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How the Kansas Legislature Works

Understanding the Kansas legislative process makes everything in BillBee more useful. When you see a bill's status change from "In Committee" to "Passed Committee" or watch a bill move into "Conference," you'll know exactly what's happening and what comes next.

This guide covers the structure of the Kansas Legislature, how a bill moves through the process, and the key deadlines that drive the pace of each session.

The Kansas Legislature​

The Kansas Legislature is bicameral — it has two chambers:

  • House of Representatives — 125 members, each representing a district, serving 2-year terms
  • Senate — 40 members, each representing a district, serving 4-year terms

A bill can be introduced in either chamber and must pass both to reach the Governor's desk.

The Legislative Session​

The Kansas Legislature meets annually, beginning on the second Monday in January. A regular session typically runs through early-to-mid May (roughly 90 days), followed by a brief Veto Session for handling gubernatorial vetoes and unfinished conference committee work.

Typical Weekly Schedule​

During session, the Legislature follows a general weekly pattern:

  • Monday through Thursday — Session days (Fridays are typically off)
  • 8:00 - 10:30 AM — Committee meetings (hearings, work sessions, briefings)
  • 11:00 AM — House convenes for floor business
  • 2:30 PM — Senate convenes for floor business

This schedule shifts during busy periods, and committees sometimes meet during floor sessions or on non-standard days.

BillBee Calendar

Use BillBee's Calendar to see the actual schedule for any given day, including committee meetings, floor sessions, and deadlines. You can also subscribe to a calendar feed (Professional plan) to keep your personal calendar in sync.

How a Bill Becomes Law​

1. Introduction​

A bill starts when a legislator introduces it in either the House or Senate. Bills are numbered sequentially — HB (House Bill) or SB (Senate Bill) followed by a number (e.g., HB 2001, SB 150).

Any legislator can introduce a bill. Some bills are introduced on behalf of the Governor, state agencies, or interim study committees. The legislator who introduces a bill is its primary sponsor; other legislators may sign on as co-sponsors.

In BillBee: New bills appear as "Introduced" status. If you have Saved Searches set up, BillBee will alert you when new bills matching your criteria are filed.

2. Committee Referral​

After introduction, the bill is assigned to a committee by the Speaker of the House or the Senate President. The committee assignment determines which group of legislators will give the bill its first detailed review.

Kansas has standing committees in both chambers that focus on specific policy areas. For example, a bill about school funding would likely go to the Education committee, while a tax bill would go to Taxation (House) or Assessment and Taxation (Senate).

In BillBee: The bill's status shows "In Committee" and you can see which committee has it. Track that committee to get notified about hearings.

3. Committee Hearings​

The committee chair decides whether to schedule a hearing on the bill. In the hearing, the committee takes testimony from:

  • Proponents — People and organizations who support the bill
  • Opponents — People and organizations who oppose the bill
  • Neutral conferees — People providing informational testimony without taking a position
  • Written-only testimony — Submitted comments from people who can't or don't wish to appear in person

Hearings are open to the public. Any Kansas citizen can testify before a committee.

In BillBee: You'll be notified when a hearing is scheduled for a tracked bill. Check the Calendar for hearing times and locations.

4. Committee Action​

After hearings, the committee may hold a work session to debate the bill, propose amendments, and vote. The committee can:

  • Pass the bill favorably — Recommend it to the full chamber
  • Pass the bill with amendments — Make changes and recommend it
  • Table the bill — Set it aside indefinitely (effectively killing it)
  • Take no action — Simply not schedule it for a vote (also effectively killing it)

In BillBee: Status changes to "Passed Committee" when a bill advances, or the bill may not advance further if the committee takes no action.

5. Floor Debate (Committee of the Whole)​

Bills that pass committee go to the full chamber for consideration. In Kansas, the full chamber first meets as the Committee of the Whole — a procedural step where all members can debate and propose amendments to the bill.

After the Committee of the Whole finishes, the bill is placed on the calendar for Final Action.

6. Final Action (Floor Vote)​

The full chamber votes on the bill. In the Kansas House, a bill needs 63 votes (a simple majority of 125 members) to pass. In the Senate, it needs 21 votes (a simple majority of 40 members).

In BillBee: The bill's status shows the vote result, and you can see how each legislator voted in their Voting Record.

7. Second Chamber​

Once a bill passes one chamber, it's sent to the other chamber (the House sends to the Senate, and vice versa). The second chamber repeats the entire process: committee referral, hearings, committee action, floor debate, and final vote.

