Both the Kansas Senate and House of Representatives approved a bill to codify the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism in the state’s statute.
SB 44, as agreed to on March 25, includes that “antisemitism and antisemitic acts are against the public policy of the state, including, but not limited to, the purposes of public educational institutions and law enforcement agencies.”
A conference committee agreed to remove the original provisions of SB 44, intended to expand the Kansas Promise Scholarship Program, and insert the provisions of HB 2299, a bill concerning antisemitism that had been introduced by Representative Susan Estes in February. The committee comprised Representatives Estes, Kyle McNorton and Jerry Stogsdill; and Senators Renee Erickson, Adam Thomas and Dinah Sykes.
The Kansas Senate approved the bill 39-1, and the House of Representatives approved it 102-21. Editor's note: Gov. Laura Kelly signed the law on April 9.
The IHRA definition was previously adopted by the Kansas State Legislature in 2022; Kansas City and many of its suburbs in 2023; and by the United States government in 2019.
Jewish community members and leaders testified on behalf of the original HB 2299 antisemitism legislation before the Kansas House Committee on Education on Feb. 11, including Jewish Community Relations Bureau|AJC Interim Executive Director Neta Meltzer and President Barry Kaseff; Combat Antisemitism Movement Founder Adam Beren; University of Kansas graduate Robert Metz; and multiple KU students.