Ten education-related bills were introduced and several bills underwent hearings during week four of the 2024 Kansas Legislature Session.

Bill Tracker

There were 10 education-related bills that were introduced this week.

• HB 2613 – Creating the statewide drug abuse resistance education (D.A.R.E.) program educator position, establishing the drug abuse resistance education fund and providing funding for such fund by annual transfer of state monies.
  • Referred to House Committee on Education on Monday, Jan. 29.
  • A hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 8 in the House Committee on Education.
• HB 2641 – Requiring school districts to prohibit the use of privately owned electronic communication devices during school hours.
  • Referred to House Committee on Education on Wednesday, Jan. 31.
• HB 2644 – Establishing uniform interest rate provisions for service scholarships administered by the Kansas Board of Regents that have repayment obligations as a part of the terms and conditions of the scholarship; and authorizing the Kansas Board of Regents to recover the costs of collecting such repayment obligations and charge fees to cover the costs of administering such scholarship programs.
  • Referred to House Committee on Education on Wednesday, Jan. 31.
• HB 2645 – Amending the nursing service scholarship program to remove limits on the amount of awards and number of scholarships, remove the sponsorship requirement, modify the interest rate terms for repayment obligations, and abolish the nursing service scholarship review committee.
  • Referred to House Committee on Education on Wednesday, Jan. 31.
• HB 2650 – Requiring each school district to establish an at-risk student accountability plan and to show academic improvement in certain student subgroups and students identified as eligible for at-risk programs; Prohibiting the Kansas State Board of Education from revising the curriculum standards in English language arts and mathematics until 75% of all students achieve proficiency; and requiring school districts to comply with all state laws and rules and regulations to main accreditation.
  • Referred to House Committee on K-12 Education Budget on Wednesday, Jan. 31.
• HB 2658 – Authorizing school districts to require a student to attend virtual school when the student is returning to school after having been expelled.
• HB 2659 – Transferring teachers from the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) 3 cash balance plan to the KPERS 2 plan and defining teachers for the purpose of KPERS.
• HB 2669 - Codifying the Mental Health Intervention Team (MHIT) program administered by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) in state statute.
• SB 407 – Requiring the Kansas State Board of Education to authorize teaching licenses for individuals who complete an alternative teacher certification program.
  • Referred to Senate Committee on Education on Tuesday, Jan. 30.
  • A hearing is set for Thursday, Feb. 8 in the Seante Committee on Education.
• SB 427 – Requiring school districts to publicly list the names and email addresses of current school board members; authorizing local school board members to add new items to board meeting discussions, ask questions or engage in discussion with members of the public and access school property; authorizing members of the public to address school boards at board meetings; and authorizing payment of annual dues to any not-for-profit organization that provides services to member school districts.
  • Referred to Senate Committee on Education on Wednesday, Jan. 31.
• SB 428 – Requiring that each attendance center’s needs assessment be conducted by the local board of education and include input from board members, teachers, school site councils and school administrators, and that board members receive certain state assessment data; and identifying allocations of money in the school district budget and budget summary.
  • Referred to Senate Committee on Education on Wednesday, Jan. 31.
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Other bills KSDE is tracking:

