House Substitute for SB 138 by Committee on Judiciary - Authorizing law enforcement officers to conduct investigations of violations of the scrap metal theft reduction act.
Impact
The bill's implications on state laws revolve around a stricter protocol for law enforcement when seeking search warrants. Currently, the process allows for some flexibility in the means of stating probable cause. This bill aims to remove ambiguity by requiring all statements to be documented and thus could lead to increased accountability for law enforcement. Moreover, it introduces specific time frames regarding the installation and use of tracking devices, aiming to set clear boundaries on law enforcement's surveillance capabilities.
Summary
Senate Bill 138 focuses on amending the legal procedures around search warrants in Kansas. It mandates that search warrants must only be issued based on a law enforcement officer's sworn statement that provides sufficient facts to establish probable cause for believing that a crime has been committed, is being committed, or will be committed. This amendment seeks to enhance the integrity of the search warrant process by ensuring that all statements made are formally recorded and can be reviewed in a judicial context, thereby reinforcing the protections under the Fourth Amendment regarding search and seizure practices.
Contention
Notable points of contention surrounding SB138 include concerns about the balance between effective law enforcement and the protection of individual privacy rights. Some lawmakers may argue that while the bill strengthens the process of obtaining search warrants, it may also impose undue burdens on law enforcement agencies that could hinder timely criminal investigations. Additionally, issues may arise regarding the process for sealing or redacting affidavits, as this could impact the transparency and accessibility of court records related to search warrants.
Overall_significance
If enacted, Senate Bill 138 could lead to significant changes in how search warrants are administered within the state of Kansas, reinforcing the requirement for documented evidence to justify searches while potentially reshaping the average citizen's interaction with law enforcement. The changes aim to fortify constitutional protections and endeavor to ensure that any intrusion into personal privacy is supported by adequate legal justification.
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House Substitute for Substitute for SB 232 by Committee on Judiciary - Providing for child support orders for unborn children from the date of conception.
House Substitute for SB 190 by Committee on Judiciary - Requiring persons who file lawsuits for wrongful conviction compensation to prove additional information, changing the compensation rates to daily rates instead of yearly rates and limiting housing assistance to such persons.
Senate Substitute for HB 2144 by Committee on Judiciary - Creating the crimes of encouraging suicide and organized retail crime, providing criminal penalties for violation thereof, including organized retail crime in the definition of racketeering activity under the Kansas racketeer influenced and corrupt organization act and authorizing the attorney general to prosecute specified crimes that are part of an alleged course of criminal conduct that occurred in two or more counties.
Substitute for SB 155 by Committee on Ways and Means - Making and concerning appropriations for fiscal years 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026 for various state agencies.
House Substitute for SB 244 by Committee on Judiciary - Updating the Kansas general corporation code, the business entity transactions act, the business entity standard treatment act, the Kansas revised uniform limited partnership act and the Kansas uniform partnership act.
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Modifying elements in the crimes of sexual exploitation of a child, unlawful transmission of a visual depiction of a child and breach of privacy, prohibiting certain acts related to visual depictions in which the person depicted is indistinguishable from a real child, morphed from a real child's image or generated without any actual child involvement, prohibiting dissemination of certain items that appear to depict or purport to depict an identifiable person, requiring affidavits or sworn testimony in support of probable cause to be made available to law enforcement, requiring the statement of facts sufficient to show probable cause justifying a search warrant to be made by a law enforcement officer, requiring that certain prior convictions be considered when bond is being set for certain sex offenses and specifying minimum requirements and conditions for such bond; relating to appearance bonds, requiring warrants for failure to appear to be given to sureties, allowing bond forfeiture to be set aside in certain circumstances and requiring remission in certain circumstances and prohibiting a compensated surety from making a loan for certain portions of the minimum appearance bond premium required.
Requires New Jersey licensure of physicians, dentists, and other health professionals serving as expert witnesses in malpractice cases; requires dentists serving as expert witnesses to comply with certain requirements for expert testimony.