The Kansas Legislature adjourned on April 12, 2026, the shortest session in the state’s history. NFIB State Director Dan Murray hosted a virtual legislative recap to discuss what happened during the session and how it affects your small business.

“Lawmakers stuck to a very fast session, which made things complicated in certain ways,” Murray said. “It also limited some of the items we achieved, but we were also able to stop a lot of bad bills from passing as well.”

CLICK HERE to watch the full virtual recap. Below are a handful of the small business victories, challenges, and opportunities discussed during the virtual event.

SMALL BUSINESS VICTORY: Legal Reform in Kansas!

NFIB supported several reforms to promote a fairer and more balanced civil justice system for Kansans.

• SB 462 – Public Nuisance & Wrongful Conduct Legal Reform

This bill will protect small businesses from frivolous lawsuits by prohibiting people who were engaged in wrongful conduct from suing for negligence or collecting damages when their injuries are related to that wrongful conduct. NFIB SUPPORTED SB 462. The Legislature passed and overrode the Governor’s veto of SB 462.

• SB 398 – Expert Witness Reform

This bill limits opinion testimony to observations that are rationally based on the witness’s own perception and adds new threshold requirements for expert witnesses. NFIB SUPPORTED SB 398. The Governor signed the bill into law.

CHALLENGES

Kansas has a very favorable legislature to small business issues. However, there were multiple bills introduced this session that would have made it harder for you to own and operate your small business, including new taxes, employer mandates, and minimum wage hikes.

• HB 2385 – New Earnings Tax on Residents and Non-Residents

This bill authorizes Kansas counties to implement an earnings tax of up to 1% per year on both residents and non-residents who work in the county. A similar bill was introduced in 2025. NFIB OPPOSED HB 2385.

• SB 216 – Paid Sick Leave Mandate

This bill establishes the Kansas Paid Sick Time Act, which imposes mandatory paid sick leave requirements for employers in Kansas. Under this legislation, employees will accrue one hour of paid sick time for every 30 hours worked. NFIB OPPOSED SB 216.

• SB 218 – $15 Minimum Wage

This bill would raise the state minimum wage to $15 per hour and automatically adjust the minimum wage annually based on increases in the consumer price index. NFIB OPPOSED SB 218.

Though these bills did not pass, it is safe to assume they will be reintroduced next year. NFIB will continue to oppose these bills.

OPPORTUNITIES

NFIB will continue weighing in on these reforms in the next legislative session.

• SB 413 – Preventing Jury Anchoring

This bill would have prohibited attorneys and parties in civil actions from suggesting specific amounts to juries for awards of non-economic damages, a practice known as “jury anchoring.” NFIB SUPPORTED SB 413. The bill passed in the Senate but stalled in the House.

• 2026-HB Sub for SB 229 – Unemployment Insurance Reform

This bill makes significant changes to the unemployment insurance system. Importantly, it would discontinue a calculated negative debt write-off and forgiveness provision for certain employers related to unemployment insurance. NFIB SUPPORTED 2026-HB Sub for SB 229. The bill passed in the House but stalled in the Senate.

• 2025-HB 2343 – No-Impact Home-Based Business Fairness Act

This bill establishes new protections and guidelines for home-based businesses that operate with minimal impact on their residential surroundings. NFIB SUPPORTED 2025-HB 2343. The bill passed in the House but stalled in the Senate.

CLICK HERE to watch the full virtual recap.

KEY TAKEAWAY: Engaging Your Lawmakers Makes a Big Difference for Small Businesses

This session, NFIB Kansas secured several important victories and warded off some harmful proposals through our direct advocacy at the Capitol in Topeka. While there are many pro-small business lawmakers in the Kansas Legislature, your advocacy makes a difference! We hope you’ll continue to actively reach out and voice your concerns with lawmakers!