• HB 2475 – Prohibiting the commencement of the school term prior to Labor Day.
  • Referred to House Committee on Education on Jan. 8.
• HB 2480 – Requiring each school district to employ an attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder specialist.
  • Referred to House Committee on Education on Jan. 8.
• HB 2485 – Requiring enrollment under the Kansas School Equity and Enhancement act to be determined using the current school year or the preceding school year and requiring any district that closed a school building in the preceding school year to use the current year enrollment count.
  • A hearing for this bill was held on Monday, Jan. 22.
• HB 2489 – Limiting the legislative option to purchase school district buildings to buildings that were formerly used as attendance centers.
  • A hearing for this bill was held on Wednesday, Jan. 24 in the House Committee on K-12 Education Budget.
• HB 2494 - Establishes policy requirements for school safety and security plans and cardiac emergency response plans and provides grant programs for the implementation of such policies.
  • A hearing was held on Jan. 17 in the House Committee on Education.
• HB 2499 – Prohibiting the use of mobile phones in school or construction zones by anyone under 18.
  • A hearing was held on Tuesday, Jan. 23 in the House Committee on Transportation.
• HB 2506 – Authorizing students enrolled in virtual schools to participate in activities that are regulated by the Kansas State High School Activities Association at such student’s resident school district without a minimum enrollment requirement in such resident school district.
  • A hearing was held on Wednesday, Jan. 24 in the House Committee on K-12 Education Budget.
• HB 2509 – Providing reimbursement payments for the cost of career technical education assessments to school districts under the career technical education credential and transition incentive for employment success act.
  • Referred to House Committee on Education on Jan. 16.
• HB 2514 - Revising school district open enrollment procedures and requirements to prioritize students who are residents of Kansas over students who are residents of another state, providing for continued enrollment of students who attended a school district of non-residence in school year 2023-2024, authorizing school districts to deem students as not in good standing prior to enrollment and requiring publication of nonresident student transfer policies on the school district website.
  • A hearing was held on Thursday, Jan. 25 in the House Committee on K-12 Education Budget.
• HB 2521 – Requiring the Kansas State Board of Education to authorize teaching licenses for individuals who complete an alternative teacher certification program.
  • A hearing is set for Thursday, Feb. 8 in the House Committee on K-12 Education Budget.
• HB 2539 – Removing the Kansas residency requirement for eligibility for a Kansas promise scholarship and modifying the definition of part-time student under such program.
  • Referred to the House Committee on Education on Jan. 18
• HB 2547 – Authorizing schools to maintain certain emergency medication kits and to administer such medication in emergency situations.
  • A hearing was held on Tuesday, Jan. 30 in the House Committee on Health and Human Services.
• HB 2555 – Authorizing schools to maintain emergency albuterol kits for asthma and administer such medication in emergency situations.
  • Referred to House Committee on Health and Human Services on Jan. 18.
• HB 2567 – Establishing the Kansas National Guard Educational Master’s for Enhanced Readiness and Global Excellence (EMERGE) program.
  • A hearing was held Tuesday, Jan. 30 (see below).
• HB 2574 – Establishing term limits for members of Fort Leavenworth Unified School District 207 school board.
  • A hearing is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 7 in the House Committee on Education.
• HB 2594 – Establishing the Education Funding Task Force and abolishing the Special Education and Related Services Funding Task Force.
  • A hearing for this bill was held on Monday, Jan. 29 (see below).
• HB 2600 – Establishing a feminine hygiene product grant program and grant fund to award monies to qualifying Title 1 schools to provide feminine hygiene products to students at no cost.
  • Referred to the House Committee on Education on Jan. 25.
• HB 2612 – Requiring school districts to be in compliance with all state laws, and rules and regulations to be accredited; and requiring the Kansas State Board of Education to establish a process to challenge determinations of such compliance.
  • A hearing on this bill is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5 in the House Committee on K-12 Education Budget.
• SB 128 - Establishes the ad astra opportunity tax credit to provide an income tax credit for taxpayers with eligible dependent children not enrolled in public school.
  • Referred to the Senate Committee on Assessment and Taxation on Jan. 9.
• SB 348 – Requiring that the appointment of the executive director of the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund be confirmed by the Senate.
  • Referred to the Senate Committee on Education on Jan. 17.
• SB 351 – Establishing policy requirements for school safety and security and cardiac emergency response plans and providing grant programs for the implementation of such policies.
  • Referred to Senate Committee on Education on Jan. 18.
• SB 358 – Prohibiting school districts and local libraries from prohibiting, banning or restricting books or other media unless certain requirements are met.
  • Referred to Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs on Jan. 19.
• SB 360 – Allowing a taxpayer to elect the taxable year in which a subtraction modification for contributions to a 529 program account, ABLE account or first-time home buyer savings account would be applied; and authorizing the state treasurer to appoint a 529 program advisory council.
  • A hearing was held on Wednesday, Jan. 31 (see below).
• SB 386 - Requiring enrollment under the Kansas School Equity and Enhancement act to be determined using the current school year or the preceding school year and requiring any district that closed a school building in the preceding school year to use the current year enrollment count.
  • A hearing was held on Tuesday, Jan. 30 (see below).
• SB 387 – Providing for the continued enrollment of students who attend a school district of non-residence pursuant to the school district open enrollment law.
  • A hearing was held on Monday, Jan. 29 (see below).
• SB 401 – Requiring critical thinking be integrated into elementary and secondary instruction.
  • Referred to the Senate Committee on Education on Jan. 26.
     

Hearing on SB 387

The Senate Committee on Education on Monday held a hearing on Senate Bill 387. If passed, the bill would amend the school district open enrollment law. It would clarify that any nonresident student enrolled in a school district during the 2023-2024 school year would be permitted to remain enrolled in the school district until graduation from high school or if the student is deemed to no longer be in good standing. These nonresident students would not be required to enter the open enrollment lottery. Additionally, any nonresident student accepted and enrolled after July 1, 2024, would be permitted to remain enrolled in the school district until graduation or if the student was deemed to no longer be in good standing.

The bill states a school district may deem any nonresident student as not in good standing in accordance with the district’s nonresident transfer policy. Before making any determination to deem a nonresident student as not in good standing, a district shall consider a student’s status as a homeless child and the resulting factors of homelessness on such student’s standing.

SB 387 would not affect state aid to school districts.

Nemaha Central Unified School District Superintendent Tavis Desormiers provided testimony in front of the committee and North Jackson Heights USD 335 provided written testimony.

No further action was taken on SB 387.
 

