[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6332521,"mediaKeyId","2306824-c4b09d65d9898734a4bea07377d1c1d6","parentId",2306824,"title","Committee advances amended wildfire-claims bill after fixing damage language; KCC to convene workshop","audioSeconds",1055,"startMs",28000,"endMs",1083000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2306824-c4b09d65d9898734a4bea07377d1c1d6&start=28&end=1083","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2306824-c4b09d65d9898734a4bea07377d1c1d6/thumbnail_28000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6332521/Kansas/Committee-advances-amended-wildfire-claims-bill-after-fixing-damage-language-KCC-to-convene-workshop","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6332521-96ab48a8bf15b2caf67322599fe1259f/orig.mp4?Expires=1772952308&Signature=iScz0rvDJtvsNz5QSY8VyPUy2FfhIqkxU4dRAVG4cqFk~tms-ANwfjb5xVKaoAnYQgIcJYNutkN4wPeOWNykmz8MB1VNB3si0xEfjgPcjCLAo5MOR8Eu9Szf5g6e6WBZcLUTlA7FANGw9ERjBxN0Njh~xiI-tdJVuNWQTmMpjfRmOyyDiSw5ytguvTS9YeAqUVtISX3v4m1MLEaNHUzWLrVerNQRnCLnLdJKCQBVb85Gx1i18yvy-vcRE5RCknQ7d7xDPZEU9BBi~kWvjn4pseKHdZfYIObhabj9uwd-3~PynefgREI-IyQnCw1YFrRPRCl9T8XSPVYQlGPX3hNaAg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Kansas Legislature","date","2025-02-13T00:00:00Z","article","The Committee on Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications approved House Bill 2107, as amended, during final action after members addressed drafting errors that would have broadened the statute beyond property damage and clarified how courts calculate damages from unplanned wildfire events.

The bill would establish a statute of limitations for wildfire-related claims and authorize recovery for certain damages; committee members agreed to retain language specifying recovery is for “damage to property” and to remove a novel formula in the bill that would have replaced existing law on how property damages are calculated.

Committee Chair (Committee Chair) opened discussion by asking for input on concerns raised in emails and by stakeholders. Committee member Mr. Carmichael, who led technical drafting discussions, described the principal issue as an unintended drafting change that removed the words “to property” from a section describing recoverable losses and thereby broadened the statute to include personal-injury and non-economic damages. “If we put that back in, I’m happy with the bill,” Mr. Carmichael said, explaining that restoring the phrase would keep the bill consistent with long-standing Kansas law on property damages.

Staff member Nick summarized the balloon amendment for members and said the key substantive fixes were: (1) change the operative start date for the two-year statute of limitations so it begins when damage from the fire is suffered rather than when the wildfire ignited, and (2) strike the bespoke property-damage formula so courts will apply existing law to determine damages. He also said a technical correction was added to reference the current punitive-damages statute (60-3702).

Laura Lutz, director of government affairs at Evergy, told the committee Evergy supported restoring the property-language and saw no downside: “It makes sense to me,” she said, noting Evergy’s prior concern that plaintiffs must prove the utility’s fault before damages are awarded.

Members discussed Evergy’s commercial concerns about limiting ongoing exposure to stale claims (the two-year limitation) and the company’s desire to ensure lenders understand the utility’s liability exposure when borrowing. Committee members said they did not intend to expand liability beyond current law if the “to property” language was restored.

The bill, as amended, also shifts one statutory duty: instead of requiring the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) to provide training opportunities, the amended text directs the KCC to convene a public workshop or docket to assess wildfire risk and mitigation, to present mitigation strategies and utility readiness, and to discuss how cost recovery might be treated in the future.

Representative Neighbour moved to pass HB 2107 as amended, and Representative Roth seconded the motion. After debate on a committee amendment that preserved the “damage to property” phrase, members voted to adopt the amendment and then passed the bill out of committee favorably for passage. The committee recorded at least one affirmative vote for Mr. Carmichael; a full roll-call tally was not provided in the hearing record.

