AARP Kansas Sets Priorities as 2026 Legislative Session Begins

The 2026 Kansas legislative session began on January 12, and AARP Kansas was on the ground, ready to advocate for issues important to older Kansans.

We are committed to keeping you informed about important issues and bills that are being considered in the legislative process.

Below are a few key points to consider as we move forward.

2026 Legislative session:

Legislative session is scheduled for 90 days beginning Jan. 12, 2026.

AARP Kansas will be monitoring bills as they move forward, focusing on those that affect adults 50 years and older and their families. We will provide weekly updates on these bills, as well as other key bills as needed.

Priority bills to watch:

· Crypto currency fraud bill - anticipated to be heard in the House Financial Institutions Committee late January.

· Work and Save – AARP Kansas will request a hearing in the House Financial Institutions Committee

KS Elected Officials:

Kansas House of Representatives

The KS House is led by a Speaker of the House: Speaker Dan Hawkins

- KS has 125 House Districts

- Elected for 2-year terms

You can find your State Representatives at:

Find Your Legislator - Plural Policy

Kansas Senate

Senate President Ty Masterson leads the Kansas Senate

- 40 Senate districts

- Elected for 4-year terms

You can find your State Senator at:

Find Your Legislator - Plural Policy

Welcome | Kansas State Legislature website provides the information needed to contact Senators and Representatives; track the status and content of a bill; read supplementary reports and publications; find out what is happening in the chambers or committees; and look at the current statutes. A live audio broadcast of the House and Senate chambers allows the public to listen to debate on bills and issues. Information about the chambers, committees, or individual legislators can be found using the appropriate tabs at the top of this page. During the Session, House and Senate Calendars provide information about business to be considered in the chambers and a weekly agenda of committee meetings. The Journals are the historical record of activity in the chambers. Information regarding the status or content of bills and the content of the laws can be found under the Bills and Laws tab.

In addition to the website, the public can access a variety of information by calling the Legislative Hotline at 1.800.432.3924 (in-state) or 785.296.2149 (out-of-state). The hotline is a free service provided by the State Library of Kansas. Librarians are available for instant message chat at www.kslib.info/ask-a-librarian or to answer text questions at 785.256.0733 (standard text message rates may apply).

Governor

The Governor of the State of Kansas is Governor Laura Kelly

Contact Governor Kelly by visiting Contact | Kansas Office of the Governor or by calling

Toll Free
877-KSWORKS (877-579-6757)

Kansas Relay Service
800-766-3777

Building a relationship with your legislator:

Use these tips to have the best possible meeting, which can lay the groundwork to develop mutually beneficial future relationships.

Know your legislator’s full name. Spell it correctly. Address your legislator by title: Senator XXX or Representative XXX

Taking some time to read their biographies, the issues they support, what committees they sit on, what leadership role they may have, and what matters of key importance to each legislator.

“Friend” or “Follow” your Representative and Senators on social media. Many politicians rely on social media as a quick and easy way to communicate with constituents. And it is a two-way medium—you can let them know what you think by responding to their posts.

Know the issues. Before your meeting, review the position(s) you are trying to convey. Be focused, and don’t plan to talk too much in one visit. AARP can provide fact sheets and talking points for your meeting. If you don’t know the answer to a question, it’s OK to say you don’t know. Just let your legislator know that you’ll follow up with them.

Frame your issue in the context of your legislator’s viewpoint. Include real-life examples of how this legislation will help or hurt you, your loved ones, or your district. Let the legislator know how a particular measure will affect your locality– their own home district. Clearly identify the bill by using its title and number, if possible.

Always be clear with your legislator about what you want them to do—in other words, have an “ask”! This step reinforces the importance of your communication and holds the legislator accountable for their actions.

· Personalize your message.

· Use regular print. Do not use all capital letters, bold face, etc.

· Include your full name, address and email address

· Print and proofread before sending

· Check spelling

· Check grammar

Please let us know your priorities or questions so we can monitor or follow up on them.

Contact us:

Glenda DuBoise, KS State Director gduboise@aarp.org

Megan Lynn, KS Associate State Director for Advocacy mlynn@aarp.org