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The House passed HB 2731 during week 11 of the Kansas Legislative Session. HB 2731 as amended would require the Kansas State Board of Education, on or before Jan. 15 of each year, to prepare and submit a report to the Kansas Legislature on students who have taken the statewide assessments. This report would include:
The bill also would require the State Board to publish the information required for the report on the Kansas State Department of Education’s website and include that information in the performance accountability reports and longitudinal achievement reports required under continuing law.
The provisions of the bill requiring this report would expire on July 1, 2029.
Bill Tracker
Bills no longer alive
The following bills did not get voted out of their committees before Turnaround, which means they are no longer “alive.” The bills themselves should no longer see movement this session.
Hearing on Substitute for HB 2494 The Senate Committee on Education on Monday, March 18, held a hearing on Substitute for HB 2494. If passed, the bill would require school districts to adopt cardiac emergency response plans based on the statewide standards developed by the Secretary of the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE), require automated external defibrillators (AEDs) to be accessible in each school district building, and require CPR and AED training for each coach, sponsor, assistant, or aide of any school activity, and any other school district personnel designated under the bill.
Sub. For HB 2494 also would establish the School Cardiac Emergency Response Grant Program and create the School Cardiac Emergency Response Grant Fund.
Section 2 of the bill states that any person who in good faith renders emergency care or treatment, or who provides training as required by the provisions of the bill, would not be held liable for any damages.
The bill would take effect on and after Jan. 1, 2025. You can read more about the bill at this link.
The Senate Committee failed to pass the bill out of committee on March 21.
Hearing on HB 2669
The Senate Committee on Education on Tuesday, March 19, held a hearing on HB 2669.
If passed, the bill would create the Mental Health Intervention Team (MHIT) Program Act, codifying the program in statute. The MHIT would be moved from the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) to the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) and would require KDADS to hire a program manager and necessary supplement staff to oversee, coordinate and fund the program.
The bill also would increase the amount of the Community Health Center (CMHC) pass through grant from 33% to 50%.
According to the bill, the MHIT Program would provide greater access to behavioral health services for students enrolled in grades K-12 and establish a coherent structure between school districts and CMHCs to optimize scarce behavioral health resources and workforce. Services would be provided throughout the calendar year, not only during school hours over nine months of the school year.
In each school year, the local board of education of a school district could apply to KDADS to establish or maintain a MHIT Program within such school district. Some reimbursement of cost would be available through grant monies.
HB 2669 was passed as amended in the House on Feb. 22, 101-18.
To read more about the bill, click here.
Hearing on HB 2839
The House Committee on Education on Tuesday, March 19, held a hearing on HB 2839.
If passed, the bill would establish the Literacy Advisory Committee, composed of 15 voting members as outlined in the bill. Non-voting members would include the Kansas Commissioner of Education or designee and any members appointed by the Director of Literacy Education. Members would be appointed on or before July 1, 2024, and voting members would serve a four-year term.
The Committee would have several duties including:
KBOR, in collaboration with postsecondary educational institutions and research experts, would establish a comprehensive reading and literacy assessment system with universal screening measures, diagnostic, formative and summative assessments to be used by each school district. The assessment system would allow teachers to adjust instruction to meet specific needs of students. KBOR would be required to make recommendations to the Kansas State Board of Education on the assessment system and ensure that it is available to school districts on or before May 1, 2025.
The Literacy Advisory Committee would develop a plan to establish six regional centers of excellence in reading as outlined in the bill. If passed, the bill would go into effect upon its publication in the Kansas Register.
The House Committee on Education continued its hearing on HB 2839 on Thursday, March 21. To read more about the bill, click here.
The House Committee amended the bill and passed it out favorably on March 21.
Hearing on HB 2613
The Senate Committee on Education on Wednesday, March 20, held a hearing on HB 2613.
If passed, the bill would create a statewide Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) educator position in the Office of the Attorney General. The educator would provide D.A.R.E. curriculum instruction, including content on fentanyl and other opioids, to public K-12 schools and would perform services and provide materials and information necessary to support the D.A.R.E. program in Kansas.
HB 2613 also would establish the D.A.R.E. Fund in the State Treasury and authorize the Office of the Attorney General to administer it. The fund would be for the purpose of supporting D.A.R.E. within the state and would be subject to appropriations.
The House passed this bill 105-15 on Feb. 22.
The Senate Committee failed to pass the bill out of committee on May 21.
Hearing on SB 438
The House Committee on Education on Education on Wednesday, March 20, held a hearing on SB 438
If passed, SB 438 would eliminate the requirement to subtract other aid from the state payment in the Accelerating Opportunity: Kansas (AO-K) Program. The bill would allow all students in an AO-K Program to receive the AO-K assistance benefit, rather than only those pursuing high school equivalency. It would limit the payment provided for each student to no more than $500 over the lifetime of the student.
This bill was passed in the Senate 40-0 on Feb. 22.
The House Committee passed the bill out favorably on March 21.
Up Next
The House is adjourned until 8:30 a.m. Friday, March 22. The Senate is adjourned until 9 a.m. Friday, March 22.
The Senate Committee on Education, the House Committee on Education and the House Committee on K-12 Education Budget don’t have any meetings scheduled for next week as of now.
Click here (Welcome | Kansas State Legislature (kslegislature.org) to see calendars of the House and Senate, track bills, and view agendas for committees.
In this edition | Feature Story | Assessments and Accountability | Reporting and Operations Standards and Instruction | Student Health and Nutrition | Upcoming Events, Trainings and Recognition
Questions about this page contact:
Denise Kahler (785) 296-4876 dkahler@ksde.org
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