Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas House Bill HB2023

Introduced
1/16/25  

Caption

Creating the election crime of interference with an election official.

Impact

The passage of HB 2023 would categorize interference with an election official as a severity level 7 nonperson felony. This classification indicates the gravity of the offense and sets forth clear penalties for violators. By enacting this legislation, Kansas aims to bolster the integrity of the electoral process and protect those responsible for administering elections. The bill could lead to stronger enforcement against unlawful actions aimed at intimidating election personnel.

Summary

House Bill 2023 establishes a new criminal offense termed 'interference with an election official.' This legislation aims to provide specific legal protections for election officials from intimidation or coercion, ensuring that they can perform their official duties without fear of reprisals. The bill outlines the actions that constitute interference, including intimidating, threatening, or attempting to coerce an election official, whether through verbal, written, or physical means.

Contention

There may be some contention surrounding the bill regarding its enforcement and implications on free speech. Supporters argue that it is essential to protect election officials to ensure a fair electoral process, especially in light of increasing concerns about voter intimidation. Critics, however, may voice concerns about the potential for overreach, fearing that the definition of interference could be construed too broadly, potentially criminalizing legitimate dissent or oversight activities related to elections.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

KS SB221

Amending statutes concerning election officials, election crimes and election procedures.

KS HB2190

Expanding certain election crimes and creating new ones, eliminating the criminal prosecutorial authority of the secretary of state and defining special elections.

KS HB2086

Amending statutes concerning election procedures and election officials.

KS HB2023

Creating the crime of interference with the conduct of a healthcare facility, providing criminal penalties for violation thereof and increasing the criminal penalties for battery of a healthcare provider.

KS HB2618

Prohibiting the use of funds provided by the United States government for the conduct of elections and election-related activities unless approved by the legislature and requiring specific intent as an element of the crime of false representation of an election official.

KS HB2603

Establishing the citizens' election oversight board to review, investigate and report on citizen complaints on the conduct of elections and election procedures.

KS SB260

Prohibiting remote ballot boxes, providing for reporting and publication of voting results and public access to voting records and materials, limiting advance voting provisions and requiring receipt of advance voting ballots by election day, limiting the size of precincts, making the general election a state holiday, providing that the sheriff has sole jurisdiction for and shall provide security at voting places, establishing the authority of the legislature over elections with preeminence over rules and regulations of the secretary of state and federal election law and making certain election crimes felonies.

KS SB262

Requiring voting and vote tabulation by hand and prohibiting electronic poll books or electronic or electromechanical voting or tabulation systems after January 1, 2024, mandating legislative approval of certain election matters and providing for the reporting of vote counts to the secretary of state and publication of the vote counts by the secretary.

KS SB323

Providing for the election of county appraisers.

KS SB174

Increasing the criminal penalties for battery of a healthcare provider, adding the placing of controlled substances into pills into the definition of manufacture, increasing the criminal penalties for manufacturing fentanyl and for manufacturing or distributing any controlled substances that are likely to be attractive to minors because of their appearance or packaging, creating a special sentencing rule to make sentences for distributing fentanyl presumptive imprisonment, excluding materials used to detect the presence of fentanyl, ketamine or gamma hydroxybutyric acid from the definition of drug paraphernalia, adding domestic battery and violation of a protection order to the crimes that a person can have the intent to commit when committing burglary or aggravated burglary, increasing criminal penalties for the crime of interference with law enforcement when the violation involves fleeing from a law enforcement officer and authorizing the attorney general to prosecute certain crimes that are part of an alleged course of criminal conduct that occurred in two or more counties.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.