Kansas 2025 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas Senate Bill SB8 Comm Sub / Analysis

Filed 01/28/2025

                    SESSION OF 2025
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON SENATE BILL NO. 8
As Recommended by Senate Committee on 
Transportation
Brief*
SB 8 would require the driver of a vehicle approaching a 
stopped vehicle displaying hazard warning signal lamps, road 
flares, or caution signals to proceed with caution and change 
lanes away from the stopped vehicle if it is possible and safe 
to do so. If it is not safe or possible to change lanes away 
from the stopped vehicle, the bill would require the driver to 
proceed with due caution and reduce the speed of the vehicle 
and maintain a safe speed for the road, weather, and traffic 
conditions. These provisions would be added to the Uniform 
Act Regulating Traffic on Highways.
The bill would add a fine of $75 for unlawful passing of a 
stationary vehicle to the uniform fine schedule for traffic 
infractions.
Background
The bill was introduced by the Senate Committee on 
Transportation at the request of a representative of AAA 
Kansas.
Senate Committee on Transportation
In the Senate Committee hearing, representatives of 
AAA Kansas; Kansas Highway Patrol; Kansas Association of 
Chiefs of Police, Kansas Peace Officers Association, and 
____________________
*Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research 
Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental 
note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at 
https://klrd.gov/ Kansas Sheriffs Association; and Kansas Department of 
Transportation provided proponent testimony. The 
proponents stated the bill would require approaching 
motorists to move over for all stopped vehicles, as required in 
current law for stopped emergency, waste collection, and 
utility or telecommunications vehicles, which would add to the 
safety of motorists stopped on the side of the highway.
Written-only proponent testimony was provided by 
representatives of the League of Kansas Municipalities and 
Safe Kids Kansas.
No other testimony was provided.
The Senate Committee recommended the bill be placed 
on the Consent Calendar.
Fiscal Information
According to the fiscal note provided by the Division of 
the Budget on the bill, the Office of Judicial Administration 
indicates enactment of the bill could increase the number of 
cases filed in district courts because it would create a new 
traffic violation, but an accurate estimate on the fiscal effect of 
the expenditures by the Judicial Branch cannot be given until 
the courts operate under the bill’s proposed changes. The bill 
could result in the collection of docket fees and fines, which 
would be deposited into the State General Fund.
The Kansas Department of Transportation indicates 
enactment of the bill could increase the number of fines 
collected, which would increase revenues in both the Traffic 
Records Enhancement Fund and the Seat Belt Safety Fund, 
each of which receive a percentage of all district court fines, 
penalties, and forfeitures. However, the agency is unable to 
estimate a fiscal effect given it cannot estimate how many 
citations would be issued.
2- 8 The Kansas Department of Revenue indicates the bill 
would have no fiscal effect on the agency.
The League of Kansas Municipalities states the bill 
would have no effect on Kansas cities.
The Kansas Association of Counties states the bill could 
have a fiscal effect on Kansas counties depending on the 
number of citations issued.
Any fiscal impact associated with enactment of the bill is 
not reflected in The FY 2026 Governor’s Budget Report.
Transportation; highway; move over; fines; vehicle; safety
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