# Kansas SB 398: Requiring a proponent to demonstrate that it is more likely than not that certain specialized knowledge will help the trier of fact to understand evidence before certain qualified witnesses may testify. Kansas SB 398, Requiring a proponent to demonstrate that it is more likely than not that certain specialized knowledge will help the trier of fact to understand evidence before certain qualified witnesses may testify., is a 2025–2026 Regular Session Senate bill sponsored by Committee on Judiciary; status signed, last action 2026-04-09 (Enrolled and presented to Governor on Monday, March 30, 2026) (as of 2026-10-16). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KS-SB398-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-10-16 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Kansas SB 398 - State: Kansas - Session: 2025–2026 Regular Session - Title: Requiring a proponent to demonstrate that it is more likely than not that certain specialized knowledge will help the trier of fact to understand evidence before certain qualified witnesses may testify. - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2026-01-27 - Last action: 2026-04-09, Enrolled and presented to Governor on Monday, March 30, 2026 - Sponsor: Committee on Judiciary - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: house committee on judiciary, senate committee on judiciary - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 6 (406 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 0 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview No economic impacts identified for this bill. ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Committee on Judiciary ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-23 | Senate | Yea: 124 Nay: 0 | pass | 124 | 0 | | | 2026-04-23 | Senate | Yea: 40 Nay: 0 | pass | 40 | 0 | | | 2026-04-23 | Senate | Yea: 39 Nay: 0 | pass | 39 | 0 | | | 2026-03-26 | Senate | Concurred with amendments in conference | pass | 39 | 0 | | | 2026-03-18 | House | Emergency Final Action - Passed as amended | pass | 124 | 0 | | | 2026-02-18 | Senate | Emergency Final Action - Passed | pass | 40 | 0 | | ## Actions (19) - 2026-04-09: Enrolled and presented to Governor on Monday, March 30, 2026 (Senate) - 2026-04-07: Approved by Governor on Tuesday, April 7, 2026 (Senate) - 2026-03-26: Concurred with amendments in conference; Yea 39, Nay 0, Absent 1 (Senate) - 2026-03-23: Nonconcurred with amendments; Conference Committee requested; appointed Sen. Kellie Warren, Sen. Kenny Titus and Sen. Ethan Corson (Senate) - 2026-03-23: Motion to accede adopted; Rep. Susan Humphries, Rep. Laura Williams and Rep. Dan Osman appointed as conferees (House) - 2026-03-18: Committee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted (House) - 2026-03-18: Committee of the Whole - Be passed as amended (House) - 2026-03-18: Motion to advance to Emergency Final Action adopted (House) - 2026-03-18: Emergency Final Action - Passed as amended; Yea 124, Nay 0, Absent 1 (House) - 2026-03-12: Committee Report recommending bill be passed as amended by House Committee on Judiciary (House) - 2026-03-03: Hearing: Tuesday, March 3, 2026, 3:30 PM — Room 582-N (House) - 2026-02-19: Received and Introduced (House) - 2026-02-19: Referred to House Committee on Judiciary (House) - 2026-02-18: Committee of the Whole - Be passed (Senate) - 2026-02-18: Emergency Final Action - Passed; Yea 40, Nay 0 (Senate) - 2026-02-10: Committee Report recommending bill be passed by Senate Committee on Judiciary (Senate) - 2026-02-05: Hearing: Thursday, February 5, 2026, 10:30 AM — Room 346-S (Senate) - 2026-01-28: Referred to Senate Committee on Judiciary (Senate) - 2026-01-27: Introduced (Senate) ## Bill text - As Amended by House Committee: [PDF](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/sb_398/sb398_01_0000.pdf) - As Introduced: [PDF](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/sb_398/sb398_00_0000.pdf) - Enrolled: [PDF](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/sb_398/sb398_enrolled.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 House Committee (PDF)](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/sb_398/sb398_01_0000.pdf) - [As Introduced (PDF)](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/sb_398/sb398_00_0000.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/sb_398/sb398_enrolled.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-SB398-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-16).