Hearing on HB 2594

The House Committee on K-12 Education Budget on Monday held a hearing on House Bill 2594. If passed, the bill would establish the Education Funding Task Force and abolish the Special Education and Related Services Funding Task Force.

The new task force would be comprised of 11 voting members, including:

• Two House of Representatives members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
• One member of the House of Representatives appointed by the minority leader of the House of Representatives.
• Two Senate members appointed by the President of the Senate.
• One Senate member appointed by the minority leader of the Seante.
• One member of the Kansas State Board of Education.
• One member who is a parent of a stent of a school district in grades one through 12 who is appointed by the President of the Senate.
• One member who is a superintendent of a rural school district appointed by the State Board.
• One member who is a superintendent of an urban school district appointed by the State Board.

The task force also would include nonvoting members, including the Kansas Commissioner of Education (or designee), the chairperson of the Kansas Children’s Cabinet (or designee) and the Director of the Budget (or designee).

The bill would require members to be appointed on or before Sept. 1, 2024.

HB 2594 would require the Education Funding Task Force to review the following:

• The current school finance system.
• The current methods for determining and disbursing Special Education State Aid.
• The financial inputs of the current school finance system.
• The outputs of the current school finance system, including academic achievement outcomes.
• Current academic reporting requirements.
• Achievement goals established by the Kansas State Department of Education in the consolidated state plan submitted to the U.S. Department of Education.

Olathe USD 233 Superintendent Dr. Brent Yeager provided written testimony and Kansas State Board of Education member Ann Mah provides oral testimony in front of the committee.

No further action was taken on this bill.
 

Hearing on SB 386

The Senate Committee on Education on Tuesday held a hearing on Senate Bill 386. If passed, the bill would amend the definition of enrollment under the Kansas School Equity and Enhancement Act to require KSDE and school districts to use the current year student enrollment count to determine state aid entitlements in the current year, or for any school district that experienced a decrease in enrollment between the preceding school year and the current school year, the district may determine enrollment by using the preceding school year enrollment count.

If a district receives federal impact aid for the enrollment of military students and it experienced a decrease in enrollment between the second preceding school year and the preceding school year, the district may determine enrollment as follows:

• The current year enrollment count;
• The preceding year enrollment count; or
• The average of the preceding, second preceding and third preceding year enrollment.

SB 386 also would require any school district that closed an attendance center building the preceding school year to determine enrollment using the current year enrollment count regardless of whether the district’s enrollment decreased.

If passed, the bill would go into effect on July 1, 2024, upon publication in the statute book.

Seven superintendents, a Wichita USD 259 chief financial officer and a Prairie Hills USD 113 Board of Education member provided written or oral testimony.

No further action was taken on this bill.
 

Hearing on HB 2567

The House Committee on Education on Tuesday held a hearing on House Bill 2567. If passed, the bill would establish the Kansas National Guard Educational Master’s for Enhanced Readiness and Global Excellence (EMERGE) program.

Similar to the existing Kansas National Guard Educational Assistance program, the new program would provide tuition and fee financial assistance for members of the Kansas National Guard who are enrolled in a postsecondary educational institution to obtain a degree.

The primary differences between the two programs are that:

1. Participants of the EMERGE program must be working toward obtaining a master’s degree; and
2. EMERGE program participation is limited to only those members who are selected for the program by the adjutant general.

Under HB 2567, the adjutant general would select up to 100 members of the Kansas National Guard each year for participation in the EMERGE program.

If passed, the bill would go into effect on July 1, 2024.
 

Hearing on SB 360

The Senate Committee on Education on Wednesday held a hearing on Senate Bill 360. If passed, the bill would allow taxpayers who contribute to a qualified tuition program account, qualified ABLE program account, or first-time home savings account on and after Jan. 1 but prior to filing the individual income tax return on April 15, the ability to use this subtraction modification in the previous tax year.

The contribution would not be allowed as a subtraction modification in more than one tax year. The changes to these subtraction modifications would become effective retroactive to tax year 2023. This bill also would remove outdated language from previous tax years.

Additionally, the bill would authorize the Kansas State Treasurer to appoint a Postsecondary Education Savings Program Advisory Council to make recommendations for the implementation and operation of this program. The State Treasurer would determine the members of the council, and no members would receive any compensation for serving on the council.

The bill would become effective upon publication in the Kansas Register.

No further action was taken on this bill.
 

Up Next

The House is adjourned until 8:30 a.m. Friday. The Senate is adjourned until 9 a.m. Friday.

The Senate Committee on Education will meet at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5. The committee is scheduled to discuss and take action on SB 386, SB 387 and SB 360 at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 6.

The House Committee on Education is scheduled to meet at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5 and the House Committee on K-12 Education Budget is scheduled to meet at 3:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 5 for a hearing on HB 2612.

Click here (Welcome | Kansas State Legislature (kslegislature.org) to see calendars of the House and Senate, track bills, and view agendas for committees.