These 8 Kansas laws start in July: Child support for fetuses, new license plates

Eleanor Nash, The Kansas City Star on Jun 30, 2025

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Kansas will have new laws affecting child care, sex education, public health agencies and more that go into effect starting Tuesday, July 1, 2025.

During the 2025 legislative session, elected officials passed 129 bills. While Gov. Laura Kelly, who’s a Democrat, vetoed 19 bills, Kansas’ Republican supermajority overrode all but five of them. Republicans had a two-thirds majority in both the House and the Senate.

Some of these laws have already taken effect, including banning gender-affirming care for transgender children and teens, letting high schoolers who don’t go to public school take part in their activities and allowing year-round fireworks sales for some retailers.

Here are eight Kansas laws that take effect in July 2025.

Child support for fetuses

Under this new law, child support payments can start at the date of conception and can include costs of pregnancy and childbirth. Now parents can get an income tax exemption for $2,320 for fetuses. Kansas lawmakers overrode the governor’s veto on HB 2062.

Critics of the bill opposed giving the same rights to fetuses as humans, which Brandon Woodard, a House Democrat from Lenexa, described as “a common and well-known tactic that is used across the country by the anti-abortion movement,” according to a statement in the Kansas Reflector.

Selling seized firearms

Kansas law enforcement agencies can now sell guns that they seized because officers believed they were involved in a criminal activity to licensed firearm sellers. Before SB 137, agencies could only use those firearms for official duties, trade them with other agencies or destroy them.

Fetal development videos in schools

School classes about human growth, development or sexuality have to include a three minute or longer video showing early fetal development, according to the Senate Substitute for HB 2382.

These videos, promoted by anti-abortion groups, include lifelike animation or high-definition ultrasound footage. Opponents said the bill pushed anti-abortion politics in the classroom, calling it “scare tactics.”

In addition, the bill allows for elected members of the state board of education to now be paid at a rate determined by the board itself.

Deregulating day cares

By reducing regulations for child care licensing and inspection requirements, HB 2045 aims to reduce the child care shortage in Kansas. The law also consolidates state child care programs into the Kansas Office of Early Childhood.

The law takes effect 15 years after the Kansas Legislature tightened child care licensing. Critics said that more crowded day cares and less training for staff could increase dangers for children.

Special election scheduling

HB 2022 cuts down on obscure election dates. Now, special elections must be scheduled on the same day as a primary or general election, or on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in March.

Blackout license plates

Starting July 1, Kansans can choose from new license plate designs, including the popular blackout style, FFA (Future Farmers of America) and Route 66, thanks to HB 2201.

No college requirements for state jobs

State job applicants now cannot be disqualified because they don’t have a college degree under SB 166.

Less power for local public health officials

Local health officials won’t be able to order people to limit public gatherings or call on law enforcement for contagious people breaking quarantine. Kansas lawmakers overrode the governor’s veto of the House Substitute for SB 29.

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(The Star’s Matthew Kelly and Taylor O’Connor contributed to this report.)

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