dose in a 2- dose series, or ≥2 weeks following receipt of one dose of a single-dose vaccine)
- Have remained asymptomatic since the travel
Persons who do not meet both of the above criteria should continue to follow current quarantine guidance for travel.
Additionally, people with previous COVID-19 disease are not required to quarantine following travel if they meet all of the following criteria:
- Have evidence of a previous infection supported by a positive PCR or antigen test
- Are within 6 months following infection. If an investigation was done documenting the date that symptoms resolved, or the date isolation measures were discontinued for asymptomatic patients, then the 6-month period can start from that end date. If those dates are not available, then the period will start from the date of the positive laboratory test. A serology or antibody test may not be substituted for a laboratory report of a viral diagnostic test.
- Have remained asymptomatic since the travel
Persons who do not meet all three of the above criteria should continue to follow current quarantine guidance for travel.
The travel quarantine list is determined using a formula to evaluate new cases over a two-week period, then adjusted for population size to provide a case rate per 100,000 population. This provides a number that can then be compared to the rate in Kansas. Locations with significantly higher rates — approximately 3x higher — are added to the list.
For more information on COVID-19, please visit the KDHE website at www.kdhe.ks.gov/coronavirus.
Governor Vetoes Insurance Bill
Governor Laura Kelly Vetoes Junk Insurance Bill; Calls for Medicaid Expansion
~Protects Kansas families and Kansans with a preexisting condition~
TOPEKA – The following statement is attributable to Governor Laura Kelly on Senate Bill 29:
“We already know the solution to provide health care for 165,000 Kansans, bring thousands of jobs to our state, save small businesses money, protect rural hospitals, and inject millions into our economy is to expand Medicaid.
“Junk insurance – which doesn’t cover pre-existing conditions or provide consumer protections – is just that, “junk.” Signing this bill would cause more Kansas families to go bankrupt over medical bills. If the Legislature wants to get serious about improving access to health care, they should join 38 other states and the District of Columbia and pass Medicaid expansion.
“Therefore, under Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution, I hereby veto Senate Bill 29.”
New Kansas Laws
Governor Laura Kelly Signs Several Pieces of Bipartisan Legislation into Law
TOPEKA – Today, Governor Laura Kelly signed 3 pieces of bipartisan legislation into law.
“By expanding certain alcohol licenses and telemedicine opportunities, these bills will support our hospitality industry and continued economic recovery, along with the health and well-being of all Kansans,” said Governor Laura Kelly. “I’d like to thank my colleagues in the legislature, on both sides of the aisle, for their efforts to pass these bipartisan bills.”
Making amendments regarding licensure to sell alcoholic liquor and cereal malt beverages, authorizing transfers of bulk alcoholic liquor by certain licensees and authorizing the sale of alcoholic liquor and cereal malt beverages on specified days and times and subject to certain conditions by licensees under the Kansas liquor control act and the club and drinking establishment act.
Updating the national insurance commissioners credit for insurance reinsurance model law, codifying the national insurance commissioners credit for reinsurance model regulation and updating certain terms and definitions relating to the insurance holding company act, service contracts and surplus lines insurance. Eliminating certain requirements relating to the annual submittal of certain documents by out-of-state risk retention groups, extending the time frame to submit certain documents by professional employer organizations, abolishing the utilization review advisory committee and replacing it with URAC.
Requiring emergency medical services operators be overseen by medical directors or physicians; clarifying duties and functions of the state board of pharmacy; providing for confidentiality of investigations, inspections and audits; establishing fees on out-of-state facilities; defining telepharmacy and requiring the adoption of rules and regulations related thereto.
U.S. 54 overpass replacement project starts in June
U.S. 54 overpass replacement (red) and state detour route (blue)
Tuesday, June 1, the Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) plans to begin work on a project to replace the U.S. 54 bridge over the Union Pacific Railroad at Moran. The overpass is
one-quarter mile east of the U.S. 54/U.S. 59 junction.
The highway will be closed at the work zone. U.S. 54 traffic will be placed on a state route detour along U.S. 59, K-31, and K-3. KDOT awarded the $3.7 million construction contract to A.M. Cohron & Son Incorporated, Atlantic, Iowa. Weather permitting, the project should be completed by early 2022. Persons with questions may contact Iola Area Engineer Troy Howard, (620) 901-6557, or Public Affairs Manager Priscilla Petersen, (620) 902-6433.
Learn More About Tourism Initiative on June 7
PUBLIC INVITED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE BIG KANSAS ROAD TRIP
The Big Kansas Road Trip (BKRT) will be coming to Bourbon, Cherokee and Crawford Counties May 5-8, 2022. Marci Penner and WenDee Rowe of the Kansas Sampler Foundation will be leading meetings June 7-8 for anyone interested in learning how they might participate.
The BKRT operates as a tri-county open house and businesses, attractions and communities are invited to help the public get to know them “as they are.”
Marci and WenDee will conduct an hour-long meeting in each county to share some pictures to illustrate how the event works, to share some criteria, and to answer questions. Anyone in the three counties can attend any of the three meetings to learn more about the event.
The Bourbon County meeting will take place in Fort Scott on June 7 at 2 p.m. at the Common Ground Coffee Co. in the Loading Dock at 112 E. Wall.