The second chamber may:

  • Pass the bill unchanged — It goes to the Governor
  • Pass the bill with amendments — It must go back to the first chamber or to a conference committee
  • Reject the bill — The bill dies

In BillBee: You'll see the bill move through "Sent to Other Chamber" and then back through committee and floor stages.

8. Conference Committee​

If the House and Senate pass different versions of the same bill, a conference committee is appointed to work out the differences. The conference committee typically includes 3 members from each chamber.

The conference committee produces a conference committee report — a single version of the bill that both chambers must accept or reject (no further amendments). Both chambers must vote to adopt the report for the bill to advance.

In BillBee: Status shows "Conference" while this process is underway.

9. Governor's Action​

Once both chambers pass the same version of a bill, it goes to the Governor, who has three options:

  • Sign the bill — It becomes law
  • Veto the bill — It goes back to the Legislature, which can override the veto with a two-thirds vote in both chambers (84 votes in the House, 27 in the Senate)
  • Allow the bill to become law without a signature — If the Governor takes no action within a certain period, the bill becomes law automatically

In BillBee: Status changes to "Sent to Governor," then "Governor Signed," "Governor Vetoed," or other final statuses.

10. Effective Date​

Once signed into law, a bill takes effect on one of several possible dates:

  • Upon publication in the Kansas Register — The most common default
  • July 1 — A common effective date for bills with fiscal impact
  • A specific date written into the bill — The Legislature can specify any future date
  • Upon publication in the statute book — For some routine legislation

Key Deadlines​

The Kansas legislative session is driven by several critical deadlines. These dates change slightly each year, but the pattern is consistent.

Turnaround Day​

Typically late February. The last day non-exempt bills can be considered by the chamber where they were introduced. After Turnaround Day, each chamber switches to working on bills sent over from the other chamber.

Bills that haven't passed their chamber of origin by Turnaround Day are effectively dead for the session (unless they're "exempt" — certain committees like Appropriations and Ways and Means are exempt from this deadline).

Why Turnaround Day Matters

The weeks leading up to Turnaround Day are the busiest of the session. Committees rush to hear and advance bills before the deadline. If you're tracking legislation, this is when you'll see the most activity in BillBee.

Second Chamber Deadline​

Typically late March. Bills that crossed over from the other chamber must be acted on by this date.

First Adjournment​

Typically early-to-mid May. The regular session ends. Most legislative business should be concluded by this point, though some bills may be left for the Veto Session.

Veto Session​

Shortly after First Adjournment. Both chambers reconvene briefly to handle:

  • Gubernatorial veto overrides
  • Remaining conference committee reports
  • Any unfinished budget business

Bill Types You'll See in BillBee​

PrefixTypeDescription
HBHouse BillStandard legislation introduced in the House
SBSenate BillStandard legislation introduced in the Senate
HCRHouse Concurrent ResolutionNon-binding resolution requiring both chambers
SCRSenate Concurrent ResolutionNon-binding resolution requiring both chambers
HRHouse ResolutionResolution affecting only the House
SRSenate ResolutionResolution affecting only the Senate

Exempt Committees​

Certain committees are exempt from Turnaround Day and other deadlines, meaning they can introduce and advance bills throughout the session. These typically include:

  • House Appropriations and Senate Ways and Means — Budget and spending bills
  • House Taxation and Senate Assessment and Taxation — Tax legislation
  • House Federal and State Affairs and Senate Federal and State Affairs — Broad policy matters
  • Conference committees

Bills referred to exempt committees can appear late in the session, which is why BillBee's Saved Searches with alerts are valuable throughout the entire session — not just at the start.

BillBee Statuses and the Legislative Process​

BillBee tracks bills through these statuses, which map to the legislative process described above:

BillBee StatusWhat It Means
IntroducedBill has been filed in its chamber of origin
In CommitteeBill has been assigned to a committee
FloorBill is being debated on the chamber floor
PassedBill has passed one chamber
Sent to Other ChamberBill is moving to the second chamber
ConferenceHouse and Senate are reconciling different versions
ConcurrenceOne chamber is voting on the other's changes
Sent to GovernorBill has passed both chambers
Governor SignedBill has been signed into law
Governor VetoedGovernor has rejected the bill
Veto OverriddenLegislature has overridden the Governor's veto
EnactedBill is law
KilledBill has been defeated or died in committee

Learn More​