Kansas Legislature Working Bills Through Second Month of Session

The Kansas Legislative session continues into its second month with new bill introductions and legislators working bills through committees. Although a few pieces of legislation have passed originating chambers, much of the work has been committee work.

Kansas Cattlemen’s Association has been reviewing introduced legislation, and the KCA Board of Directors has taken some positions on behalf of independent cattle producers.

KCA will support proposed House Bill 2204, a bill prohibiting the use of identifiable meat terms on labels of meat analogs without either an accompanying disclaimer that the product does not contain meat or the inclusion of the word “imitation” before the name of the meat food product being imitated. The labeling on the analog meat would require the label, in the same font, style and size, immediately before or after the identifiable meat term, state one of the following, “This product does not contain meat”, “meatless”; or “meat-free.” The disclaimer would not be required in menus or on menu boards.

The Right to Repair Act was introduced by Representative Xu. The bill requires manufacturers of electronics-enabled equipment used in agriculture, animal husbandry and ranching to make available to farmers, ranchers and independent repair providers, on fair and reasonable terms, the documentation, parts and tools used to diagnose, maintain and repair such equipment. KCA supports the bill.

Kansas currently recognizes 77 Rural Opportunity Zones. Choosing to relocate to one of these areas has significant added benefits. Designated counties offer one or both of the following financial incentives for new full-time residents: state income tax waivers for up to five years, and/or student loan repayments of up to $15,000 over a period of five years. Legislation has been introduced to strengthen and expand these Rural Opportunity Zones, including the addition of Cowley, Crawford, Dickinson, Ford, Franklin, Miami, and Pottawatomie counties into the program. KCA supports the strengthening of rural Kansas. These Rural Opportunity Zones help bring talent and skilled workers back to the country. KCA will support these bills.

The Senate Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources has passed through to the chamber a bill meant to amend law on securing loads on vehicles to create an exemption for trucks, trailers, or semitrailers when hauling agricultural forage commodities intrastate from the place of production to a market or place of storage. The bill would state this exemption would not apply to trucks, trailers, or semitrailers hauling hay bales or other packaged or bundled forage commodities. Continuing law requires securing a load on a vehicle to prevent any of this load from dropping, sifting, leaking, or otherwise escaping. KCA supports the bill.

Finally, KCA will support a bill that provides land owners the ability to transfer deer hunting permits to non-residents.