The Cherokee County meeting will take place in Columbus on June 7 at 4:30 p.m. in the State Theater Event Center at 104 W. Pine.
The Crawford County meeting will take place in Pittsburg on June 8 at 9 a.m. in the Frisco Event Center at 210 E. 4th.
Your local contacts are Allyson Turvey and Rachel Pruitt in Bourbon County; Liz Simpson and Jake Letner in Cherokee County; and Devin Gorman and Chris Wilson in Crawford County.
To learn more about the BKRT go to www.bigkansasroadtrip.com.
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New Kansas Bipartisan Laws
Governor Laura Kelly Signs Several Pieces of Bipartisan Legislation into Law
TOPEKA – Today, Governor Laura Kelly signed 7 pieces of bipartisan legislation into law.
“Today, I signed seven bipartisan bills that will enhance consumer protections and protect Kansas families from mistreatment and extortion,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “This is the kind of success that can be achieved when we work together – not as Republicans or Democrats – but as Kansans. I want to thank my colleagues in the legislature, on both sides of the aisle, for their efforts.”
Extending the Kansas closed case task force, providing for staff assistance and renaming the task force the Alvin Sykes cold case DNA task force, extending the Kansas criminal justice reform commission, limiting the commission’s scope of study and adding a public defender, and authorizing the crime victims compensation board to waive application time restrictions for certain victims to receive compensation for mental health counseling and adding certain children to the definition of victim.
Increasing the criminal penalty for mistreatment of a dependent adult or elder person when the victim is a resident of an adult care home, adding definitions related to defendants who abscond from supervision in the criminal procedure code and for parole and clarifying that bond agents seeking discharge as a surety are required to return the person released on bond to the court in the county where the complaint subject to the bond was filed, requiring the department of corrections to develop guidance to be used by parole officers when responding to violations of parole and postrelease supervision and that incentivize compliant behavior, and authorizing court services officers and community corrections officers to provide a certification of identification to offenders for use to obtain a new driver’s license.
Enacting the first-time home buyer savings account act.
Senate Bill 39 changes Kansas department of agriculture division of animal health license, permit and registration renewal deadlines and allows the animal health commissioner to recover the actual cost of official calfhood vaccination tags.
Enacting the Kansas taxpayer protection act requiring the signature and tax identification number of paid tax return preparers on income tax returns and authorizing actions to enjoin paid tax return preparers from engaging in certain conduct, exempting compensation attributable as a result of identity fraud, extending the dates when corporate returns are required to be filed, providing conformity with the federal return due date for returns other than corporate returns, providing a temporary withholding option for certain teleworking employees, establishing the Eisenhower foundation contribution credit and the friends of cedar crest association contribution credit, extending the time period and expanding eligibility for the single city port authority credit, extending the time period for eligibility in the loan repayment program and income tax credit related to rural opportunity zones and defining rural opportunity zone on the basis of population.
Creating the crime of sexual extortion and requiring an offender to register under the Kansas offender registration act, prohibiting a court from requiring psychiatric or psychological examinations of an alleged victim of any crime, increasing criminal penalties for fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer when operating a stolen vehicle, committing certain driving violations or causing a collision involving another driver, defining proximate result for purposes of determining when a crime is committed partly within this state, removing the spousal exception from the crime of sexual battery and making fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer evidence of intent to commit theft of a vehicle.
Enacting the psychology interjurisdictional compact to provide for interjurisdictional authorization to practice telepsychology and temporary in-person, face-to-face psychology and enacting the physical therapy licensure compact and authorizing criminal history record checks in the physical therapy practice act.
Back the Blue by U.S. Senator Jerry Moran
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Kansas Adopts CDC’s Guidance on Mask-Wearing, Physical Distance
TOPEKA – The following statement can be attributed to Governor Laura Kelly regarding the CDC’s latest guidance for fully-vaccinated individuals:
“Effective immediately, Kansas will adopt the CDC’s latest guidance that fully-vaccinated Kansans are no longer required to wear masks indoors or outdoors or physically distance, except in circumstances such as those required by businesses, public transportation, or health care facilities. Should fully-vaccinated Kansans feel more comfortable wearing a mask, they are welcome to continue doing so.”
“This announcement is welcome news, and a testament to the sacrifices Kansans have made over the last year. I can think of no better reason for all Kansans to get vaccinated. The sooner we are vaccinated – the sooner we get back to normal.”
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Flags Half-Staff For Peace Officers On May 15
Governor Laura Kelly Directs Flags be Flown at Half-staff for Peace Officers Memorial Day
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly has directed that flags be lowered to half-staff throughout the state effective from sunrise to sundown on Saturday, May 15, 2021 to honor Peace Officers Memorial Day. Peace Officers Memorial Day pays tribute to local, state, and federal peace officers who have died, or been disabled, in the line of duty.
“Kansas peace officers put their lives on the line to protect their communities,” said Governor Kelly. “Their many sacrifices to keep us safe do not go unnoticed. On May 15th, and every day, we honor their service.”
To receive email alerts when the governor orders flags to half-staff, please visit: https://governor.kansas.gov/newsroom/kansas-flag-honor.