# Kansas HB 2331: Creating the crime of aggravated criminal desecration and providing penalties therefor, authorizing the disposition of the unclaimed remains of deceased persons by district coroners and providing exemptions from liability for such actions, establishing requirements for programs of continuing education for licensed embalmers and funeral directors and authorizing the use of the word "crematory" as part of the business name for businesses owned by the same person who owns a licensed crematory.

Kansas HB 2331, Creating the crime of aggravated criminal desecration and providing penalties therefor, authorizing the disposition of the unclaimed remains of deceased persons by district coroners and providing exemptions from liability for such actions, establishing requirements for programs of continuing education for licensed embalmers and funeral directors and authorizing the use of the word "crematory" as part of the business name for businesses owned by the same person who owns a licensed crematory., is a 2025–2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Committee on Federal and State Affairs; status signed, last action 2026-04-06 (Approved by Governor on Monday, April 6, 2026) (as of 2026-10-19).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KS-HB2331-2025-2026
- As of: 2026-10-19
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Kansas HB 2331
- State: Kansas
- Session: 2025–2026 Regular Session
- Title: Creating the crime of aggravated criminal desecration and providing penalties therefor, authorizing the disposition of the unclaimed remains of deceased persons by district coroners and providing exemptions from liability for such actions, establishing requirements for programs of continuing education for licensed embalmers and funeral directors and authorizing the use of the word "crematory" as part of the business name for businesses owned by the same person who owns a licensed crematory.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2025-02-07
- Last action: 2026-04-06, Approved by Governor on Monday, April 6, 2026
- Sponsor: Committee on Federal and State Affairs
- Cosponsors: 0
- Subjects: senate committee on federal and state affairs, house committee on federal and state affairs
- Touches household money: no
- Roll calls: 8 (632 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 6

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Crematory owners gain business naming options: benefit, low. A Kansas crematory license holder can use “crematory” in the name of another business they own. That other business must also be licensed under Kansas funeral-business licensing law.
- Coroners handle unclaimed remains and costs: benefit, low. Coroners must follow the required delivery process when close family cannot or will not accept a person's remains. When delivery is not required, coroners must arrange cremation or burial. Costs come first from sufficient property found with the body, then applicable assistance; the county general…
- Felony penalties for hiding a death: benefit, low. The law defines aggravated criminal desecration as criminal desecration intended to hide a human death or a crime. It classifies the offense as a severity level 7, nonperson felony.
- Coroners can discard low-value personal property: cost, low. After investigating, a coroner may destroy or dispose of property found with a body that has little commercial value. The law sets no dollar cutoff for that decision. The coroner and county are not liable for actions taken under this authority.
- Annual training rules for funeral professionals: cost, low. Active licensed embalmers and funeral directors must complete at least six hours of approved training each year. At least three hours must be in person or live online, with attendance checks and a chance to ask questions. The remaining hours may use any online format, and licensees must provide pro…
- Unclaimed ashes face transfer and repayment: mixed, low. Coroners may release ashes unclaimed for three years after death, or after a longer required preservation period. Family has 30 days to claim them after newspaper notice; otherwise, permanent placement is allowed. Veterans' ashes may instead go to Kansas veterans services, its designee, or a nation…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Committee on Federal and State Affairs

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-04-23 | House | Yea: 118 Nay: 0 | pass | 118 | 0 |   |
| 2026-04-23 | House | Yea: 122 Nay: 0 | pass | 122 | 0 |   |
| 2026-04-23 | House | Yea: 38 Nay: 0 | pass | 38 | 0 |   |
| 2026-04-23 | House | Yea: 38 Nay: 0 | pass | 38 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-24 | House | Conference Committee Report was adopted | pass | 122 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-23 | Senate | Conference Committee Report was adopted | pass | 38 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-05 | Senate | Final Action - Passed as amended | pass | 38 | 0 |   |
| 2025-03-05 | House | Final Action - Passed | pass | 118 | 0 |   |

