The Kansas House of Representatives on Thursday passed House Bill 2499. The bill prohibits anyone under the age of 18 from using a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle; and prohibits anyone from using a cell phone while operating a motor vehicle in a school zone at a time when a reduced speed limit is enforced and in a road construction zone while workers are present. HB 2499 was passed 86-30. It will now go to the Senate. Click here to read more about the bill.

 

Bill Tracker

• HB 2251 – Authorizing the Kansas State Department of Education to contract with a private vendor to install and operate school bus cameras.
  • Referred to House Committee on Education on Feb. 1.
• 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 Jan. 22 in the House Committee on K-12 Education Budget.
• 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 Jan. 24 in the House Committee on K-12 Education Budget.
• House Sub for HB 2494 - Establishing policy requirements for cardiac emergency response plans for school districts, and providing a grant program for the implementation of such policy.
  • The House Committee on Education recommended HB 2494 be amended by substituting with a new bill to be designated as Substitute for HB 2494.
  • The amendment removed “school safety and security plans” from the bill.
• HB 2499 – Prohibiting the use of mobile phones by anyone under 18 years old while operating a motor vehicle; and prohibiting the use of mobile phones by anyone while operating a motor vehicle in a school or construction zone.
  • The bill was passed 86-30.
• 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 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 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 was held on 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.
  • A hearing was held on Tuesday, Feb. 13 in the House Committee on Education.
• HB 2547 – Authorizing schools to maintain certain emergency medication kits and to administer such medication in emergency situations.
  • The House Committee on Health and Human Services recommended the bill be passed on Wednesday, Feb. 7.
• 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.
  • The House Committee on Education on Feb. 9 recommended the bill be passed.
• HB 2574 – Establishing term limits for members of Fort Leavenworth Unified School District 207 school board.
• 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.
• 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 was held Feb. 5 in the House Committee on K-12 Education Budget.
• 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.
  • The House Committee on Education on Feb. 14 recommended the bill be passed.
• HB 2641 – Requiring school districts to prohibit the use of privately owned electronic communication devices during school hours.
  •  A hearing on this bill was held on Wednesday, Feb. 14 in the House Committee on Education.
• 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.
  • A hearing on this bill was held on Monday, Feb. 12 in the House Committee on Education.
• 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.
  • A hearing on this bill was held Monday, Feb. 12 in the House Committee on Education.
• HB 2646 – Modifying the financial limitations on awards under the Kansas Hero’s Scholarship Act and broadening the eligibility requirements for such awards.
  • A hearing on this bill was held Monday, Feb. 12 in the House Committee on Education.
• 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.
  • A hearing was held Feb. 7 in the House Committee on K-12 Education Budget.
• HB 2658 – Authorizing school districts to require a student to attend virtual school when the student is returning to school after having been expelled.
  • A hearing on this bill was held on Tuesday, Feb. 13 in the House Committee on Education.
• 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.
  • Referred to the House Committee on Financial Institutions and Pensions on Feb. 1.
• HB 2669 - Codifying the Mental Health Intervention Team (MHIT) program administered by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) in state statute.
  • A hearing for this bill was held on Thursday, Feb. 8 in the House Committee on Health and Human Services.
• HB 2700 – Establishing the school library rating system task force to develop a rating system for materials available to students in public school libraries and requiring school districts to implement such rating system.
  • A hearing for this bill was held on Wednesday, Feb. 14.
• HB 2701 – Expanding the income tax credit for school and classroom supplies to increase the tax credit to $500 with an annual adjustment for the cost of inflation and to allow additional school employees to claim the credit.
  • Referred to the House Committee on Taxation on Tuesday, Feb. 6.
• HB 2702 – Specifying the eligibility requirements to participate in activities governed by the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) for students enrolled in a nonpublic school.
  • Referred to the House Committee on Education on Tuesday, Feb. 6.
• HB 2703 – Including placement in foster care as a criteria for a student to be eligible for at-risk programs and services.
  • Referred to the House Committee on Education on Tuesday, Feb. 6.
• HB 2709 – Establishing Fentanyl Poisoning Awareness Week for public middle schools and high schools to educate students on the abuse of and addiction to fentanyl and other opioids.
  • A hearing on this bill was held on Wednesday, Feb. 14 in the House Committee on Education.
• HB 2717 – Establishing requirements for the determination of virtual school state aid for adult students.
  • A hearing on this bill is set for 3:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19 in the House Committee on K-12 Education Budget.
• HB 2718 – Eliminating school district open enrollment requirements and authorizing school districts to determine nonresident student enrollment.
