Where the Catholic Church in Kansas Stands
Here is a list of issues where the Kansas Catholic Conference has submitted on-the-record public testimony on bills during the 2026 Legislative Session so far.
The Kansas Catholic Conference advocates for and against legislation in many ways. The most public method is through our written or oral testimony on a given bill. Here is a comprehensive listing of bills we have been following, along with our written testimony.
2026 Legislative Testimony
Cell Phones. For many years now, Kansas Catholic schools have restricted the use of cell phones by students during instructional times. These policies help reduce the noise and distractions of the culture that very often come through screen time and digital media accessed on cell phones. Time spent in school is sacred and should be focused on learning.
Written Testimony here:
SB 302- Cell Phones
HB 2421 - Cell Phones
Defining Gender. As Christians we find our identity in God our creator- through Sacred Scripture, tradition, and biology. From the first book of the Bible, we read that we are created as male and female, in the image of God. (“God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”- Genesis 1:27)
Oral Testimony here:
HB 2426- Defining Gender
Low Income Kansas Family Family Scholarship Act.
Written Testimony here:
HB 2468 - Scholarship Act
App Store Accountability Act.
Written Testimony here:
SB 372 - App Store Accountability
Mandatory Reporting.
Written Testimony here:
HB 2352 - Mandatory Reporting
Kirk and Speak Act.
Written Testimony here:
SB 419 - Kirk Act
SB 421 - Speak Act
Health Care Sharing.
Written Testimony here:
SB 368 - Health Care
In-State Tuition for Undocumented Kansans.
Written Testimony here:
SB 254 - In Support
Care Act.
Written Testimony here:
HB 2635 - In Support
Statutory damages for women who did not receive information from the Woman's Right to Know Act.
Oral Testimony here:
HB 2727 - In Support
Amends the consent form required in statute under the Woman's Right to Know Act.
Oral Testimony here:
HB 2729 - In Support
Haylee Weissenbach Protecting Students Act.
Written Testimony here:
SB 491 - In Opposition
Transfer students' activities participation.
Written Testimony here:
SB 514 - In Opposition
Protection of religious assembly. (Side note: this has now become S. Sub HB 2018)
Written Testimony here:
SB 520 - In Support
2025 Legislative Testimony
Help Not Harm. The issue of so-called “gender transition” among young people continues to be a hot topic. The Catholic Church calls for compassion and understanding for those experiencing sexual confusion. We must also protect people, especially children, from chemical and surgical manipulations aimed at the false attempt to change one’s gender. The Help Not Harm Act will stop chemical castration (puberty blockers) and surgical operations (including amputation of healthy body parts) that attempt to “transition” someone to a different gender. The legislature passed this bill, which was then vetoed by the governor. We look for the legislature to successfully override the Governor’s veto soon.
Oral Testimony here:
SB 63- Help Not Harm
HB 2071- Help Not Harm
Given Name Act. The Given Name Act is designed to ensure students are called by the name given to them by their parents and the pronouns consistent with their birth certificate, while at school.
Written Testimony here:
SB 76- Given Name Act
Immigration. The Catholic Church recognizes that the Government has a responsibility to secure it’s borders and protect citizens, while at the same time recognizing the human dignity of all people, including the undocumented. This Senate Concurrent Resolution on immigration does not carry the rule of law but does encourage the governor to fully cooperate with federal enforcement of immigration laws, which the KCC supports.
Written Testimony here:
SCR 1602- Immigration
Low-Income Tax Credit Scholarship Program. The low-income tax credit scholarship program has been in Kansas statute for ten years. The program is growing each year, allowing more students from low-income families the opportunity to get the education that best fits their individual needs. The identical bills of HB 2136 and SB 87, seek to modestly expand this program, with the goal of helping more Kansas families experience freedom in educational choice. The KCC offered testimony in support of this bill.
Oral Testimony here:
HB 2136- Expanding the current low-income tax credit scholarship program
SB 87- Expanding the current low-income tax credit scholarship program
HB 2468- Expanding the current low-income tax credit scholarship program
Child support from the moment of conception. This bill is intended to provide women in unplanned pregnancies support from the father of the preborn child dating back to the time of conception. If passed, this law would award child support payments to women nine months earlier than current law, helping to cover pre-birth expenses.The KCC supports this bill.
