By Reily Goyne, AIA Kansas Advocacy Manager
General Statehouse Update
The 2025 Kansas Legislature is in the homestretch. The full House and Senate spent Wednesday and Thursday on General Orders, passing bills before the second Turnaround deadline on Friday, March 21.
Legislation that is not advancing to the Governor, but still in play, will be discussed next week in Senate and House conference committees.
Conference committees will strike deals and bundle bills together, expect bill numbers to change, before First Adjournment next Friday, March 28. The legislature will then return home for a break, before returning on April 10 for the Veto Session to overturn vetoes, and finalize budgets and tax bills.
House Passes SB 227 The State Historic Tax Credit Enhancement
Rep. John Alcala (D-Topeka) committee amendment to SB 227 on March 14 raised concern among stakeholders, including AIA Kansas. Alcala’s broad amendment denied qualified applicants participation in the HTC program if they had any outstanding tax liability, state or local. The amendment did not give applicants the right to cure and tax credits could be clawed back after being issued. This amendment could have effectively killed the HTC program.
AIA Kansas worked with Commerce Bank’s legal counsel to draft an amendment based on a similar provision in Missouri law. The amendment addressed the spirit of Rep. Alcala’s amendment, but was not detrimental to the HTC program. Rep. Adam Smith (R-Weskan), Chair of the House Taxation Committee, carried the amendment on the floor. The amendment passed on a voice vote.
Rep. Alcala then presented a second amendment that would deny the issuance of the historic tax credit to anyone who owes over $5 million to any taxing authority in the state. None of the stakeholders, including AIA Kansas, had a chance to review the amendment and urged legislators to vote against it. The amendment failed 47-65. Late Thursday afternoon, the House passed HB 227 with the amendment 102-16.
HB 227 as amended will go back to the Senate for a vote of concurrence. If the Senate concurs, it goes straight to the Governor. If the Senate does not concur, a conference committee of six legislators - three Senators and three Representatives - will be appointed to negotiate the difference between the House and Senate positions.
Affordable Housing Tax Credit Bill Amended
In Monday’s Senate Commerce Committee meeting, Sen. Stephen Owens (R-Hesston) amended HB 2119 to eliminate the state match of 4% to the Federal Low-Income Housing Tax Credit. Owens preserved the state match of 9% to the federal allocation. His amendment reduces the Kansas Affordable Housing Tax Credit allocations from $25 million to $8.8 million annually. HB 2119 passed the committee and is on Senate General Orders awaiting action.
The Senate did not debate HB 2119 before adjourning. Regardless, the bill can be acted on in a conference committee next week.
Kansas Investor Tax Credit HB 2096 stalled in Senate Tax
Chairwoman Caryn Tyson (R-Parker) Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee, chose not to act on HB 2096, a bill amending the transferability of the Kansas Housing Investor Tax Credit Act.
HB 2096 passed the House 111-6 and has strong support in the Senate too.
Bills to Watch
AIA Kansas monitors several bills throughout the session that could impact the design and construction industry.
SB 35 discontinues the state property tax levies for the Kansas educational building fund and the state institutions building fund finances it through the state general fund. It sits on General Orders in the House.
SB 77 requires state agencies to provide public notice of revocation of administrative rules and regulations. It sits on General Orders in the House.
SB 222 prohibits judicial deference to agency interpretations of statutes, regulations, and rules. It had a hearing on Thursday, March 6 in the House Judiciary Committee.
SB 227 increases the state historic rehabilitation tax credit to 40% for all projects over $5,000 in qualified expenses except those projects between $5,000 and $50,000 in qualified expenses in cities over 50,000 people, which will receive a 25% credit. It passed the House Taxation Committee on Thursday, March 13 and sits on General Orders in the House.
SB 229 terminates all current and new occupational licensing requirements after five years unless extended by a joint resolution of the legislature, and requires that new occupational licensure requirements be approved by a joint resolution of the legislature. The bill does not apply to the State Board of Technical Professions. It had a hearing in Senate Commerce on Wednesday, February 12, and is exempt from deadlines.
SB 283 eliminates the Kansas Affordable Housing Tax Credit and sunsets other income tax credit programs. It had a hearing on Wednesday, March 5, and Thursday, March 6 in Senate Assessment and Taxation.
HB 2088 requires local governments to meet deadlines for issuing building permits and other approvals for real estate development. It sits on General Orders in the Senate.
HB 2099 permits periodic inspections by a city or county for code violations of private residential rental housing where the property owner is receiving governmental rental subsidies. It sits on General Orders in the Senate.
HB 2119 eliminates the Kansas Affordable Housing Tax Credit. It had a hearing in Senate Commerce on Thursday, March 6.
HB 2274 removes the requirement for military servicemembers to be actively serving for accelerated occupational licensure. It is in the Senate Select Committee on Veterans Affairs and no hearing has been set yet.
HB 2291 establishes a regulatory sandbox program within the Attorney General's Office. It sits on General Orders in the Senate.
Government Affairs Committee
If you are interested in joining this committee and staying on top of what is happening at the statehouse, please contact Reily Goyne.
April 18 at 10:00 AM
Register here for the virtual meeting
Cities and counties have advisory boards and commissions making decisions for their communities, and these groups are a great way to get involved in your community. Below is a list of boards with vacancies in the largest Kansas cities. Visit your city's website regularly to see any future openings, or email Reily Goyne if you would like assistance identifying opportunities.
Historic Resources Commission
Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Commission
Downtown Business Improvement District Advisory Board
Historic Resources Board
Manhattan Urban Area Planning Board
Board of Code Review
Board of Housing Commissioners
Historic Preservation Board
Public Art Committee
Affordable Housing Trust Fund Review Committee
Board of Zoning Appeals
Topeka Sustainability Advisory Board
Landmarks Commission
Board of Code Standards and Appeals
Delano Design Advisory Committee
Wichita/Sedgwick County Access Advisory Board
About AIA Kansas
AIA Kansas is a state chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
The organization provides services and programs to meet the professional development needs and interests of Kansas architects and to develop public awareness for the value of architects and architecture.
Our 700-plus members are leaders in building healthy, sustainable communities that will serve our citizens into the future.
www.aiaks.org | 785-357-5308 | info@aiaks.org
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