Policy

KC Tech Council Policy Committee Guiding Principles 

1. Represent the collective voice of KC Tech Council’s 200+ member companies and organizations, from entrepreneur to enterprise
2. Educate our membership on the important role public policy plays in the sustainable growth of the tech industry in Kansas City
3. Empower and mobilize our community to use its collective voice effectively in supporting or opposing policy matters that affect the growth of the tech industry

2026 Federal, State and Municipal Priorities

Policies that Develop, Attract and Retain a Broad, Diverse and Highly Qualified Tech Workforce

• Policy promoting immigration of highly skilled workers via STEM visas, comprehensive H1-B reform, removal of per country caps within the green card system, removal of prohibitive fees and other reform initiatives
• Expansion and resourcing of K-20 STEM education, especially Computer Science and AI Education to support workforce ready talent for the evolving industry changes
• Registered apprenticeship and pre-Apprenticeship funding and expansion, including support for industry-led educational credentialing, to unlock tech talent for business growth including through access to government apprenticeship funding
• Broaden the tech workforce by increasing access to talent with a variety of experiences and backgrounds, and multidisciplined skillsets
• Create policies that support science and technology related job retention and creation

Policies that Promote Innovation and Organic Growth or Attraction of Companies

• Support the availability and accuracy of governmental employment and economic data that businesses, educational institutions, and governments rely on for workforce planning and decision-making
• Funding for state and municipal-level programs in Kansas and Missouri that work to attract and grow tech companies
• Support policies that promote AI innovation, research, workforce readiness, ethical development and use, and robust safety and security measures.
• Funding for the National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) programs, among many others
• Support for initiatives that promote the growth of U.S. semiconductor industry and critical materials supply chain with an emphasis on national security and international competitiveness in both growth initiatives and supply to foreign nations.
• Strategic (R&D, angel investment) tax credits while preserving the ability to deduct such expenses in the year incurred

Policies that Maintain Appropriate Infrastructure to Support an Ecosystem Where the Technology Industry Can Thrive

• Creation and expansion of a competitive market for data centers, quantum computing innovations, telecommunications and other emerging infrastructure technologies to grow
• Support for federal permitting reform and other legislative/regulatory actions that accelerate energy infrastructure, power generation, and grid capacity expansion necessary for AI and data center development resilience
• Support the creation of a uniform federal standard of data privacy, data security, and AI laws to encourage innovation within companies of all sizes
• Support for broadband access and affordability and expansion
• Permitting reform to expedite broadband deployment and remove regulatory barriers that delay infrastructure expansion
• Support policies that protect platform flexibility and free speech rights, ensuring online platforms can make content moderation decisions without undue liability exposure

Interested in getting involved in KCTC policy work? Please reach out here.