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New Laws for 2011

Offender Registration: Offender registration laws were amended. Offenders will have to register four times a year now. For the non-sex offenders, one of those can be by mail if at the discretion of the registering agency.

Harassment by telecommunications device: The law was amended by adding all electronic communications to the existing provision of just telephone and fax machine. So now e-mail, text messages, instant messaging, etc. can be the mode of communications in violating this law. It also includes the transmission of obscene, lewd, lascivious, or indecent images or text as a violation.

Red lights and motorcycles/bicycles: The red light law was amended to allow motorcyclists and bicyclists to proceed through a red light after stopping and waiting a “reasonable period of time” to determine the signal was not “tripped” to change. They must yield to all other traffic.

Scrap metal theft: Persons committing scrap metal thefts are charged at severity levels based on the cost to restore the place of the theft, not just on the value of the stolen metal. For example, someone stealing copper pipe from a building may be charged based on the cost to replace the copper pipe in an operating condition. In many cases, this may up a misdemeanor to a felony. In addition, scrap metal dealers must be registered through the city or county where they operate and may be sanctioned if they do not collect the required information from the persons selling the regulated scrap metal or accurately keep the required logof purchases of regulated scrap metal. Remember those logs are open to law enforcement inspection. The law also provides law enforcement can order scrap metal believed to be stolen to be retained by the dealer for up to 30 days.

Seatbelts: The fine for adult seatbelt violations is now standardized at $10 for both district and municipal courts, and court costs cannot be applied.

Speed limits: Anywhere the speed limit has been 70 mph, KDOT may now post at 75 mph.

VIN Inspections: Inspection fees have increased to $15, and will increase to $20 on July 1, 2012.

New Laws for 2010

HB2130 was published in the Kansas Registry on June 10, 2010. This is the primary seat belt law. The following are some of the main points of the new law.

1. The new primary enforcement (doesn't require another violation) is applicable only to the front seat adult occupants of the vehicle.

2. Rear seat adult occupants also are required to wear a seat belt, but these are secondary offenses (another violation has to have occurred and a citation issued for that violation).

3. Subsection (b) of this statute (KSA 8-2503) pertaining to children age 14 or older and less than age 18 remains unchanged. These are still primary violations regardless of where they are seated in the vehicle.

4. The child restraint laws in KSA 8-1345 remain unchanged. They remain primary violations and fully enforceable.

5. Warnings (no citations/notices to appear) must be issued until June 30, 2010, for adults violating the seat belt statute. Violations by persons under 18 can still be cited. On and after June 30, 2010, citations may be issued to adult violators.

6. These violations remain not reportable to DMV.