Written Testimony here:
HB 2062- Child support payments from conception
Increasing criminal penalties for purchasing sex. Treating humans as objects that can be bought and sold, like commodities, strips away an individual’s inherent dignity. Increasing the criminal penalties for purchasing sexual relations can help ensure the degrading of an individual comes to a halt. While also helping to put an end to human trafficking. The KCC supports this bill.
Written Testimony here:
SB 71- Increasing the criminal penalties for purchasing sex
Prenatal and postnatal disability diagnosis resources. There are times when families receive a disability diagnosis for their preborn or newly born child. Making resources available to parents receiving a prenatal or postnatal disability diagnosis can help provide much-needed support. This bill directs the Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities to oversee resources and activities to parents receiving a prenatal or postnatal disability diagnosis with the most up-to-date information as possible about their child’s diagnosis. The KCC supports this bill.
Written Testimony here:
HB 2307- Providing resources to parents who receive a prenatal or postnatal disability diagnosis
Refundable tax credit education bill. This legislation is similar to educational choice legislation passed and implemented in Oklahoma If passed into law, this measure will provide a refundable income tax credit for taxpayers with eligible dependent children who are not enrolled in public schools. The KCC supports this bill.
Written Testimony here:
SB 75- Refundable tax credit for those attending non-public schools
Child support payments. SB 237 would require the courts to consider the value of retirement accounts if a person loses income for certain reasons and eliminating the exemption of pension and retirement moneys from claims to fulfill child support obligations.
Written Testimony here:
SB 237- Child support payments coming from retirement funds
Guardianship care for end of life. HB 2359 is the product of a 5-year project from the Kansas Judicial Council that includes elements addressing guardianship and conservatorship at the end-of-life for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. The Kansas Catholic Conference originally opposed this measure, but changed our position to neutral after an amendment we helped craft was adopted by the House Judiciary Committee.
Oral Testimony here:
HB 2359- Guardianship care for end of life
Adoption protection for families. Many married couples choose to grow their families through adoption. Unfortunately, throughout the United States we have been witnessing the denial of adoption opportunities due to a couple’s faith--particularly their belief and recognition of only two genders. This bill is designed to provide adoption protection for these couples so they may maintain their sincerely held religious and moral beliefs regarding sexual orientation or gender identity as adoptive parents.
Written Testimony here:
HB 2311- Adoption protection rights for families
2024 Legislative Testimony
The Life Affirming Tax Package had four elements, two tax-friendly elements for people who want to adopt a child, and two tax-friendly advantages designed to financially help Pregnancy Resource Centers (PRCs) that provide help for women facing an unplanned pregnancy. The KCC provided testimony in support in both the House and Senate. This measure eventually became law after overcoming a veto from the governor.
SB 498 PRC Tax Package
Oral Testimony Here
Written Testimony Here
FINANCIAL GRANTS TO PREGNANCY RESOURCE CENTERS
The Pregnancy Compassion Act was a part of the Kansas Budget and provided $2 million in state dollars that will be distributed to assist Pregnancy Resource Centers and Maternity Homes. The governor vetoed these funds, but the legislature was successful in overriding the veto.
HB 2789 Pregnancy Compassion Act (added to budget, SB 28 Sec. 35(a))
Oral Testimony Here
ABORTION DATA REPORTING.
The Kansas Catholic Conference supported legislation designed to lift the veil of secrecy from the Kansas abortion industry and help find out why women are choosing abortion over life. This bill eventually became law despite the governor’s veto but is now being held up in court from being implemented.
HB 2749 Abortion Reporting Act
Written Testimony Here
ABORTION COERCION
Studies show that great numbers of women who have had an abortion were coerced in some way to make that decision. Abortion coercion in Kansas is now against the law. The Kansas Catholic Conference offered testimony in favor of this measure.
HB 2436 Crime of Abortion Coercion
Oral Testimony Here
MORE SUPPORT FOR WOMEN IN UNPLANNED PREGNANCIES
EMMA is an acronym standing for “Every Mom Matters Act.” Act.” This bill would have established a comprehensive framework where women could access a wide variety of services to help them bring their children into the world and get them started on their life journey. There was a hearing, but the measure died in committee (did not advance).
HB 2809 EMMA (Every Mom Matters Act)
Oral Testimony Here
Child support from the moment of conception conception was a bill designed to provide women in unplanned pregnancies support from the father of the preborn child. If passed, this law would have awarded child support payments to women from “deadbeat dads” dating back to when the pregnancy began. This measure passed the House and the Senate but was vetoed by the Governor. With no opportunity for a veto override vote due to the legislative session ending.
