Updated as of 2 p.m., Friday, April 5.

The Kansas Statehouse was busy with conference committees during week 13 of the 2024 Kansas Legislative Session.

House Sub for SB 387

After House Sub for 387 was in conference committees this week, agree to disagree conference committee reports were adopted in both the House and Senate. It then went back to both floors. The conference committee report was adopted in the House 65-58. However, it was not adopted in the Senate, with a vote of 12-26 late Thursday evening. A motion to reconsider was adopted, and the Senate voted to not adopt the conference committee report. A new conference committee was appointed in both the House and the Senate.

Below is a timeline of where the bill has gone so far:

• Jan. 23: Introduced in the Senate. It was then referred to the Senate Committee on Education and a hearing was held a few days later.
• Feb. 21: Passed as amended in the Senate 37-3.
• Feb. 22: Received and introduced in the House. It was then referred to the House Committee on K-12 Education Budget. A hearing was held a few days later.
• March 14: Passed out of committee with amendments and several other bills inserted (see below).
• March 27: Passed as amended in the House 65-58.
• April 1: The bill went to the Senate to concur or non-concur to changes made to the bill. Conference committees in both chambers were appointed.
• April 3: Both the House and Senate agree to disagree conference committee reports were adopted. You can read that report at this link.

The original bill, SB 387, stated it would provide for the continued enrollment of students who attend a school district of non-residence pursuant to the school district open enrollment law.

After it was referred to the House Committee on K-12 Education Budget, the contents of several other bills were inserted. The bill was then passed out of committee as House Sub for SB 387. 

The following bills and their amendments were added into House Sub for SB 387:

• 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.
  • Keeps the transportation amendment in SB 387 and modifies the hearing amendment to only include local boards of education.
• HB 2489 – Limiting the legislative option to purchase school district buildings to buildings that were formerly used as attendance centers.
  • Allows the Legislative Coordinating Council (LCC) to waive legislative action, clarifies 45-day window, cannot deny non-public school buyers, exempts buildings that did not receive capital improvements state aid.
• HB 2506 – Authorizing students enrolled in virtual schools to participate in activities that are regulated by the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) at such student’s resident school district without a minimum enrollment requirement in such resident school district.
  • Changes part-time virtual student funding.
• HB 2594 – Establishing the Education Funding Task Force and abolishing the Special Education and Related Services Funding Task Force.
  • Changes some membership by including a teacher and special education staff.
• 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 (ELA) and mathematics until 75% of all students achieve proficiency; and requiring school districts to comply with all state laws and rules and regulations to maintain accreditation.
  • Some changes to cohorts, KSBE cannot substantially change ELA or math standards, retains required at-risk program list without five years of peer review along with several other changes.
• HB 2717 – Establishing requirements for the determination of virtual school state aid for adult students.
  • Clarifies funding only for the previous year.
• 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.
  • Reinstates the exclusion of bilingual, at-risk, transportation, CTE, and special education weightings.
  • LOB attributable to the SPED state aid is counted as part of the excess cost calculation.
  • District level excess cost will use district specific LOB percentage.
• HB 2802 – Governor’s KSDE budget recommendations.
  • Remove governor’s five-year special education funding plan.
  • Add $75 million State General Fund (SGF) and $2.5 million American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding to special education for FY 2025.
  • Delete $30 million Childcare Accelerator Grant – Kansas Children’s Cabinet.
  • Stipulate the $5 million Public-Private Partnership Grant is for one year – Kansas Children’s Cabinet.
  • Remove $815,000 Children’s Initiatives Fund (CIF) for Specialty Care Program – Kansas Children’s Cabinet.
  • Remove $3 million for Mental Health Intervention Team (MHIT).
  • Restrict $1.9 million enhancement for professional development state aid for science of reading and math PD.
  • Prioritize $1 million enhancement for teacher mentors to K-5 teachers implementing the science of reading.
  • Restrict $5 million in Safe and Secure Schools grant fund to a pilot with Zero Eyes. KSBE will develop the pilot program.

To read more about the bill, click here.
 

House Sub for SB 73

The contents of SB 73 were removed and became a shell for the contents of SB 386 on Wednesday, April 3, becoming House Substitute for SB 73.

SB 386 was passed in the Senate 33-6 on March 26. Now, in its current form in SB 73, the bill’s conference committee report was adopted in the House 120-3 on Thursday, April 4. It also was adopted in the Senate 35-4.

The bill would amend certain enrollment determination criteria in the Kansas School Equity and Enhancement Act to require school district enrollment be determined using the maximum of the current or preceding school year, or the average of the two preceding school years.

Senate Bill 19

The contents of HB 2567 (EMERGE program) and Substitute for HB 2494 (cardiac emergency response plans) were added into SB 19 on Friday, April 5.

SB 19 as amended would establish the Kansas National Guard Educational Master's for Enhanced Readiness and Global Excellence (EMERGE) program to provide financial assistance to Kansas National Guard members pursuing a masters degree at a Kansas educational institution. It also would require school districts to adopt cardiac emergency response plans based on the statewide standards developed by the Secretary of the Kansas Departmentment of Health and Environment (KDHE).

The conference committee report was adopted 119-3 in the House. You can read that report at this link.

