The Kansas House of Representatives discussed many bills this past week. This newsletter will focus on a few of those bills.
On Tuesday, we debated House Bill 2539 which institutes some qualifications for candidates that are seeking certain statewide offices. The upcoming gubernatorial election has drawn numerous candidates, some of those do not even reside in the state of Kansas. This bill simply clarifies that a candidate for the offices of Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Attorney General, and Insurance Commissioner must be a qualified elector in Kansas and at least 18 years of age to run for one of those offices. There was also a residency requirement that was included in the original language in the bill. There was amendment to strike the residency requirement of four years since the bill stipulated that one needs to be a qualified elector. I supported the amendment and the bill and it passed 94-28.
House Bill 2648 changes the definition of law enforcement officer for the purposes of the crimes of assault and battery of an officer to include uniformed or properly identified federal law enforcement officers while on duty. The only concern was that this bill could have an effect on prison admission and bed space. The bill passed the House, 117-0.
Turn-Around
On Thursday, the Kansas Legislature met the critical timeline regarding our calendar which is the halfway point in the session, more commonly referred to as “Turn-Around.” We spent this past week debating and voting on over 60 bills so they could be passed out of the House of Representatives and then on to the Senate for discussion. The same was true for the Senate as their bills that were passed out will now go to the House when we reconvene on Feb. 28. Our research department needs a few days in order to accomplish the transfer of bills from one chamber to the other. During these days off, I attended legislative coffees and townhalls throughout the district on Monday, and Tuesday.
More Bills In the House
On Thursday, we debated House Bill 2581 which was drafted and discussed to address the recent events that occurred in Wichita regarding “Swatting.” This bill increases the criminal penalties for the crime of giving a false alarm in certain situations. This bill passed with a vote of 117-0
House Bill 2583 creates and amends current statutes regarding the control and eradication of noxious weeds in the state of Kansas. This bill moves the definition of noxious weeds from statute and allows for the Secretary of Agriculture to adopt rules and regulations to define species of plants as noxious weeds throughout the state. This bill passed the House with a vote of 101-16. I voted “yes.”
We also discussed House Bill 2674, which establishes the Kansas Telemedicine Act. This act will establish coverage parity between in-person and telemedicine-delivered healthcare services and providers. This greatly benefits patients by allowing real-time audio and visual conferencing with medical providers. This passed, 117-0.
As always, if you have any concerns, feel free to contact me (785) 296-7672, visit www.troywaymaster.com or email me at troy.waymaster@house.ks.gov. Also, if you happen to visit the statehouse, please let my office know.
It is a distinct honor to serve as your representative for the 109th Kansas House District and the state of Kansas. Please do not hesitate to contact me with your thoughts, concerns, and questions. I always appreciate hearing from the residents of the 109th House District and others from the state of Kansas, as well.
