Briefing Book 2026: Kansas Vaccination Rates and the Cost to Treat Illnesses

Required Vaccinations for Students KSA 72-6262 et seq. requires proof of certain vaccinations for all students enrolling for the first time in a school, preschool, day care program operated by a school, or as designated by the Secretary of Health and Environment (Secretary). Certification must be from a licensed physician or local health department andContinue reading “Briefing Book 2026: Kansas Vaccination Rates and the Cost to Treat Illnesses”

Briefing Book 2026: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control

Background The Food Stamp Act of 1964, which established the original federal framework for food assistance, did not include a formal or comprehensive quality control system. In the early 1980s, the current system for measuring Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) payment errors was established, with the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issuing error rates annually.Continue reading “Briefing Book 2026: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Quality Control”

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”

Briefing Book 2026: An Overview of the Board of Tax Appeals Financing

Introduction The Board of Tax Appeals is the highest administrative tribunal to hear appeals relating to ad valorem (property), income, sales, compensating use, and inheritance taxes, along with other matters involving taxation by state and local taxing authorities. The Board is divided into two divisions: Fee Fund Financing Prior to FY 2012, the Board wasContinue reading “Briefing Book 2026: An Overview of the Board of Tax Appeals Financing”