It has been an incredibly busy week at the Capitol, with 64 bills passing the House. We have officially passed the halfway point of the session and are moving quickly to consider the bills passed out of the Senate and our exempt bills. I want to keep you informed as to what’s happening at the Capitol, below, you will see some of what we have been working on.
It's Your Health
Providing More Tools to Emergency Medical Services
Many over-the-counter drugs can save lives, and we want our emergency medical services to have every tool at their disposal to help Kansans. HB 2579 passed the House this week, allowing for overthe- counter drugs, such as Narcan, to be utilized as part of their emergency health interventions.
It's Our Economy Increasing Water Rights Flexibility
Kansas agricultural producers have varying needs for water usage each year. It’s important that while we are undergoing conservation efforts, we also meet the needs of farmers and ranchers. HB 2634 provides flexibility in conservation efforts, allowing the chief engineer to consider multi-year allocations that call for more usage as needed one year and increased conservation later.
Help Wanted
Waiving CDL Exams for Veterans with Experience The Kansas House passed HB 2679, waiving exams for veterans with relevant military experience to receive a CDL in Kansas. This legislation will grow our workforce with experienced drivers who can enter a new job following their departure from military service.
Improving Access to Occupational Licenses for Veterans and their Spouses Under HB 2745, veterans and military spouses will have fees waived for occupational licensing, registration, and certification when they seek to make Kansas home and enter our workforce. This creates a friendly career entry path for service members and their families to grow our workforce and contribute to our economy.
Enacting Two Professional Interstate Compacts To bring more workers to our state, the Kansas House enacted two new professional interstate compacts this week–one for dentists and dental hygienists and another for social workers. This allows for a more straightforward license transfer from another participating state to Kansas, allowing them to hit the ground running and serve our state sooner upon arrival.
Protecting the Vulnerable
Protect Vulnerable Adults from Financial Exploitation Act Kansas seniors are, unfortunately, often the targets of financial exploitation and scams. HB 2562 hopes to lower these scams by providing a process for investment professionals to report suspected scams and pause likely fraudulent transfers. This brings fraud to the attention of the insurance department, which can investigate and take action.
Good Samaritan Law The Kansas House unanimously passed our Good Samaritan Law this week, bringing us one step closer to joining the 48 other states implementing this legislation. This bill provides immunity for simple possession if someone calls for medical attention during an overdose.
Many overdoses are reversible with medical attention. We want to give Kansans a chance to survive and recover. As we see more dangerous drugs like fentanyl coming into our communities, legislation like this can save lives from preventable overdose deaths.
Law and Order
Civil Asset Forfeiture Reform
Over the last year, my colleagues and I have been working with law enforcement professionals to pass reforms to civil asset forfeiture. This week, we passed a bill with bipartisan support that increases due process for all Kansans and focuses our law enforcement resources on the most dangerous criminals. Updating the Drug Schedule
The Kansas House voted to update our drug schedule to include 35 new substances, including 23 that are fentanyl-related. This allows law enforcement to more effectively pursue cases involving new and dangerous synthetic drugs manufactured in China and trafficked through our Southern Border that are pouring into our communities and harming Kansans.
Creation of the DARE Educator With the continuing increase of drugs like fentanyl coming into our nation and our state, the Kansas House voted to create a new employee to raise awareness for students across the state. The DARE Educator will create new educational materials and travel the state teaching the DARE curriculum, emphasizing fentanyl and opioids. We must arm our youth with all the knowledge we can provide them in a coordinated effort.
Freedom Starts Here Updates to Early Voting Early in-person voting in Kansas is available across the state for multiple weeks before each election. To allow our county election offices enough preparation time before election day, the Kansas House voted to move the four hours before the election to the previous Saturday. This legislation will bring smoother election- day operations without removing any time for early voting.
Protecting Consumer Choice of Vehicles
Kansas consumers should have a choice in what vehicles they purchase. This week, the Kansas House passed a bill that blocks any governmental body from banning the purchase of a vehicle based on the type of fuel it uses. This ensures that radical Green New Deal policies that local officials across the country are enacting stay out of Kansas.