Why it matters: the bill addresses how Kansas courts and utilities treat claims tied to unplanned wildfires, clarifies when the two‑year statute of limitations runs, and creates a forum at the KCC for discussing wildfire mitigation and cost recovery. Those provisions affect utilities’ liability exposure, potential lender perceptions, and how damages are assessed in future wildfire lawsuits.

The committee closed the hearing on HB 2107 and moved to the next agenda item. Committee staff said Evergy will give a presentation to the committee at its next scheduled meeting on Tuesday, Feb. 25, to further discuss wildfire readiness and cost recovery.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Committee on Energy, Utilities, and Telecommunications 02/13/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Committee on Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications approved House Bill 2107, as amended, after restoring language limiting recovery to “damage to property” and removing a unique damages formula that would have expanded recoverable claims.","taxTitle","Committee on Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications, Standing, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Kansas","taxId",18789,"location","Kansas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6332516,"Committee tables bill to add broadband, cable and telecom protections for mobile-home residents",472,1088000,1560000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2306824-c4b09d65d9898734a4bea07377d1c1d6&start=1088&end=1560","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2306824-c4b09d65d9898734a4bea07377d1c1d6/thumbnail_1088000.jpg","/articles/6332516/Kansas/Committee-tables-bill-to-add-broadband-cable-and-telecom-protections-for-mobile-home-residents","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6332516-ee9a48420f7a6748ca8b78fdc21d8f4a/orig.mp4?Expires=1772952308&Signature=mE5lql-4HFATaFwx38~UOYlRM3k~DolVCI~vT0AglcanJxzP51FuHmQiMHNws6otHZ4iubwcdkLagDPaWnruTCJYvRwG-2L0iCVMPoPXKibtZIPDqtatw2v3JW3ZVf-NsdsUAQBrRSs2uJhjFLcijLsPtrriU~MOqrJ9d8C3Fj8PUkrDsiXBXfaRQqdG4SsYseEPjs~UeAsHnp2wtWCHRxDEaGDSgv8pyoZLmM2NUmZXcyzCfcNyaYPKpuZSBPMjuFYXFW84JauiETbF-oGU9O2SMQxxW-EkNsy7pgzGeK9n5qadDg3zn~L-8GL1QN3Fm9yrt61GRXyyVaMM4Nl-nw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Committee on Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications voted to table House Bill 2225 after members raised concerns that the proposed changes would interfere with private property rights and may overlap with federal or public-utility regulations.

House Bill 2225 would have clarified that the Mobile Home Parks Residential Landlord and Tenant Act’s prohibition on landlords restricting tenants’ choice of sellers or services includes cable television, broadband, telecommunications and related services. Proponents said the change would protect tenants’ ability to choose their communications provider.

Representative Schreiber questioned whether the bill’s new definition of “services” was consistent with existing references to “public utility services,” asking whether telecommunications belong in the same category as electricity, gas and sewer. “Public utility services might be a little different… because they’ve got certified territory and there wouldn’t be a choice in that type of service necessarily,” he said, urging caution about expanding statutory definitions.

Representative Wilburn said he was “very uncomfortable with this bill” and voiced property-rights concerns. “We’re encroaching on property rights,” Wilburn said. Representative Hoheisel said he believed the bill warranted further study and moved a substitute motion to table the measure so staff and members could examine federal regulations and other implications; a ranking member seconded the motion.

The committee adopted the substitute motion to table by a simple majority; the motion was not debated under committee procedure and no date certain was set to bring the bill back. Committee staff noted the House Rules on procedural motions but said the committee could add a date certain if members requested it at a future time.

Why it matters: The bill would have limited mobile-home park landlords’ ability to restrict tenants’ choice of communications providers, potentially affecting broadband competition and consumer choice in mobile-home communities. Committee members, however, signaled concern about imposing statutory requirements on private property owners and about conflicts with existing public-utility frameworks.

The bill was tabled until further notice.","The committee voted to table House Bill 2225, which would have prohibited mobile-home park landlords from restricting tenants’ choice of cable, broadband and telecommunications services. Members expressed concerns about property-rights implications and overlap with federal and public-utility rules.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee advances amended wildfire-claims bill after fixing damage language; KCC to convene workshop

Committee tables bill to add broadband, cable and telecom protections for mobile-home residents