For Immediate Release:
April 25, 2025
Contact:
Grace Hoge
[email protected]
Governor Kelly Signs Bill Protecting Kansans
TOPEKA – Governor Laura Kelly has signed a bill aimed at protecting Kansans by combating online sexual crimes and strengthening protections for survivors of sexual assault, among other related public safety issues. Senate Bill (SB) 186 criminalizes the possession, creation, and distribution of artificial-intelligence (AI) - generated child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The bill also requires certain prior convictions to be considered when determining bond for individuals arrested for specific sex offenses.
“Senate Bill 186 establishes stronger protections against sexual crimes in both the digital realm and the physical world,” Governor Laura Kelly said. “Given the rise of AI-enabled crime, enhancing public safety for our fellow Kansans is crucial.”
As AI becomes a larger part of Kansans’ lives, protections must be put in place to ensure the technology is not used to cause harm. SB 186 broadens the scope of breach of privacy to encompass the sharing of materials created or altered by AI that portray individuals in a sexual manner without their consent. This part of the law is meant to both protect people and tackle the serious issue of sharing private content without consent.
“As child predators turn to AI to create obscene, exploitative images of children, whether by altering real photos or generating abusive material from scratch, we must act,” said Representative for House District 76 Brad Barrett. “This legislation strengthens our child exploitation laws to protect kids from this evolving threat and also updates our breach of privacy law to shield adults from having their images maliciously altered to appear nude or sexually explicit when they have an expectation of privacy.”
Under SB 186, if a person is charged with a sexually violent crime, like rape or indecent liberties with a child, and that person has a prior conviction for another sexually violent crime, their bond must be set at a minimum of $750,000. If the defendant can post this bond, the minimum conditions for their release will include house arrest and prohibiting contact with victims or witnesses of the alleged crime.
"Too often, individuals charged with sexually violent crimes are released on bond, despite prior convictions that clearly demonstrate a pattern of predatory behavior,” said Senator for District 21 Dinah Sykes. “This part of the bill ensures the safety of victims comes first. By requiring the consideration of similar prior acts when setting bond, we can alleviate some of the fear for victims."
In addition to SB 186, Governor Kelly also signed the following bipartisan bills:
Sub Bill for House Bill 2007: Reconciles statutes amended multiple times during the 2025 legislative session.
Sub Bill for House Bill 2125: Ensures continued funding for public education by renewing the statewide school finance property tax levy for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years. The bill also makes technical changes to the process and forms used by local governments use to certify the amount of local property tax to be levied each year.
House Bill 2289: Establishes an annual cap and sunset for the Kansas Affordable Housing Tax Credit.
House Bill 2231: Shifts Kansas to a single-factor apportionment for the purposes of corporate income tax calculations. This shift will align Kansas with the method of apportionment used by the majority of states, evening the playing field for Kansas based businesses, making the state more attractive for capital investment, and encouraging job creation.
Sub Bill for House Bill 2275:Authorizes certain local governments to submit local sales tax proposals to voters for various projects.
House Bill 2335: Authorizes issuance of the Hunter Nation distinctive license plate.
Senate Bill 98: Creates a sales tax exemption for qualifying data center projects, giving the state another tool in the toolbox to bring jobs, infrastructure, and prosperity to Kansas communities through economic development.
Senate Bill 156: Increases the reimbursement amount the Department of Corrections may make to compensate inmates for losses for personal injury or property damage.
Senate Bill 204: Creates a new process for the appointment of trustees to county law libraries. The bill also requires that certain sensitive information about cases, warrants, and subpoenas in criminal and juvenile cases be kept confidential to protect the privacy of Kansans.
Senate Bill 237: Authorizes law enforcement officers to conduct investigations of violations of the Scrap Metal Theft Reduction Act.
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