TOPEKA — In the waning hours of the veto session, the Kansas Legislature approved a rewrite of the state’s public health laws, disregarding bipartisan concerns the bill was too restrictive.
After weeks of conversation and modifications to proposed legislation, Senate Bill 34 came together shortly before the House and Senate debated the bill. The response to government actions taken during the COVID-19 pandemic targets mask mandates, quarantine orders and vaccination requirements.
For example, no governmental body or public official can mandate face masks to prevent the spread of any infectious disease. Certain health care professionals, like surgeons, would be exempt from this restriction, but nursing home employees could not be required to wear a mask.