  • Referred to the House Committee on K-12 Education Budget on Tuesday, Feb. 6.
• HB 2719 – Extending the time that school districts may provide notice to parents of the administration of any nonacademic test, questionnaire, survey or examination, and requiring school districts to contact parents if any such test, questionnaire, survey or examination indicates concern.
  • Referred to the House Committee on Education on Tuesday, Feb. 6.
• HB 2726 – Requiring school districts to provide timely implementation of an individualized education program (IEP) and advanced enrollment for certain children who are new to the district.
  • Referred to the House Committee on K-12 Education Budget on Tuesday, Feb. 6.
• HB 2727 – Requiring all public schools and public postsecondary educational institutions to make feminine hygiene products available at no cost to students, and establishing a state grant program for such purpose.
  • Referred to the House Committee on K-12 Education Budget on Feb. 6.
• HB 2730 – Expanding the tax credit for low income students scholarship program act to allow students enrolled in underperforming school districts to be eligible for a scholarship.
  • Referred to the House Committee on Education on Feb. 7.
• HB 2731 – Requiring the Kansas State Board of Education to submit annual reports to the legislature on certain statistics of students who take the statewide assessments.
  • Referred to the House Committee on Education on Feb. 7.
• HB 2732 – Authorizing school districts to employ or accept chaplains as volunteers.
  • Referred to the House Committee on Education on Feb. 7.
  • A hearing for this bill is set for 1:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19 in the House Committee on Education.
• HB 2738 – Revising the special education state aid statewide excess costs calculation to count additional funding; requiring the State Board of Education to determine each school district’s excess costs and to establish a special education state aid equalization distribution schedule to distribute certain amounts of special education state aid; and requiring school districts to transfer amounts attributable to the special education weighting from their supplemental general funds to their special education funds.
  • A hearing was held on Tuesday, Feb. 13 in the House Committee on K-12 Education Budget.
• HB 2769 – Requiring public schools and school districts to participate in federal meal programs; and providing for reimbursement for free meals at all public schools and school districts.
• HB 2785 - Transferring certain child care programs to the Kansas Office of Early Childhood; and separating licensing duties between the Kansas Department of Health and Environment secretary and the executive director of early childhood.
  • Referred to the House Committee on Commerce, Labor and Economic Development on Feb. 9.
• 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.
  • The Senate Committee on Education recommended the bill be passed as amended on Feb. 7.
• 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.
  • The Senate Committee on Education recommended the bill be passed as amended on Feb. 7.
  • The committee amended the bill, removing the requirement for any district that closed a school building in the preceding school year to use the current year enrollment count.
• 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.
  • The Senate Committee on Education recommended the bill be passed as amended on Feb. 7.
    • The committee amended the bill, adding: “no school district shall be required to provide transportation to nonresident students unless otherwise required by applicable law.
• SB 401 – Requiring critical thinking be integrated into elementary and secondary instruction.
  • Referred to the Senate Committee on Education on Jan. 26.
• SB 407 – Requiring the Kansas State Board of Education to authorize teaching licenses for individuals who complete an alternative teacher certification program.
  • A hearing was held Feb. 8 in the Senate 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 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 Jan. 31.
• SB 437 – Establishing the Kansas Education Enrichment Program (KEEP) to provide educational awards to elementary and secondary school students for qualifying expenses for educational goods and services.
  • A hearing for this bill was held on Thursday, Feb. 15 in the Senate Committee on Education.
• SB 438 – Eliminating the requirement to subtract other aid from the state payment in the AO-K program.
  • A hearing for this bill was held on Wednesday, Feb. 14 in the Senate Committee on Education.
• SB 465 – Authorizing school districts to levy an annual levy of up to two mills for the purposes of school building safety, security and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and including the levy in the capital outlay state aid determination for such school districts.
  • A hearing for this bill was held on Thursday, Feb. 15 in the Senate Committee on Education.
• SB 469 – Establishing the Sunflower Education Equity Act to provide education savings accounts (ESAs) for certain students.
  • Referred to Senate Committee on Education on Feb. 7.
• SB 470 – Including Wichita Technical Institute as an eligible postsecondary educational institution in the Kansas Promise Scholarship Act.
  • Referred to Senate Committee on Education on Feb. 7.
• SB 501 – Transferring certain child care programs to the Kansas Office of Early Childhood; and separating licensing duties between the Kansas Department of Health and Environment secretary and the executive director of early childhood.
  • Referred to the Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare on Monday, Feb. 12.
• SB 509 - Establishing the Education 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 Wednesday, Feb. 14.

