Briefing Book 2026: Electricity Capacity

Electricity capacity refers to the total amount of energy a device or system can store and release to utilities and customers. 2025 Electric Supply and Demand Biennial Report KSA 66-1282 requires the Kansas Corporation Commission (KCC) to produce a report on electric supply and demand for all electric utilities in Kansas every two years. ElectricityContinue reading “Briefing Book 2026: Electricity Capacity”

Briefing Book 2026: Next Generation 911

What is Next Generation 911? Next Generation 911 (NG911) is a digital, internet protocol (IP)-based system replacing the analog 911 infrastructure that has been in place for decades. Along with the digital transfer of information, NG911 utilizes geographic information systems (GIS) to help emergency dispatchers provide a location where the emergency call is taking place.Continue reading “Briefing Book 2026: Next Generation 911”

Briefing Book 2026: Stablecoin: Tracking the New Policy Approach

Stablecoin Overview Stablecoins are a form of cryptocurrency. Cryptocurrencies are a digital representation of value that relies on cryptography to secure transactions and functions similarly to most currencies by providing a medium of exchange, unit of account, and store of value. Most cryptocurrencies do not require intermediaries or government backing. Stablecoins are a unique subsetContinue reading “Briefing Book 2026: Stablecoin: Tracking the New Policy Approach”

Briefing Book 2026: Telecommunication Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation

According to the Federal Communications Commission’s 16th Annual 911 Fee Report, the state of Kansas received approximately 1.6 million 911 voice calls in 2024. Telecommunication Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, referred to as T-CPR or dispatcher-assisted CPR, is a life-saving process in which emergency medical dispatchers provide real-time CPR instructions over the phone to bystanders during an out-of-hospitalContinue reading “Briefing Book 2026: Telecommunication Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation”

Briefing Book 2026: Attorney Workforce Within the Office of the Attorney General and the State Board of Indigents’ Defense Services

Attorney Workforce Trends According to the Kansas Supreme Court’s Rural Justice Initiative Committee Report, there were 11,179 active attorneys in Kansas in 2023. Of those attorneys, only 70.2 percent (or 7,843 attorneys) resided in the state of Kansas. This correlates with the 2024 Profile of the Legal Profession by the American Bar Association, which statesContinue reading “Briefing Book 2026: Attorney Workforce Within the Office of the Attorney General and the State Board of Indigents’ Defense Services”

Briefing Book 2026: Judicial Deference

Prior to the 2023-2024 term of the U.S. Supreme Court, the landmark decision in the area of judicial deference to administrative agencies was Chevron U.S.A., Inc. v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. (1984), which was recently overturned by Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimando (2024). This article provides a brief history of U.S. Supreme Court precedenceContinue reading “Briefing Book 2026: Judicial Deference”

Briefing Book 2026: Sex Offender Residency and Travel Restrictions

Historical Perspective on Residency Restrictions Legislation enacted in 2006 (SB 506) authorized the creation of the Sex Offender Policy Board (SOPB) under the auspices of the Kansas Criminal Justice Coordinating Council to study and make recommendations pertaining to various issues involving sex offenders. One of the topics to be studied by the SOPB included restrictionsContinue reading “Briefing Book 2026: Sex Offender Residency and Travel Restrictions”

Briefing Book 2026: Extraterritorial Zoning

Cities are authorized under KSA 12-715b et seq. and KSA 12-754(a) to adopt zoning regulations affecting land located outside the city but within three miles of its boundaries, or one-half the distance to another city if that distance is less than three miles. This is colloquially referred to as “extraterritorial zoning” or the “three-mile zone.”Continue reading “Briefing Book 2026: Extraterritorial Zoning”

Briefing Book 2026: Port Authority

A port authority is a legal entity created by a local government or governments to address local transportation-related issues. “Port” is statutorily defined for this purpose to mean a water-port facility, airport facility, terminal facility, land transportation facility, railroad facility, or industrial-use facility. A port authority is distinct from an airport authority. Statutes creating andContinue reading “Briefing Book 2026: Port Authority”

Briefing Book 2026: Budget Process Overview

Overview This article describes the historical process by which the Kansas State Budget has been developed, and changes made during the 2024 Legislative Session to that process. Historical State Budget Process Prior to the 2024 Legislative Session, the State budget process was largely shaped by the 1976 Task Force of Effective Management established by formerContinue reading “Briefing Book 2026: Budget Process Overview”