With Turnaround on February 19 quickly approaching, legislative activity picked up significantly this week. Committees were busy holding hearings and moving bills forward, and both the House and Senate took action on several bills important to Kansas Appleseed’s agenda. Next week, we expect longer days on the floor as lawmakers debate bills coming out of committee. Here’s what we’ve been paying attention to this week:
Bills Passed out of the House or Senate Chamber
HB 2467, prohibiting convictions or sanctions for failure to comply with a traffic citation more than five years old from being considered by courts and the division of vehicles and eliminating certain notice requirements related to suspended or restricted drivers’ licenses for that division. We support this bill. It now moves to the Senate.
HB 2438, imposing restrictions on websites that can accept and transmit voter registration applications. We oppose this bill. It now moves to the Senate.
SB 387 which would require additional income verification for free school meals, make it much harder for schools to use the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), and eliminate the reduced-price meal copay for students who qualify. We oppose this bill. This bill now moves to the House.
The Substitute for the substitute for HB 2132 was passed unanimously this week. Unfortunately, this iteration of the bill no longer addresses the harmful connection between instances of poverty and neglect; rather, it now only provides a simple technical change: replacing the word “shall” with “may” with respect to when a law enforcement officer takes a child under 18 years of age into custody. We support this change, but are disappointed to see such an important aspect of the bill removed. The bill now moves to the Senate.
Ending Childhood Hunger
We testified in support of HB 2637 in the House Committee on Education on Thursday. The bill encourages eligible school districts to consider participation in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), helping ensure more students have consistent access to nutritious school meals. The committee will be working and taking action on this bill on Monday.
Protecting and Expanding Food Assistance Programs
Last week, we shared that the House Committee on Social Services Budget declined to fully fund the state’s portion of the SNAP administrative costs. Thanks to the work of advocates, the House Committee on Appropriations added those funds to the budget, ensuring that Kansas won’t be out of compliance with the One Big Beautiful Bill. The Senate Committee on Ways and Means also added these funds to the budget, but with the caveat that Kansas hands over sensitive SNAP applicant data to the federal government.
Today, the House Committee on Appropriations deleted $10 million from DCF’s budget. The agency would receive half when the USDA approves the waiver to eliminate sugary drinks and candy from being used for SNAP purchases. DCF would receive the other $5 million when the demonstration project – also known as the waiver – on this issue is implemented. We will continue to watch developments on this.
We testified against SB 363 in the Senate Committee on Government Efficiency. This bill would make it harder for Kansans to access food and medical assistance by adding new verification rules, limiting agency flexibility, and codifying some of the most onerous parts of the OBBBA. The Committee chose to have proponents speak on Tuesday and opponents on Wednesday, which amplified the fact that there was only one proponent, an out of state lobbyist, compared to forty opponents. More information on SB 363 can be found here.
Protecting Access to the Ballot Box
We testified in opposition to HB 2569, which would require actions challenging the constitutionality of an election statute to be brought in the District Court of Shawnee County. This represents an arbitrary and significant departure from longstanding venue principles that allow Kansans to seek relief in their local courts. For individuals, advocates, and organizations outside the Topeka area, the bill would impose additional costs, travel burdens, and logistical hurdles simply to have their case heard.
Improving the Foster Care System
We submitted testimony on HB 2638, requiring that a child in custody of the secretary – a child in foster care – be provided information on their rights as detailed in the Gail Finney Foster Care Bill of Rights. We support this bill.
The House Child Welfare and Foster Care Committee held a hearing on HB 2639, which would change the name of juvenile crisis intervention centers to juvenile stabilization centers, modifying the intake criteria and treatment provided at such centers and transferring moneys from the evidence-based programs account of the state general fund for use at such centers. This bill would require court approval of certain overrides to the detention risk assessment tool in certain circumstances. We submitted neutral testimony; while expanding crisis stabilization and preventative interventions supports kids at risk of system involvement, mandating overrides unnecessarily broadens the use of detention, which should be reserved for cases involving risk to public safety.
Next week, we’ll be watching to see which bills get passed out of their chamber of origin and which ones will be blessed, a procedural move allowing non-exempt bills that miss the Turnaround deadline to remain active on the legislative calendar. It will be another busy week, and we are ready for it!
