Kansas Secretary of State, Scott Schwab, is leading a major overhaul of how state regulations are created, tracked, approved and filed, transitioning the state away from a decades old paper based system to a fully digital process. Recognizing the need for modernization, his agency contracted with a company called “ESPER”, a regulatory management software company. An assessment period is under way and following, Kansas agencies, boards and commissions will begin using the new digital platforms in early 2026.
In its current form, the regulatory process offers little transparency to the public and Kansans have no visibility when new regulations are submitted. They have to learn about them at a public hearing, right before they are adapted. The system will enhance both public transparency and internal efficiency to ensure that everyone from agency staff to Kansas residents are better informed and better served. Schwab says an overhaul of the system is long overdue and will eliminate inefficiencies in the system and make everyone aware of changes in regulations.