Hearing on HB 2644, HB 2645 and HB 2646

The House Committee on Education on Monday held a hearing on three bills: HB 2644, HB 2645 and HB 2646.
 

HB 2644

If passed, the bill would establish uniform interest rate provisions for service scholarships administered by the Kansas Board of Regents (KBOR) that have repayment obligations as a part of the terms and conditions of the scholarship.

Under current law, the interest rate for each service scholarship is outlined in individual statutes. HB 2644 would create an interest rate of 5.0 percent per annum which would begin to accrue when the repayment obligation begins.

The bill would allow KBOR to recover the reasonable costs of collection, including, but not limited to, court costs, attorney fees and collection agency fees, from any individual who is subject to a repayment obligation arising under any scholarship, grant or other student financial aid program.

No further action was taken on this bill.
 

HB 2645

If passed, the bill would make changes to the Nursing Service Scholarship Program including:

• Removing the sponsorship requirement.
• Removing the limits on the amount of scholarship awards and the number of scholarships that may be awarded.
• Modifying the terms and conditions for interest accrual on repayment obligations.
• Abolishing the Nursing Service Scholarship Review Committee.

If passed, HB 2645 would go into effect upon its publication in the Kansas Register.

No further action was taken on this bill.
 

HB 2646

If passed, the bill would amend the Kansas Hero’s Scholarship Act by:

• Modifying the waiver and reimbursement provisions and expanding scholarship eligibility for the spouses and dependents of military service members.
• Removing the $500,000 annual limitation on reimbursements and instead requiring the Kansas Board of Regents to establish an aggregate limit on reimbursements to be paid to postsecondary educational institutions for scholarships awarded each year.
• Removing the requirement to grant waivers regardless of funding.
• Allowing the postsecondary education institutions to limit reimbursements to the amount of available funding or cover the cost of waivers above the reimbursement.

Under current law, any dependent or spouse of any Kansas resident who died, was injured or disabled on or after Sept. 11, 2001, while serving in the military, is eligible to attend a Kansas postsecondary educational institution and not be charged for tuition or fees. HB 2466 would remove this requirement and make all dependents or spouses eligible for the scholarship for any Kansas resident who died while serving in military service or sustained an injury or disability that rendered the service member incapable of continuing their military service.

If passed, the bill would take effect upon its publication in the Kansas Register.

No further action was taken on this bill.
 

Hearing on HB 2658 and HB 2539

The House Committee on Education on Tuesday held a hearing on two bills, HB 2658 and HB 2539.
 

HB 2658

If passed, the bill would authorize school districts to require a student to attend virtual school when they are returning to school after being expelled for 186 days or more. If an affected student is required to attend virtual school by any school district that does not operate a virtual school, then the school district would be required to assist the student in enrolling in a virtual school operated by another school district.

No further action was taken on this bill.
 

HB 2539

If passed, the bill would remove the Kansas residency requirement for eligibility for a Kansas Promise Scholarship and would modify the definition of part-time student under such program.

No further action was taken on this bill.
 

Hearing on HB 2738

The House Committee on K-12 Education Budget on Tuesday held a hearing on House Bill 2738. If passed, the bill would revise the determination and distribution of Special Education State Aid. Specifically, the bill would amend the statewide formula for determining special education excess costs by including additional weightings in the calculation of the cost of general education and subtracting additional funds from school districts’ local option budgets. The effect of these changes would be to raise the percent of excess costs covered by the FY 2024 appropriation for Special Education State Aid from 69% to 110% without an increase in funding. Additionally, the bill would require the State Board of Education to annually calculate each school district’s excess cost percentage.  You can read those at this link.

The bill would also modify the distribution of Special Education State Aid. Beginning in FY 2025, the first $528 million in Special Education State Aid would be distributed through the current reimbursement system. Any additional funding above $528 million would have to be distributed based on a state aid schedule determined by the State Board of Education which would have to be based on school districts’ excess cost percentage.

Click here to read more details about the bill.

Ninety-eight people either provided oral testimony in-person or submitted written testimony.

No further action was taken on this bill.
 

