All Roll Calls
Yes: 646 • No: 6
KansasHB 24132025–2026 Regular SessionHouse
Enhancing the criminal penalty for an offense committed with the intent to commit transnational repression, requiring the development of transnational repression recognition and response training, providing that theft of livestock or implements of husbandry is a severity level 5, nonperson felony, providing that the theft of grain or hay is a severity level 6, nonperson felony and providing that certain portions of the crime of cruelty to animals do not apply to any person who catches a feral cat to provide vaccination, spaying or neutering and returns such cat back to the location where such cat is caught.
Sponsored By: Kevin Schwertfeger (Republican), Megan Steele (Republican)
Signed by Governor
senate committee on judiciaryhouse committee on judiciary
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
6 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 2 costs, 1 mixed.
Campus reporting for foreign-directed repression
The University of Kansas and Kansas State University must include transnational repression information in campus disciplinary policies. Each school must provide a designated liaison who receives direct complaints. This gives affected campus community members a university reporting route.
Limited cruelty exemption for feral-cat care
People who catch feral cats for vaccination, spaying, or neutering are exempt from specified abandonment and failure-to-provide-care rules. The cat must meet the legal definition of a feral cat. The person must return it to the same location where it was caught. This is not a blanket exemption from animal-cruelty laws.
More help reporting foreign-directed repression
By July 1, 2027, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation must develop or adopt training on recognizing and responding to transnational repression. Training must cover physical threats, digital surveillance, foreign principals, response practices, and targeted communities, with regular updates. The bureau must explain how to identify and report repression and describe victim tools and remedies. It must widely advertise a reporting website, prominently link it from its homepage, and offer multilingual reporting for persecuted communities. Annual reports must list complaint counts, outcomes, and foreign interference in reporting.
Higher penalties for farm property theft
Stealing cattle, horses, or farm equipment that meets the legal definition is a severity level 5, nonperson felony. This classification applies regardless of the property’s value. Stealing at least 400 bushels of qualifying grain or 20,000 pounds of qualifying hay is a severity level 6, nonperson felony. That classification also applies regardless of value.
Tougher sentences for foreign-directed repression
The law raises penalties for crimes committed with intent to carry out foreign-directed repression. An agent must knowingly act for, at the direction of, or under the influence of a foreign principal or terrorist organization. Covered purposes include forcing someone to serve that principal or organization, leave the United States, or stop First Amendment-protected activity. Retaliation for that activity also qualifies, but the conduct itself cannot be protected speech. Federal terrorist designations as of July 1, 2026, apply, subject to the board’s authority to reflect federal changes. For offenses, attempts, or conspiracies, intent must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt. Severity levels 2–10 rise one level; level 1 carries life imprisonment with no parole eligibility for 25 years. For level 1 offenders facing presumptive imprisonment above 300 months, the mandatory minimum equals the sentence established under that range.
Farm theft forfeiture expands and narrows
The law extends livestock-theft forfeiture rules to theft of legally defined farm equipment, effective upon publication in the statute book. Covered property includes theft proceeds, personal property bought with proceeds, vehicles used to transport stolen property, and related records. The rules include a presumption that property was bought with theft proceeds; a co-owner’s lack of knowledge does not always prevent forfeiture. Protections remain for valid security interests, common carriers without involvement, and owners whose property was used without their knowledge or consent. Separately, the law narrows livestock to cattle or horses, excluding other animals and their carcasses, skins, or parts.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
Kevin Schwertfeger
Republican • House
Megan Steele
Republican • House
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
House vote • 4/23/2026
Yea: 120 Nay: 3
Yes: 120 • No: 3
House vote • 4/23/2026
Yea: 39 Nay: 0
Yes: 39 • No: 0
House vote • 4/23/2026
Yea: 124 Nay: 0
Yes: 124 • No: 0
House vote • 4/23/2026
Yea: 40 Nay: 0
Yes: 40 • No: 0
House vote • 3/27/2026
Conference Committee Report was adopted
Yes: 124 • No: 0
Senate vote • 3/27/2026
Conference Committee Report was adopted
Yes: 40 • No: 0
Senate vote • 3/13/2026
Final Action - Passed as amended
Yes: 39 • No: 0
House vote • 1/28/2026
Final Action - Passed
Yes: 120 • No: 3
Actions Timeline
Engrossed on Monday, March 30, 2026
4/9/2026HouseEnrolled and presented to Governor on Friday, April 3, 2026
4/9/2026HouseApproved by Governor on Thursday, April 9, 2026
4/9/2026HouseConference committee report now available
3/27/2026SenateConference Committee Report was adopted; Yea 40, Nay 0
3/27/2026SenateConference Committee Report was adopted; Yea 124, Nay 0, Absent 1
3/27/2026HouseNonconcurred with amendments; Conference Committee requested; appointed Rep. Susan Humphries, Rep. Laura Williams and Rep. Dan Osman
3/17/2026HouseMotion to accede adopted; Sen. Kellie Warren, Sen. Kenny Titus and Sen. Ethan Corson appointed as conferees
3/17/2026SenateFinal Action - Passed as amended; Yea 39, Nay 0, Absent 1
3/13/2026SenateCommittee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted
3/12/2026SenateCommittee of the Whole - Be passed as amended
3/12/2026SenateCommittee Report recommending bill be passed as amended by Senate Committee on Judiciary
3/3/2026SenateHearing: Wednesday, February 25, 2026, 10:30 AM — Room 346-S
2/25/2026SenateReferred to Senate Committee on Judiciary
1/29/2026SenateFinal Action - Passed; Yea 120, Nay 3, Absent 2
1/28/2026HouseReceived and Introduced
1/28/2026SenateCommittee of the Whole - Be passed
1/27/2026HouseCommittee Report recommending bill be passed by House Committee on Judiciary
1/23/2026HouseHearing: Tuesday, January 20, 2026, 3:30 PM — Room 582-N
1/20/2026HousePrefiled for Introduction on Thursday, December 11, 2025
1/12/2026HouseIntroduced
1/12/2026HouseReferred to House Committee on Judiciary
1/12/2026House
Bill Text
As Amended by Senate Committee
As Introduced
Enrolled
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.
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 credit for qualified alternative-fueled motor vehicle property or fueling station expenditures, repealing the agritourism liability insurance, assistive technology contributions, declared disaster capital investment, owners promoting employment across Kansas and swine facility improvement tax credits and expanding the eligibility for applicable expenses under the child day care services assistance tax credit.
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 general manufacturer and removing obsolete reference to global intangible low-taxed income provided for under the federal internal revenue code in determining Kansas adjusted gross income.
HB 2029, Reconciling multiple amendments to certain statutes.
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, providing criminal penalties therefor and providing for a civil cause of action for damages.
HB 2530, Substitute for HB 2530 by Committee on Education - Providing for the transferability of credentials earned through ACT workkeys career readiness assessments towards a degree.