Briefing Book 2023

This publication contains briefs on timely topics that may be relevant during the current Legislative Session. Previous Briefing Book articles and more in-depth resources and memoranda continue to be updated with the latest information and are available on the Kansas Legislative Research Department website.

For this and future editions, the Briefing Book has been redesigned and refocused to be a more concise and useful resource for legislators. Articles have a standard length of two pages to efficiently convey the most important points about each topic, and more graphics are included to illustrate large amounts of data in a concise format. The topics covered are also especially topical and timely in nature; previous Briefing Book articles that provided introductory overviews of broader government topics have been moved to the KLRD website.

The goal of these changes is to provide a publication that is compact, easy to read, and relevant to even the most veteran lawmakers as a new session begins in the Statehouse.

Cover: Stearman by Coy Avon Seward, 1930. Used with permission from Spencer Museum of Art, University of Kansas, Gift of Charles L. Stansifer in memory of his wife Mary Ellen Love Stansifer and her father Clarence M. Love, 2002.0170.

State Budget
Board of Indigents’ Defense Services and Judicial Branch Budget Increases
COVID-19 Federal Relief Funds – Discretionary
COVID-19 Federal Relief Funds – Update
Docking State Office Building Renovation
Kansas Budget Stabilization Fund
Kansas Department of Health and Environment Laboratory Construction
KPERS—Cost of Living Adjustments

Taxation
Federal Tax Conformity
Income Taxation of Social Security Benefits
Streamlined Sales and Use Tax

Transportation
Autonomous Vehicle Regulation
Traffic Enforcement Using Cameras

Utilities and Energy
Electric Vehicle Charging Stations in Rural Kansas
Tracking Broadband Availability in Kansas
Wind Turbine Light Mitigating Technology

Contents: