Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session Status: Vetoed

HB 2311 — Prohibiting the secretary from adopting and enforcing policies for placement, custody and appointment of a custodian that may conflict with sincerely held religious or moral beliefs regarding sexual orientation or gender identity and creating a right of action for violations.

Last action — Law effective May 1, 2025

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. ✓
    In Committee
  3. ✓
    Passed House
  4. ✓
    Passed Senate
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced February 06, 2025. It awaits signature.

Vetoed by Governor Laura Kelly (Democratic) on April 10, 2025.

Next likely step: the executive signs it into law or issues a veto.

Prognosis

Advancing 42% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • To Executive

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

56 added · 52 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent amendment to House Bill 2311 adds specific protections for individuals involved in child placement and custody decisions, ensuring that their sincerely held religious or moral beliefs about sexual orientation and gender identity are respected. This means that the Secretary for Children and Families cannot create policies that would force these individuals to go against their beliefs, nor can they disqualify someone from being a custodian or adopting based on those beliefs. This change is significant because it aims to provide rights and protections for those with differing views on sensitive social issues while participating in the child welfare system.

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As Amended by Senate Committee {As Amended by House Committee of the Whole} Session of 2025 HOUSE BILLNo.
HOUSE BILL No.
2311 By Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care Requested by Representative Humphries 2-6 AN ACT concerning children and minors;
2311 AN A CT concerning children and minors;
creating a right of action for violations {against the secretary for children and families}.
creating a right of action for violations against the secretary for children and families.
9 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
(c) {(1)} A person aggrieved by a violation of subsection (a) may HB 2311—Am.
(c) (1) A person aggrieved by a violation of subsection (a) may recover actual damages, injunctive relief, costs and reasonable attorney fees from the department for children and families.
by SC 2 recover actual and punitive damages, injunctive relief, costs and reasonable attorney fees {from the department for children and families.
(2) The department for children and families shall be liable for any action taken by a contractor that violates this section.
(2) The department for children and families shall be liable for any action taken by a contractor that violates this section.} {(3) No action for a violation of subsection (a) shall be brought against an entity that contracts with the department}.
(3) No action for a violation of subsection (a) shall be brought against an entity that contracts with the department.
Sec.
HOUSE BILL No.
2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its publication in the statute book Kansas register.
2311—page 2 Sec.
2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its publication in the Kansas register.
I hereby certify that the above ILL originated in the House, and passed that body H OUSE concurred in SENATE amendments __________________________________________________________________ Speaker of the House.
Chief Clerk of the House.
Passed the SENATE as amended President of the Senate.
Secretary of the Senate.
A PPROVED ______________________________________________________________________________ Governor.
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Action History

  1. Law effective May 1, 2025

  2. Vetoed by Governor; Returned to House on Thursday, April 3, 2025

  3. Motion to override veto prevailed; Yea 87, Nay 38

  4. Motion to override veto prevailed; Yea 31, Nay 9

  5. Reengrossed on Wednesday, March 26, 2025

  6. Enrolled and presented to Governor on Friday, March 28, 2025

  7. Concurred with amendments; Yea 84, Nay 38, Absent 3

  8. Committee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted

  9. Committee of the Whole - Be passed as amended

  10. Emergency Final Action - Passed as amended; Yea 31, Nay 9

  11. Committee Report recommending bill be passed as amended by Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare

  12. Referred to Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare

  13. Received and Introduced

  14. Final Action - Passed as amended; Yea 86, Nay 37, Absent 2

  15. Engrossed on Thursday, February 20, 2025

  16. Committee of the Whole - Motion to Amend - Offered by Rep. Cyndi Howerton

  17. Committee of the Whole - Amendment by Rep. Cyndi Howerton was adopted

  18. Committee of the Whole - Motion to Amend - Offered by Rep. Susan Ruiz

  19. Committee of the Whole - Amendment by Rep. Susan Ruiz was rejected; Yea 36, Nay 84, Absent 5

  20. Committee of the Whole - Be passed as amended

  21. Committee Report recommending bill be passed by House Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care

  22. Introduced

  23. Referred to House Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care

Sponsors

  • Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care · Primary

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 164 not signed on

Sponsors (1)

  • Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (164)

164 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 164 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Subjects

civil-rights labor
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors HB 2311?
HB 2311 is sponsored by Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care.
What is the current status of HB 2311?
This bill has been sent to the executive. Introduced February 06, 2025. It awaits signature.
Where can I track HB 2311?
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