SB 232 Child support for the unborn
Written Testimony Here
The issue of so-called “gender transition” among young people was perhaps the most hotly debated issue of the 2024 Session. The Catholic Church calls for compassion and understanding for those experiencing sexual confusion. As part of this approach, we must protect people from chemical alternations or surgeries attempting to “change” the gender of a person, especially a child.
The Help Not Harm Act sought to stop chemical castration, artificial hormonal practices and surgical operations on healthy body parts that result in what is commonly known as “transitioning” a gender. The legislature passed this bill, which was then vetoed by the governor. The veto was sustained on a close vote when two House members “flipped” their vote at the last minute.
SB 233 Help Not Harm
Oral Testimony Here
THE SCOURGE OF PORNOGRAPHY is a public health hazard that impacts our culture, most especially children. The Kansas Catholic Conference worked diligently to promote a bill that would require a person to electronically verify they were at least 18 years old if they wished to access pornography in Kansas. Shortly after the bill passed, Pornhub, a leading purveyor of online filth, announced it was leaving Kansas. This was a great victory for Kansans and the protection of our children.
SB 394 Age Verification to access pornography
Written Testimony Here
SUICIDE IS A GROWING PROBLEM IN KANSAS, especially among young people. The Kansas Legislature heard testimony from parents and others who told stories of organizations and individuals encouraging or assisting in a suicide. These heartbreaking stories put a human face on the passage of a law criminalizing suicide coercion or assistance. The Kansas Catholic Conference provided supportive testimony.
HB 2144 Criminalizing suicide assistance/coercion
Written Testimony Here
FUNDING FOR THE MENTAL HEALTH OF CHILDREN was also a hot topic this past legislative session. The question here revolves around mental health services for children in non-public schools (like certain Catholic schools) that may not have access to counselors. The Kansas Catholic Conference was a strong proponent of MHIT funds, which stands for Mental Health Intervention Team. $1.5 million was allocated in the Governor’s Budget for this purpose.
HB 2669 MHIT mental health for children (was added to the omnibus budget, HB 2551)
Written Testimony Here
MEDICAID EXPANSION is a political hot potato with strong feelings on all sides. There is not enough space here to fairly present the various positions on Medicaid Expansion. The Catholic Church in Kansas supports Medicaid Expansion, while also recognizing it is a flawed system that could eventually be used as a path forward for taxpayer-funded abortion.
HB 2556 Medicaid Expansion
Written Testimony Here
KEEPING K.E.E.P. was a legislative priority of the Kansas Catholic Conference this past session. What is KEEP? It’s an acronym that stands for Kansas Educational Enrichment Program, where grants up to $1,000 were dispensed to qualifying families so they could use the money on education-related activities like academic camps, music lessons and much more. KEEP was not part of the final Budget for 2024.
SB 437 KEEP
Written Testimony Here
EDUCATIONAL CHOICE is a core priority of the Kansas Catholic Conference. Catholics teach that parents are the first and best educators of their children—be that through a public school, private school, Catholic school, home school or another learning environment. We seek to help parents in any way with educational choice. There are many educational choice paths. This past session the only one that had traction was a tax credit proposal that passed out of a Senate committee but did not advance further.
SB 509 Educational tax credit for non public school students
Written Testimony Here
CIVIL ASSET FORFEITURE REFORM is an issue of social justice where a bi-partisan agreement was reached during the 2024 Session. Years ago, a law was passed that allowed law enforcement to seize property they had reason to believe was being used in the commission of a crime. The idea was to seize big-time drug dealer’s homes, cars and planes so these criminal operations would be damaged or stopped. As time went on, this provision was being used more and more against lower-income people involved with low-level crimes. This was not the original intent of the law. Reform this past year still allows for the seizure of property, but “tightened up” the requirements to help ensure the spirit and intent of the law.
SB 458 Asset Forfeiture Reform
Written Testimony Here
PAYDAY LOAN REFORM HAS BEEN A KANSAS CATHOLIC CONFERENCE PRIORITY FOR DECADES.
The predatory Payday Loan Industry charges close to 400% interest for short-term loans with difficult repayment arrangements. Fiscal stress in the household is a major cause of divorce, domestic upheaval and household instability. There was an effort to try and get Payday Loan reform in a financial bill, but the effort failed.
SB 495 Payday Loan Reform
Written Testimony Here
CRIMINAL JUSTICE REFORM is of great interest to the Kansas Catholic Church. One aspect of justice reform is the humane treatment of inmates—including women. The KCC supports a bill that would establish a nursery at the State Women’s Prison in Topeka which would allow incarcerated women to care for and bond with their young children. We will continue our efforts.
