All Roll Calls
Yes: 166 • No: 32
KansasSB 542025–2026 Regular SessionSenate
Substitute for SB 54 by Committee on Judiciary - Limiting discovery and disclosure of third-party litigation funding agreements and requiring reporting of such agreements to courts.
Sponsored By: Sponsor information unavailable
Signed by Governor
judiciary
Your PRIA Score
Score Hidden
Personalized for You
How does this bill affect your finances?
Sign up for a PRIA Policy Scan to see your personalized alignment score for this bill and every other piece of legislation we track. We analyze your financial profile against policy provisions to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.
Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
3 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 3 mixed.
New disclosure rules for lawsuit funding
If a party has third‑party lawsuit funding, it must give the court the agreement for private review within 30 days of the case or signing. Within 30 days, it must also send all parties a sworn statement naming the funder, address or place of formation, and any control or approval rights. The statement must say if the funder can see confidential material, has ties to the other side or court, and describe the financial interest, including recourse or non‑recourse. It must state if any foreign person from a foreign country of concern provides funding, and list that person’s name, address, and country. These disclosures are not trial evidence, and nonprofits do not have to reveal members or donors. The law defines third‑party funding agreements, foreign person, and foreign country of concern (as of July 1, 2025), and says reasonable interest is total interest not over 11.1% of principal.
Protections and duties for case discovery
Materials made to prepare for trial are protected. Others can get them only with a strong need and no other way to get the same facts, and courts must shield legal theories. Expert witnesses must be disclosed in writing, usually at least 90 days before trial, with rebuttal 30 days later. Parties must update disclosures when they learn new, material information; expert changes are due at least 30 days before trial unless the court orders otherwise. Every discovery paper must be signed and certified; bad certifications bring mandatory sanctions and fees. If privileged or work‑product material is produced, the producer can claim protection and others must return, sequester, or destroy it and not use it until the court decides.
Updated discovery rules in civil cases
The law keeps and clarifies discovery tools in Kansas civil cases: depositions, interrogatories, document requests, inspections, exams, and requests to admit. Parties can discover nonprivileged, relevant, and proportional information, even if it is not admissible at trial. Courts may limit discovery that is repetitive, obtainable elsewhere, previously available, or outside the allowed scope. For electronic data that is not reasonably accessible because of undue burden or cost, courts can deny or condition discovery and set who pays. Parties can learn about insurance agreements that may cover judgments, but that information is not trial evidence by itself. This section replaces the prior 60‑226 and leaves other discovery statutes in force except for the new funding‑disclosure rules.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsors
There is no primary sponsor on record.
Cosponsors
There are no cosponsors for this bill.
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 4/23/2026
Yea: 40 Nay: 0
Yes: 40 • No: 0
Senate vote • 4/23/2026
Yea: 87 Nay: 31
Yes: 87 • No: 31
Senate vote • 4/23/2026
Yea: 39 Nay: 1
Yes: 39 • No: 1
Actions Timeline
Enrolled and presented to Governor on Monday, March 31, 2025
4/10/2025SenateApproved by Governor on Monday, April 7, 2025
4/10/2025SenateConcurred with amendments in conference; Yea: 40 Nay: 0
3/26/2025SenateNonconcurred with amendments; Conference Committee requested; appointed Senator Warren , Senator Titus and Senator Corson as conferees
3/24/2025SenateMotion to accede adopted; Representative Humphries, Representative Williams, L. and Representative Osman appointed as conferees
3/24/2025HouseCommittee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted
3/20/2025HouseCommittee of the Whole - Be passed as amended
3/20/2025HouseEmergency Final Action - Passed as amended; Yea: 87 Nay: 31
3/20/2025HouseCommittee Report recommending bill be passed as amended by Committee on Judiciary
3/13/2025HouseHearing: Tuesday, March 11, 2025, 3:30 PM Room 582-N
3/11/2025HouseReceived and Introduced
2/25/2025HouseReferred to Committee on Judiciary
2/25/2025HouseCommittee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted recommending substitute bill be passed
2/19/2025SenateCommittee of the Whole - Substitute bill be passed
2/19/2025SenateEmergency Final Action - Substitute passed; Yea: 39 Nay: 1
2/19/2025SenateCommittee Report recommending substitute bill be passed by Committee on Judiciary
2/18/2025SenateHearing: Monday, February 10, 2025, 10:30 AM Room 346-S
2/10/2025SenateReferred to Committee on Judiciary
1/22/2025SenateIntroduced
1/21/2025Senate
Bill Text
As Amended by House Committee
As introduced
Enrolled
Sub
Related Bills
HB 2761 — Enacting the speech-language pathology assistant act to provide for the licensure of speech-language pathology assistants.
HB 2739 — Relating to housing code requirements, removing the definition of apartment houses from chapter 31 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, providing requirements for adoption of the international fire code, 2024 edition, and providing that certain state accessibility standards are not applicable to moderate income housing program and Kansas investor tax credit housing act projects.
HB 2737 — Enacting the taxpayer agreement act to provide for an alternative method of tax increment financing of municipal economic development projects through taxpayer agreements.
HB 2711 — Modifying and updating procedures for dissolution of cities of the third class.
SB 473 — Authorizing Audubon of Kansas to convey certain property in Wabaunsee county and requiring any deeds or conveyances related to such property be reviewed and approved by the state historical society.
HB 2702 — Providing that applicants for a physician assistant license submit to a criminal record check, providing for the collaboration between physicians and physician assistants and requiring the revocation of a physician assistant license under certain circumstances.