Committee to combine Topeka housing-inspection provision into municipal contracts bill

The Committee on Local Government voted to combine the contents of House Bill 2099 into House Bill 2,116 so the measures can be finalized together.

The move was presented during a committee conference discussion about House Bill 2,116, which Mr. Revisor, Revisor, described as “the bill, requiring, certain contractual provisions for cities of the second and third class and counties, with a population of less than 35,000.” The version that originally left the House referenced contracts entered into after July 1, 2024; a Senate amendment updated that date to July 1, 2025, to reflect the bill’s effective date.

Jason, legislative staff, told committee members that House Bill 20 99 "is the bill that authorizes the city of Topeka to conduct, residential housing inspections when the property owner receives direct public financial assistance from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development." Committee members said the goal was “to put 02/1999 into 02/2016 to, be 1 combined bill, to be considered, to, for approval and the bodies,” and then moved to a show-of-hands to approve the concept.

The committee voice vote returned unanimous agreement. As Mr. Chairman said, the "Agreement is six-zero," resolving how the two bills would proceed out of the conference committee for finalization.

The committee did not vote on final text in this meeting; members approved the concept of merging the bills so that the combined language can be finalized and explained on the Senate floor at a later time.