SB 489 Nursery for Incarcerated Women with children
Written Testimony Here
HYPOXIA AND THE DEATH PENALTY IN KANSAS became an issue when a proposed bill would have allowed the use of hypoxia for state-sponsored executions. The bill in question was not a death penalty bill, but the Conference made known our opposition to the death penalty and the use of hypoxia. The bill stalled in committee.
HB 2782: Using Hypoxia for Death Sentence
Written Testimony Here
SAFE ENVIRONMENTS FOR CHILDREN is an ongoing priority for the Catholic Church in Kansas. We acknowledge and hang our collective heads in shame at the outrageous and unforgiveable acts of abuse against children committed by some clergy in years past. We have learned from this crucible of pain, and we believe the Catholic Church in Kansas has created and implemented the “Gold Standard” of safe environments for children. One proposal on the table last year was the legal requirement that clergy report instances of abuse. We have always supported this measure—our clergy already operate under this requirement as a condition of their employment. A version of this bill passed committee but did not advance further.
HB 2300 Mandated Clergy Reporting
Written Testimony Here
Medical Marijuana and recreational marijuana are issues in Kansas and around the country. The Kansas Catholic Conferences opposes both medical marijuana and recreational marijuana.
SB 555 Medical Marijuana
Written Testimony Here
A MEMORIAL AT THE KANSAS STATEHOUSE HONORING CHAPLAIN FATHER EMIL KAPAUN IS GOING TO HAPPEN! If you don’t know the story of this authentic Kansas Catholic hero, you should. Go to this link to learn more: https://frkapaun.org/ The Kansas Catholic Conference is proud to have played a part in getting this Kansas hometown hero the honor he deserves.
SB 431 Chaplain Father Kapaun Memorial
Written Testimony Here
How do ideas become law?
There are no easy answers to this simple question. Here is an abbreviated look at the process and how the Kansas Catholic Conference makes our voice heard when advocating for or against public policies at the Kansas Statehouse.
OVERVIEW: A bill is simply a legislative proposal. A bill becomes law ONLY if identical bill language is approved by BOTH the House and Senate, AND the Governor signs the bill into law, OR, if the governor vetoes the bill, the legislature overrides the veto with a 2/3’s vote. A bill can also become law if the governor does nothing (neither signs nor vetoes the bill) at the end of 10 days once it is on the desk of the governor.
People of a certain age will remember the old Schoolhouse Rock films, including one on how a bill becomes law. This film, “I’m Just a Bill,” speaks about legislation on the federal level (Washington, D.C.) but the basic concepts are the same. Just a Bill from Schoolhouse Rock
Typically, a legislator (State Representative or Senator) introduces a bill. Very often, they enlist the expertise of a Revisor, who is an attorney with the non-partisan Kansas Office ofRevisors. These lawyers make sure the language of the bill meets certain legal standards of clarity and intent. You can learn about the Kansas Office of Revisors here: Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes
Once introduced, the bill is assigned to the appropriate committee (House or Senate), based on the topic. State house committees are at the grassroot level of policy making. The Committee Chairman/Chairwoman has sole discretion (with a few exceptions) in Kansas on the decision to move or not move legislation forward at the committee level.
The first step in the committee process is a “hearing” where arguments and statements are given by the public and interested parties, either orally, in writing, or both.
The committee hearing is where the Kansas Catholic Conference often makes our voice heard, with on-the-record testimony. We support or oppose numerous bills of all types throughout the legislative session. You can see the list of such testimonies, and our position on each bill, below.
Once the committee hears from witnesses and committee members ask questions—and if there is sufficient interest—the bill is “worked” in committee. This means there is discussion among committee members which ends in a vote to advance the bill—or not. IF the bill advances, it goes to the “floor” of either the House or Senate, where debate and a vote of the entire chamber takes place.
The same process plays out in the other chamber—either the House or Senate.
If there are differences between the House and Senate versions, a conference committee is called where representatives from both parties and both chambers try to negotiate and come to an agreement on language. Both chambers must approve any changes or compromises with a vote. The bill becomes law ONLY if the governor signs it (or, does nothing with the bill for 10 days after receiving it). If there is a veto, the House and Senate must BOTH override the veto with a 2/3’s vote. If not, the bill dies. But again, if the governor signs the bill, it becomes law.