## Actions (29)

- 2026-04-06: Approved by Governor on Monday, April 6, 2026 (House)
- 2026-03-26: Enrolled and presented to Governor on Friday, March 27, 2026 (House)
- 2026-03-25: Engrossed on Tuesday, March 24, 2026 (House)
- 2026-03-24: Conference Committee Report was adopted; Yea 122, Nay 0, Absent 3 (House)
- 2026-03-23: Conference committee report now available (Senate)
- 2026-03-23: Conference Committee Report was adopted; Yea 38, Nay 0, Absent 2 (Senate)
- 2026-02-25: Nonconcurred with amendments; Conference Committee requested; appointed Rep. Tom Kessler, Rep. Rebecca Schmoe and Rep. Heather Meyer (House)
- 2026-02-25: Motion to accede adopted; Sen. Mike Thompson, Sen. Tory Marie Blew and Sen. Oletha Faust Goudeau appointed as conferees (Senate)
- 2026-02-05: Final Action - Passed as amended; Yea 38, Nay 0, Absent 2 (Senate)
- 2026-02-04: Committee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted (Senate)
- 2026-02-04: Committee of the Whole - Motion to Amend - Offered by Sen. Caryn Tyson (Senate)
- 2026-02-04: Committee of the Whole - Amendment by Sen. Caryn Tyson was adopted (Senate)
- 2026-02-04: Committee of the Whole - Motion to Amend - Offered by Sen. Oletha Faust Goudeau (Senate)
- 2026-02-04: Committee of the Whole - Amendment by Sen. Oletha Faust Goudeau was withdrawn (Senate)
- 2026-02-04: Committee of the Whole - Motion to Amend - Offered by Sen. William Clifford (Senate)
- 2026-02-04: Committee of the Whole - Amendment by Sen. William Clifford was adopted (Senate)
- 2026-02-04: Committee of the Whole - Motion to Amend - Offered by Sen. Oletha Faust Goudeau (Senate)
- 2026-02-04: Committee of the Whole - Amendment by Sen. Oletha Faust Goudeau was adopted (Senate)
- 2026-02-04: Committee of the Whole - Be passed as further amended (Senate)
- 2026-02-02: Committee Report recommending bill be passed as amended by Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs (Senate)
- 2026-01-14: Hearing: Wednesday, January 14, 2026, 10:30 AM — Room 144-S (Senate)
- 2025-03-06: Referred to Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs (Senate)
- 2025-03-05: Final Action - Passed; Yea 118, Nay 0, Absent 7 (House)
- 2025-03-05: Received and Introduced (Senate)
- 2025-03-04: Committee of the Whole - Be passed (House)
- 2025-02-26: Committee Report recommending bill be passed by House Committee on Federal and State Affairs (House)
- 2025-02-25: Hearing: Tuesday, February 25, 2025, 9:00 AM — Room 346-S (House)
- 2025-02-07: Introduced (House)
- 2025-02-07: Referred to House Committee on Federal and State Affairs (House)

## Bill text

- As Amended by Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs: [PDF](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/hb_2331/hb2331_01_0000.pdf)
- As Introduced: [PDF](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/hb_2331/hb2331_00_0000.pdf)
- Enrolled: [PDF](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/hb_2331/hb2331_enrolled.pdf)
- {As Amended by Senate Committee of the Whole}: [PDF](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/hb2331_02_0000.pdf)

## Related bills

- SB 430: Adding mitragynine to schedule I of the uniform controlled substances act and reconciling multiple amendments to certain statutes in the Kansas criminal code. (signed)
- SB 82: Providing tax credits for expenditures for lockable gun and ammunition storage and the retail sale of higher ethanol blends of fuel, discontinuing the tax cred… (signed)
- SB 300: Providing for the apportionment of business income by manufacturers of alcoholic liquor depending on whether the taxpayer is a qualifying Kansas investor or a… (signed)
- HB 2029: Reconciling multiple amendments to certain statutes. (signed)
- HB 2018: Senate Substitute for HB 2018 by Committee on Federal and State Affairs - Creating the crime of interference with the conduct of a religious assembly, providin… (became law)
- HB 2530: Substitute for HB 2530 by Committee on Education - Providing for the transferability of credentials earned through ACT workkeys career readiness assessments to… (failed)

## Sources
- [As Amended by Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs (PDF)](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/hb_2331/hb2331_01_0000.pdf)
- [As Introduced (PDF)](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/hb_2331/hb2331_00_0000.pdf)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/hb_2331/hb2331_enrolled.pdf)
- [{As Amended by Senate Committee of the Whole} (PDF)](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/hb2331_02_0000.pdf)

## Related
- [SB 430: Adding mitragynine to schedule I of the uniform controlled substances act and r…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KS-SB430-2025-2026)
- [SB 82: Providing tax credits for expenditures for lockable gun and ammunition storage…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KS-SB82-2025-2026)
- [SB 300: Providing for the apportionment of business income by manufacturers of alcoholi…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KS-SB300-2025-2026)
- [HB 2029: Reconciling multiple amendments to certain statutes.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KS-HB2029-2025-2026)
- [HB 2018: Senate Substitute for HB 2018 by Committee on Federal and State Affairs - Creat…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KS-HB2018-2025-2026)
- [HB 2530: Substitute for HB 2530 by Committee on Education - Providing for the transferab…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KS-HB2530-2025-2026)
- [Kansas bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/kansas/bills)
- [Kansas state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/kansas)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KS-HB2331-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-19).