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Enacted

Kansas exempts non-profit electric cooperative subsidiaries from state corporation commission rate oversight

Original title: AN ACT concerning the state corporation commission; relating to the jurisdiction of the commission over electric public utilities; exempting any electric public utility that is a not-for-profit wholly owned subsidiary of an electric cooperative public utility from the jurisdiction of the state corporation commission; establishing certain exceptions; authorizing the customers of such subsidiary utility to petition the commission to investigate the rates of such utility; authorizing the commission to order new rates if the commission finds that such rates are found to be unjust, unreasonable, unjustly discriminatory or unduly preferential; requiring the customers of such subsidiary utility to receive notice of and be provided access to meetings concerning electric rates; providing an option for the customers of such subsidiary utility to elect to terminate such exemption.

Last action · March 12, 2026: Approved by Governor on Thursday, March 12, 2026

Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Does

Kansas enacts a law exempting not-for-profit electric public utilities that are wholly owned subsidiaries of s from oversight, while establishing customer petition rights for rate investigations and meeting notices. The law takes effect upon publication in the Kansas Register.

Why it matters

Changes regulatory oversight for qualifying cooperative utility subsidiaries, allowing customers to petition for rate reviews or vote to terminate the exemption under specific signature thresholds.

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

retail electric customers of exempt subsidiary utilities

Retail customers gain rights to petition for rate investigations, receive meeting notices, request customer lists, and vote to terminate the utility's exemption.

Directly affected

electric public utilities that are not-for-profit wholly owned subsidiaries

These utilities are exempted from general State Corporation Commission jurisdiction while remaining subject to specific notice requirements, rate filings, and renewable energy standards.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can customers challenge rate changes under this law?
Yes. Customers can file a petition signed by at least 5% of total customers (or 3% from any single rate class) within one year of a rate change to trigger a investigation.
How can customers terminate the utility's exemption?
Customers can file a petition signed by at least 10% of the exempt utility's customers requesting an election, which is then decided by a majority vote of customers voting via mail ballot.
Are exempt utilities entirely free from state commission oversight?
No. The commission retains authority over service territory, certificates of convenience and necessity, transmission line siting, wire stringing, and the utility remains subject to renewable energy standards.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

No news coverage found yet. Articles are indexed twice daily.

Where This Stands

Current status: Signed into law.

Procedural history

17 actions
  1. Mar 12, 2026SenateEnrolled
    Approved by Governor on Thursday, March 12, 2026
  2. Mar 6, 2026Senate
    Enrolled and presented to Governor on Friday, March 6, 2026
  3. Mar 3, 2026HouseFloor
    Final Action - Passed
  4. Mar 2, 2026House
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  5. Feb 26, 2026House
    ccal_rcc_820
  6. Feb 25, 2026HouseFloor
    Committee Report recommending bill be passed and placed on Consent Calendar by
Show 11 earlier actions
  1. Feb 24, 2026House
    Hearing: Tuesday, February 24, 2026, 9:00 AM — Room 582-N
  2. Feb 9, 2026HouseIntroduced
    Received and Introduced
  3. Feb 9, 2026HouseCommittee
    Referred to House Committee on Energy, Utilities and Telecommunications
  4. Feb 5, 2026SenateFloor
    Final Action - Passed as amended
  5. Feb 4, 2026Senate
    Committee of the Whole - Now working on
  6. Feb 4, 2026SenateFloor
    Committee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted
  7. Feb 4, 2026SenateFloor
    Committee of the Whole - Be passed as amended
  8. Jan 27, 2026SenateFloor
    Committee Report recommending bill be passed as amended by
  9. Jan 22, 2026Senate
    Hearing: Thursday, January 22, 2026, 1:30 PM — Room 548-S
  10. Jan 21, 2026SenateIntroduced
    Introduced
  11. Jan 21, 2026SenateCommittee
    Referred to Senate Committee on Utilities

Version history

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

View official text →

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

State Corporation Commission, Kansas Register, Federal Energy Regulatory Commission
OrganizationState Corporation Commission“State regulatory body overseeing public utilities”Map →
otherKansas Register“Official publication where new laws take effect”Map →
OrganizationFederal Energy Regulatory Commission“Federal body approving transmission tariffs”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.kslegislature.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance65
    How much this matters to a regular citizen
  • Controversy40
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment5
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz20
    Current news / social attention level

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