Other bills making movement

• SB 438 – Eliminating the requirement to subtract other aid from the state payment in the AO-K program. 
  • This bill was passed in the Senate 40-0 on Feb. 22.  
  • The bill was passed 122-0 in the House on March 27. It was then nonconcurred with amendments in the Senate.
  • On Monday, April 1, a motion to accede was adopted in the House.
  • The agree to disagree conference committee report was adopted on Thursday, April 4.
• House Sub for SB 287 – Prohibiting a healthcare provider from administering any drug or diagnostic test or conducting behavioral health treatment to a minor in a school facility without parental consent.
  • The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services on March 19 recommended SB 287 to be amended by substituting with a new bill to be designated as House Sub for SB 287. The original bill would have amended the Kansas Silver Alert Plan.
  • The bill was passed in the House as amended 85-37 on March 26.
  • The Senate nonconurred with amendments to the bill  on Monday, April 1. A motion to accede was adopted in the House on Tuesday, April 2.
• HB 2703 – Including placement in foster care as a criterion for a student to be eligible for at-risk programs and services. 
  • This bill was passed in the House 119-0 on Feb. 22. 
  • It was passed on the Senate floor 40-0 on March 26.
  • The bill was enrolled and presented to Gov. Kelly on Tuesday, April 2.
• HB 2547 – Authorizing schools to maintain certain emergency medication kits and to administer such medication in emergency situations. 
  • The House passed this bill 116-4 on Feb. 22.
  • The bill was passed out of the Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare on March 19.
  • The Senate passed the bill 40-0 on Wednesday, March 27.
  • The House nonconurred to amendments on Monday, April 1, and a motion to accede was adopted in the Senate.
  • The conference committee report was adopted in the Senate 35-3 on Friday, April 5.

Bill Tracker 

• 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. 
  • The House Committee on K-12 Education Budget passed out this bill as amended on March 5.
• 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 in the House 86-30, then was received and introduced in the Senate. 
  • The bill was passed out of committee on Tuesday, March 12. 
• HB 2521 – Requiring the Kansas State Board of Education to authorize teaching licenses for individuals who complete an alternative teacher certification program. 
  • This bill was passed 79-43 in the House on March 14. 
  • It was received and introduced in the Senate and referred to the Senate Committee on Education on March 15.
• 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 passed this bill 105-15 on Feb. 22. 
  • A hearing was held Wednesday, March 20 in the Senate Committee on Education. 
• HB 2669 - Codifying the Mental Health Intervention Team (MHIT) program administered by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) in state statute. 
  • This bill was passed as amended in the House on Feb. 22, 101-18. 
  • A hearing was held on Tuesday, March 19 in the Senate Committee on Education.
• 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. 
  • The House went into emergency final action on March 21 and passed the bill as amended 80-40.
  • It was received and introduced in the Senate on Monday, March 25, then referred to the Senate Committee on Education.
• HB 2839 - Establishing a blueprint for literacy to create a literacy advisory committee, appoint a director of literacy education, require the Kansas State Board of Regents (KBOR) and the Kansas State Board of Education to collaborate on a literacy micro-credential and professional development, authorize KBOR to recommend diagnostic and formative literacy assessments, authorize university presidents and deans of education oversight over postsecondary literacy courses and require a plan to establish centers of excellence in reading. 
  • This bill was introduced in the House Chamber on March 13 and referred to the House Committee on Education. 
  • A hearing was held Tuesday, March 19 and Thursday, March 21 in the House Committee on Education.
  • The bill was amended and passed out favorably by the House Committee on Education on March 21.
• SB 407 – Requiring the Kansas State Board of Education to authorize teaching licenses for individuals who complete an alternative teacher certification program. 
  • This bill was withdrawn from the Senate Committee on Ways and Means and referred to the Committee of the Whole on Feb. 28. 
  • The Committee of the Whole on March 25 voted to pass over the bill and retain a place on the calendar.
• 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. 
  • A hearing for this bill was held on Wednesday, March 13 in the Senate Committee on Education. 
  • The bill was passed out by the Senate Committee on Education on March 20, but did not pass on the Senate floor on Tuesday, March 26 with a vote of 13-24.
• 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.  
  • The bill was passed out favorably by the Senate Committee on Education on March 21.
• SB 469 – Establishing the Sunflower Education Equity Act to provide education savings accounts (ESAs) for certain students. 
  • This bill was withdrawn from the Senate Committee on Education and referred to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means on Feb. 23. 
  • It was re-referred to the Senate Committee on Education on Feb. 28. 
• 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. 
  • The bill was passed out of the Senate Committee on Assessment and Taxation on Tuesday, March 12. 
• SB 531 – Creating a civil cause of action against schools that give or make available harmful material to minors; and removing the affirmative defense to promotion to minors of material harmful to minors for public and nonpublic schools. 
  • This bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Education on Feb. 23. 
• SB 532 – Establishing a blueprint for literacy to create a literacy advisory committee, appoint a director of literacy education, require the Kansas State Board of Regents (KBOR) and the Kansas State Board of Education to collaborate on a literacy micro-credential and professional development, authorize KBOR to recommend diagnostic and formative literacy assessments, authorize university presidents and deans of education oversight over postsecondary literacy courses and require a plan to establish centers of excellence in reading. 
  • The bill was passed as amended in the Senate 35-3 on March 27.
  • It was received and introduced in the House on Monday, April 1, and referred to the House Committee on Education.

Up Next 
Friday, April 5 is scheduled as First Adjournment. No bills will be considered after this date except bills vetoed by the governor. The veto session begins Monday, April 29.

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