Kansas hearing examines expedited process to remove unauthorized occupants from homes

House Bill 23-78, the "Removal of Squatters Act," drew extended testimony in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing about creating a procedure for property owners to request law enforcement remove unauthorized occupants from dwelling units.

The measure would allow an owner or authorized agent to submit a notarized affidavit to a local law enforcement agency stating that a person has entered and remains unlawfully in a dwelling, that the person is not a tenant, and that the affiant has requested the person vacate but they have not. After verification, the bill requires law enforcement to serve a notice to vacate in at least 24 hours; the bill also creates a civil cause of action for wrongful removal and a criminal penalty for knowingly filing a false affidavit.

Supporters described the bill as a narrow, expedited tool to restore occupied property to productive use. Representative Will Carpenter, who sponsored the measure in the House, told the committee he revived the bill after revisions and said it passed the House 114–9. Mark Toome, vice…