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KPA Helps Push SB 344 

Your Advocacy Made a Difference—And the Fight Isn’t Over

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Thanks to your outreach, emails, and conversations with lawmakers, Kansas SB 344 gained strong momentum at the Statehouse. The bill—critical to saving newborn puppies and kittens—was scheduled for debate on Thursday, March 19, with solid support lined up from legislators on both sides of the aisle.

However, in an unexpected turn, the House adjourned before completing its calendar, and SB 344 did not receive a vote.

While the bill is technically no longer active, its provisions are very much alive—and there is still a clear path forward.

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Kansas Pet Advocates is working diligently to have the language of SB 344 included in a Conference Committee Report (CCR). Because of your powerful advocacy and the bill’s unanimous passage in the Senate, it remains eligible for inclusion in final negotiations. We are optimistic and continuing to push hard to get this across the finish line. Conference committees began meeting the week of March 23 to finalize key legislation, making this a critical window for action.

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Why It Matters

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Without the protections outlined in SB 344, newborn puppies and kittens—especially those requiring round-the-clock care—face unnecessary euthanasia. Animal shelters simply do not have the capacity to provide 24-hour care for orphaned neonatal animals. Foster families are essential to saving these vulnerable lives, and SB 344 ensures they can continue this lifesaving work.

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Take Action Now

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Your efforts have already made a difference—that’s why your voice is needed again.

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We urge you to contact your legislators today and ask them to include the contents of SB 344 in a Conference Committee Report and ensure its final passage. Time is short, and the stakes are high.

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Together, we can protect Kansas’s most vulnerable animals and support the foster networks that give them a chance to survive and thrive.

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Act now. Save lives.

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Legislative Action in 2026        KPA Supported TNVR Bill

Kansas Senate Advances Key Animal Welfare Legislation

On March 18, the Kansas HB 2535—a bill clarifying that trap-neuter-vaccinate-return (TNVR) practices do not violate animal cruelty laws—was debated on the Senate floor, marking an important moment for animal welfare advocates across the state.

The bill was carried by Ron Ryckman (R-Meade), who shared personal stories about his wife’s longtime involvement in cat rescue efforts, underscoring the real-world impact of TNVR programs. Adam Thomas (R-Olathe) added levity to the discussion, helping to highlight the broad, bipartisan support for the measure.

With no opposition or amendments offered during debate, the Senate moved decisively to pass the bill on March 19 by a vote of 39–1. The lone dissenting vote came from Tory Marie Blew (R-Great Bend).

Due to a Senate amendment adjusting the bill’s effective date, HB 2535 now returns to the House for a concurrence vote. If the House agrees to the changes, the bill will advance to Laura Kelly for signature. If not, it will proceed to a conference committee for further negotiation.

Passage of HB 2535 in the Senate represents a significant step forward for humane, community-based approaches to managing free-roaming cat populations. This progress reflects the strong advocacy and engagement of supporters across Kansas who have worked to ensure that TNVR programs are recognized as a responsible and lawful practice.

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Legislative Action

Kansas Pet Advocates initiated and secured support for sales tax exemption for nonprofit shelters and rescues. This bill will be reintroduced in the 2025 Kansas legislative session.

 

In 2022, Kansas Pet Advocates lobbied the legislators to reorganize and increase the operating budget for the Animal Facilities Inspection (AFI) program and effectively achieved the most important objectives it sought through its request for an Executive Reorganization Order (ERO), including the following improvements to the AFI program:​

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  • New vet hired as the Director

  • New funding for AFI in the amount of $483,729

  • New investigative inspector

  • $50,000 of new funding will be dedicated to shelters to compensate them for animal care costs incurred in connection with seizures​

 

In 2021, Kansas Pet Advocates lobbied the legislature to prevent the return of greyhound racing to Kansas by (1) amending the sports wagering bill to exclude greyhound racing from the list of “sporting events” that can receive legal wagers; and (2) amending the Kansas Parimutuel Wagering Act to prohibit greyhound racing in any racing where there are slots or historical racing machines.

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