Hearing on SB 437 and SB 438

The Senate Committee on Education on Wednesday, Feb. 14 held bill hearings on SB 437 and SB 438.

SB 437
If passed, the bill would appropriate $100 Million from the State General Fund in FY 2025 to the state treasurer for continued funding of the Kansas Education Enrichment Program (KEEP). The current KEEP is a limited program that is funded with a one-time allocation of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds of $50 million in the Office of the Governor that provides $1,000 in grants to qualified students for approved educational goods and services. The current program has awarded all funds and is no longer accepting applications or providing awards.

The revised program in the bill would authorize grant payments of $2,000 payable in two separate payments to qualified students. A qualified student would be defined as a Kansas resident who is eligible to enroll in and attend kindergarten through 12^th grade at a Kansas public school. The first payment would be made when the qualified student is eligible to enroll in 1^st-8^th grade. The second payment would be made when the qualified student is eligible to enroll in 9^th-12^th grade.

No further action was taken on this bill.
 

SB 438
If passed, the bill would allow students in an Accelerating Opportunity: Kansas (AO-K) Program to be able to receive the AO-K assistance benefit. SB 438 would amend current law by eliminating the requirement to subtract other aid from the state payment in the AO-K Program and also would clarify the payment provided for each student could not exceed $500 over the lifetime of the student.

No further action was taken on this bill.
 

Hearing on HB 2641 and HB 2700

The House Committee on Education on Wednesday, Feb. 14 held bill hearings on HB 2641 and HB 2700.
 

HB 2641
If passed, the bill would require each school district to adopt policies and procedures to govern the use of privately-owned electronic communication devices. Those would include prohibiting students from using the devises at school during the normal school hours, including passing periods and in the classroom. It also would require disciplinary consequences to be set that would happen if a student violated those policies and procedures.

HB 2641 would outline certain conditions where the devices could be used, including the implementation of a student’s individualized education program (IEP), or if authorized by a teacher or administrator for education purposes. However, the authorization could not be part of a classroom reward or free time.

This would not affect state aid to school districts. No further action was taken on this bill.
 

HB 2700
If passed, the bill would create the School Library Rating System Task Force, which would be comprised of nine members:

• One member appointed by the Kansas State Board of Education.
• Three members appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
• Two members appointed by the President of the Senate.
• One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the House of Representatives.
• One member appointed by the Kansas Association of School Librarians.
• One member appointed by the Minority Leader of the Senate.

The task force would be required to develop a rating system for materials, including books, magazines, pamphlets audio and video recordings that are made available to students by public school libraries. The rating system would consider the appropriateness of materials with respect to grade level and would provide a clear method of rating materials so that school district employees, parents and legal guardians can readily discern whether materials are appropriate for a student.

The task force would be required to approve the rating system and submit a rating system to the Kansas State Board of Education on or before June 30, 2025. The State Board would be required to distribute the rating system to each school district and may provide recommendations regarding the implementation of the rating system. The provisions of the bill would sunset on June 30, 2025.

On or before Sept. 1, 2025, the local board of education of each school district would be required to adopt policies and procedures for the implementation of the rating system approved by the task force. The rating system would be required to be fully implemented in all school libraries operated by each school district on or before July 1, 2026.

No further action was taken on this bill.


Hearing on SB 465

The Senate Committee on Education on Thursday, Feb. 15, held a hearing on Senate Bill 465. If passed, the bill would allow a local board of education to make an annual tax levy of up to two mills on the taxable tangible property in the school district. The additional mill levy would be subject to the same protest petition as the current capital outlay mill levy

This tax would be used for the acquisition, repair or remodeling of school district property and equipment necessary for school safety and security expense, and expenses to achieve or maintain compliance with the American Disabilities Act (ADA).

No further action was taken on this bill.
 

Up Next

The House is adjourned until 8:30 a.m. Friday, Feb. 16. The Senate is adjourned until 9:00 a.m. Friday, Feb. 16.

The Senate Committee on Education is scheduled to meet at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19 for final action on bills previously heard.

The House Committee on Education is scheduled to meet at 1:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19 for a hearing on HB 2732, and for final action on HB 2644, HB 2645, HB 2646, HB 2658 and HB 2539.

The House Committee on K-12 Education Budget is scheduled to meet at 3:30 p.m. Monday, Feb. 19 for a hearing on HB 2717 and an informational hearing on the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund.

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