House adopts series of conference reports on budget, health, education and regulatory bills; key votes at a glance

TOPEKA — The Kansas House on March 27, 2025, adopted a slate of conference committee reports and final actions across a wide range of policy areas, from the state budget and higher‑education provisions to election law, health and regulatory policy. Roll calls on the floor produced recorded tallies for multiple bills; the transcript records motion texts and final vote counts.

Nut graf: Many of the measures were conference committee reports resolving House–Senate differences. The most consequential of the day was the state budget conference report (Senate Bill 125), which the House adopted after negotiation and amendment. Lawmakers also adopted bills that affect health programs and regulatory oversight, among other topics.

Key votes and summaries (all vote totals are taken from the House floor roll calls recorded in the transcript):

- Senate Bill 125 (state budget, FY2025–26): Passed 89–36. The conference report adjusts appropriations for higher education, K‑12 programs, community colleges, economic development initiatives, water and other priorities. The transcript shows negotiators met several Senate positions (for example on community‑college funding and certain higher‑education items) and the House held others; the report was described at length on the floor and the final recorded vote was 89 in favor and 36 opposed.

- Senate Bill 126 (health package, House substitute for SB 126): Passed 123–1. Floor remarks indicate the measure represented a combined health‑policy package (newborn screening, children’s health insurance program, local public‑health issues and a health‑care access improvement program after conferees removed a separate ‘CHIPS’ provision). The House recorded final action with 123 yeas and 1 nay.

- House Bill 2062 (child support and unborn personal exemption): Passed 87–38. A lengthy, heated floor debate accompanied adoption of the CCR for this bill; see separate coverage for detailed reporting on that debate.

- House Bill 22 40 (requires legislative approval for agency amendments/waivers to public‑assistance programs and IDD services when the legislature is not in session): Passed 90–35. The conference report clarifies the Legislative Coordinating Council’s role when the legislature is not in session and specifies inclusion of IDD service changes.

- House Bill 22 28 (limits and procedures for local governments joining contingency‑fee litigation and requires certain public findings and AG review): Passed 73–52 after extended debate on home‑rule and municipal authority; the House rejected efforts to send the bill back to committee and recorded final passage.

- Senate Bill 21 (Kansas Permutual Racing Act): Passed 90–35. The conference report removes prior location restrictions on racing facilities, clarifies HHR machine locations and reorders where wagering tax revenues go (operational costs, horse‑breeding development fund and a horse‑fair/racing benefit fund) with statutory changes effective in 2028 for location rules.

- Senate Bill 42 (insurance package/codification of multiple insurance bills): Passed 124–1. The conference report combined multiple insurance‑related bills (online verification, agent response timeframes, title insurer audits, surety bond adjustments and third‑party fiduciary accounts) and was adopted on the floor.

- House Bill 20 56 (election law revisions, impersonation statute clarity, and voting machine testing timing): Passed 88–37. Conference language includes a revision to make the impersonation statute require intent, and changes testing timing for election machines so testing occurs before early voting begins.

- Senate Bill 125 (budget) — see above (89–36). The budget was the subject of extended floor explanation and questions about higher education, K‑12, regional university stabilization, social services (IDD slots and provider rates) and bonding; the transcript records the chair’s summary of compromise positions.

- House Bill 21 34 (open records and open meetings refinements; live streaming expectations; specified CORA/COMA exemptions): Passed 124–0. The adopted CCR clarifies when livestreaming must include entire meetings, makes exemptions for obscene records and addresses procedural timing for AG reviews of complaints.

- Senate Bill 30 (occupational licensing review): Passed 86–38. The conference report requires legislative review before new or materially changed occupational licenses take effect and requires annual reporting to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules and Regulations; the bill exempts several health and high‑risk licensing boards.

- Senate Bill 156 (special‑claims and corrections limit change): Passed 120–4. The bill raises the threshold for Department of Corrections‑level claims (administrative handling) and sends higher claims to the Special Claims Against the State committee.

- Senate Bill 186 and Senate Bill 204 (criminal‑procedure and public‑records items consolidated in conference reports): Both recorded as adopted with lopsided majorities (recorded votes in transcript show large yeas and few or no nays). The measures include a range of criminal‑procedure refinements and record‑sealing provisions discussed on the floor.

Other actions: The House adopted numerous additional conference committee reports and appointments of conferees for bills still in conference; the transcript documents motions to adopt conference reports and roll calls across the afternoon and evening session. Several of those actions were routine or technical, while others (noted above) contained substantive policy changes.

Why this matters: The day’s actions included the state budget and multiple policy changes that will require administrative implementation, judicial interpretation and future legislative follow‑up. Budget compromises affect higher education, IDD waiver slots and provider rates, and committee language will require agencies to prepare implementation plans and, in some cases, reports to the Legislature.

Ending: The House completed a long floor calendar and adopted a broad set of conference committee reports; several measures are likely to require administrative rulemaking or have further legal review. Reported vote counts and the text of conference reports are available on the Legislature’s website for officials and the public.