Governor Laura Kelly says she will sign legislation approved by lawmakers to extend the COVID-19 disaster declaration to late May while reconfiguring the Kansas Emergency Management Act.
Overwhelming votes to pass Senate Bill 40 set the stage for extending the declaration to May 28 while ending all statewide COVID-19-related mandates — mask mandate included — on March 31. In addition, new executive orders have to be reviewed by a legislative coordinating council and those orders can be revoked at any time by either the Legislature as a whole or the council if lawmakers are not in session.
In addition, SB 40 says only school boards will have the authority to take action like closures as part of the pandemic. People who feel “aggrieved” by decisions can file civil action in district court.
