2023 Final Legislative Summary

Please Note:

*Bills which were not passed in this session can be addressed in 2024.
Bills which passed became law even if not approved by the Governor.
A veto by the governor blocks the bill if she has enough votes to sustain the veto.
The Legislature can overturn the governor's veto if two-thirds of both the state Senate (27/40) and the House (84/125) vote for the override.  

• Water funding HB 2302, and GMD Accountability HB 2279 - Passed, Approved
  • Sierra Club supported these bills as first steps but we need a more robust water policy to address the over-appropriation of water rights and other fundamental issues.
  • We also want the major users and polluters to foot the bill for our water initiatives.
     
• Plastics preemption bill (HB 2446, HB 2447) - *Defeated
  • Sierra Club opposed these bills to prohibit local governments from restricting single-use plastics.
     
• Advanced Recycling (plastics) bill (SB114) - Passed, Approved
  • Sierra Club opposed this greenwashing bill designed to reduce requirements for environmental permits and to provide cover for the environmentally destructive enterprises of the petrochemical industry.
     
• Growing Solar bills introduced*
  • HB 2227 [Power Purchase Agreements]
  • HB 2228 [Net Metering]
  • SB 126 (individual income tax credits for solar and wind energy) 
     
• Bill to limit Electric Utility Transmission Cost Recovery (HB 2225) - Passed, Approved
   
• Reducing Light Pollution on Wind Farms ( SB 49) - Passed, Approved
   
• Creation of Lehigh-Portland State Park in Iola (HB 2039) - Passed, Approved
  • Sierra Club supported the bill.
     
• Resolution against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service listing of the Lesser Prairie-Chicken as threatened in Kansas under the Endangered Species Act ( SCR 1602)
  •  Sierra Club has actively supported this listing; we opposed this resolution
     
• Bill to limit use of ESG criteria in making investments (HB 2100) - Passed, Not Approved
  • Sierra Club opposed this bill which will not allow KPERS to consider environmental, social, and governance criteria in selecting investments.  

• Bill to prevent local governments from banning federally-approved  refrigerants - Passed, Approved
  • Sierra Club supported the bill.

• Sierra Club proposed legislation did not advance. We will push for advancement in 2024
  • Utility data reporting bill (SB 278)
  • Solar in HOAs (HB 2268)
  • Enhanced safeguards on CAFO waste (HB 2372)