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HB 2016KANSASSession 2025-2026State BillSigned into law
Enacted

Kansas Law Authorizes County Election Officers to Remove Deceased Voters Using Funeral Home Online Obituaries

Original title: AN ACT concerning elections; relating to voter registration; including funeral home online obituary notices as sufficient grounds for removal of a deceased voter from the voter registration books; requiring that poll workers be citizens of the United States and live within the state of Kansas; prohibiting the disqualification of active military members, spouses or other dependents who are citizens of the United States as poll workers on the basis of residency or being a registered voter; relating to advance voting ballot applications; modifying the requirements for soliciting registered voters to submit advance voting applications; amending K.S.A. 25-2804 and K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 25-1122 and 25-2316c and repealing the existing sections.

Last action · April 10, 2025: Engrossed on Thursday, March 27, 2025

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Does

County election officers in Kansas are now permitted to remove deceased voters from registration books based on online obituary notices published by local funeral homes, supplementing existing newspaper and vital statistics methods.

Why it matters

Expands the methods by which election officials verify and clean voter rolls, altering how deceased residents are removed from registration lists.

Background
  • State election laws govern how voter registration lists are maintained and updated, including the criteria and documentation required to remove deceased individuals from voter rolls. context

Who It Affects

Groups the bill's text affects, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

county election officers

County election officers are granted a new authorized source (online funeral home obituaries) for removing deceased individuals from voter registration books.

Directly affected

registered voters

Registered voters are subject to having their registration status updated or voided based on online obituary publications.

Key Facts

  • County election officers are authorized to remove a registered voter's name from registration books and party affiliation lists when an obituary notice is published online by a funeral home located in the county.
  • Removal of a voter is also permitted based on an obituary notice appearing in a newspaper having general circulation in the county.
  • County election officers must remove a voter's name if the voter requests it in writing, if ordered by a court of competent jurisdiction, or if the person appears on a list of deceased residents provided by the secretary of health and environment, a death certificate, or social security information.
  • Lists of deceased residents or copies provided to county election officers cannot be used for any purpose other than voter list maintenance under this section.
Show all 5 facts
  • The act takes effect upon publication in the statute book Kansas register.

Frequently Asked Questions

What new source can county election officers use to remove deceased voters?
County election officers may use online obituary notices published by a funeral home located in the county.
Can lists of deceased residents provided to election officers be used for other purposes?
No, county election officers are prohibited from using or permitting the use of lists of deceased residents or copies of such lists for any purpose other than voter registration list maintenance.

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Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

25 actions
  1. Apr 10, 2025House
    Engrossed on Thursday, March 27, 2025
  2. Apr 10, 2025House
    Enrolled and presented to Governor on Monday, March 31, 2025
  3. Apr 10, 2025HouseEnrolled
    Approved by Governor on Monday, April 7, 2025
  4. Mar 26, 2025SenateFloor
    Conference Committee Report was adopted
  5. Mar 26, 2025House
    Conference committee report now available
  6. Mar 26, 2025HouseFloor
    Conference Committee Report was adopted
Show 19 earlier actions
  1. Mar 25, 2025Senate
    Conference committee report now available
  2. Mar 20, 2025House
    Nonconcurred with amendments; Conference Committee requested; appointed , and
  3. Mar 20, 2025SenateFloor
    Motion to accede adopted; Senator Thompson, Senator Blew, Senator Faust Goudeau, , appointed as conferees
  4. Mar 19, 2025Senate
    Committee of the Whole - Now working on
  5. Mar 19, 2025SenateFloor
    Committee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted
  6. Mar 19, 2025SenateFloor
    Committee of the Whole - Be passed as amended
  7. Mar 19, 2025Senate
    fa_fabc_912
  8. Mar 19, 2025SenateFloor
    Emergency Final Action - Passed as amended
  9. Mar 10, 2025SenateFloor
    Committee Report recommending bill be passed as amended by
  10. Mar 5, 2025Senate
    Hearing: Wednesday, March 5, 2025, 10:30 AM — Room 144-S
  11. Feb 20, 2025SenateCommittee
    Referred to Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs
  12. Feb 19, 2025HouseFloor
    Final Action - Passed
  13. Feb 19, 2025SenateIntroduced
    Received and Introduced
  14. Feb 18, 2025House
    Committee of the Whole - Now working on
  15. Feb 18, 2025HouseFloor
    Committee of the Whole - Be passed
  16. Feb 13, 2025HouseFloor
    Committee Report recommending bill be passed by
  17. Feb 6, 2025House
    Hearing: Thursday, February 6, 2025, 3:30 PM — Room 218-N
  18. Jan 16, 2025HouseIntroduced
    Introduced
  19. Jan 16, 2025HouseCommittee
    Referred to House Committee on Elections

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Connected Entities

House Committee on Elections, United States district court, secretary of health and environment and 2 more
OrganizationHouse Committee on Elections“Sponsoring committee of the bill”Map →
locationUnited States district court“Court handling felony convictions”Map →
Organizationsecretary of health and environment“Compiles lists of deceased residents”Map →
locationKansas“State where the legislation applies”Map →
OrganizationSocial Security Administration“Provides information on deceased persons”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.kslegislature.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance45
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy20
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz25
    Current news / social attention level

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