07 March 2025 | Economic Security Health Tax and Budget Early Learning Education

2025 Statehouse Snapshot: Week 8

Kansas Action for Children | March 7, 2025

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Senate Committee Proposes Least Amount of K-12 Funding Possible

Legislative leadership has missed the mark with their changes to the budget process this year. Instead of more thorough vetting of the state’s expenditures, we’ve seen less time for budget hearings and public testimony, cryptic and confusing motions, and special interest funding allocations.

We most recently saw these political maneuvers during the Senate Education Committee’s actions on the K-12 budget this week. No public, verbal testimony was permitted. Committee discussion for additions to the budget was cut off by the Chair when it was clear some members desired opportunity for further discussion. The K-12 budget recommendation that will be presented to the full Senate Committee on Ways and Means next week will be the slimmest possible version of the KSDE budget since the Chair said she only wanted to fund K-12 to Kansas Supreme Court-directed levels and nothing more.

The Chair’s approved motion targets items in the budget that have been previously funded and takes any new and additional funding for special education to $0, despite nearly half of the Committee supporting increased SPED funding. This lack of additional SPED funding steps the Legislature even further back from its legal obligation to fund special education.

About the only good news right now as it relates to the state budget is that there is still time for you and other advocates to weigh in and reach out to lawmakers – though the window is narrowing. For any budget, including K-12 funding, the Senate Committee on Ways and Means is making their final recommendations next week. Then the full Senate will vote on the budget the following week. Any differences between the House and Senate versions will be negotiated later in the month during which six legislative members will hash out final decisions.

We wish we had more positive news to share, but understanding what the Legislature is putting state dollars toward is critically important, especially when combined with looming federal budget cuts.

Legislature Rushes through Hearings

A lack of transparency has been a theme for the Legislature relating to economic security bills this week.

For instance, the Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs was slated to work SB 254 on Monday, which would prohibit undocumented immigrants from accessing public benefits (like in-state tuition). It would also create a two-tiered legal system that erodes due process for undocumented Kansans who have been charged with, but not convicted of, a crime. After an estimated 100 students arrived to observe them working the bill, the Chair stated they needed to reschedule, citing forthcoming amendments and absent committee members. Instead, the Committee worked the bill on Wednesday, without announcing it ahead of time and, thus, without the large student audience, and voted it out of committee.

The Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing Thursday on HB 2119, which would eliminate the Affordable Housing Tax Credit. Since its implementation in 2023, this tax credit has resulted in a significant increase in affordable housing being built across the state. This Thursday hearing was not announced until Wednesday afternoon, leaving advocates no more than a few hours to submit testimony.

But despite the last-minute hearing announcement, multiple opponents shared their reasons for why this bill would roll back the progress the state has made on affordable housing. This hearing (featuring only opponents!) showed signs of pumping the brakes. Committee members were encouraged with how successful the program has been, and there was interest in amending it to “right size” the program to alleviate budget concerns.

The House Committee on Welfare Reform hearing announcements also followed a lack of transparency in relation to Thursday hearings for SB 85 (announced late Monday) and SB 79 (announced Tuesday), with testimony required by Wednesday.

SB 85 would require the Department for Children and Families (DCF) to monitor more than a dozen data points to continually redetermine SNAP eligibility. This would lead to higher churn rates, meaning Kansans would lose eligibility due to system errors or small changes in their hours worked per week. Proponents of the bill cite fraud as the reason for this legislation, but they were not able to provide any concrete evidence of fraud when questioned by committee members.

SB 79 would require DCF to apply for a waiver to ban purchase of candy and soft drinks using SNAP. The Committee did not end up taking a vote on the original bill, so keep an eye out for more updates on this one.

Another rushed hearing announced was for HB 2101, which would prohibit municipalities and other local governments from implementing “guaranteed income” programs. The Senate Committee on Government Efficiency announced this coming Monday’s hearing late Wednesday, with testimony due by 10 a.m. Thursday. This bill, as well as HB 2119, SB 85, and SB 79, required testimony submissions to include delivering hard copies to the committee’s assistant.

With the upcoming deadlines for committee work, we are concerned we could see more hearings announced with little to no notice. KAC’s proximity to the Statehouse affords us the privilege of getting hard copy testimony turned in with short deadlines, but this rushed process makes it difficult for most Kansans to weigh in on important topics that could affect their bottom line.

Income Tax Focus Would Hamper State’s Ability to Give Targeted Relief

This was a busy week for KAC in both tax committees, with hearings on several major pieces of legislation.

There was one area of overlap: the flat tax. Yes, it is back again in the form of HB 2318 and SB 259. These identical bills would give away excess income tax collections to trigger a flat income tax rate until all taxpayers, even businesses, reach the same rate of 4.5%. If adopted, this legislation would handcuff the state to future tax cuts in lieu of saving for a rainy day or using excess revenues on more pressing matters – like targeted tax relief. If you think that sounds like a shortsighted approach to budgeting, you are not alone.

State revenue would be better spent on policies that primarily benefit working- and middle-class Kansas families than on ensuring the largest corporations and highest-income Kansans pay the same rate as everyone else. One such policy – a state child tax credit (CTC) – also received a hearing this week in the Senate Tax Committee. The bipartisan proposal in SB 179 would establish a state CTC for children ages 0-5 and would provide targeted tax relief for the families who need it most.

We offered testimony in strong support of SB 179, pointing to the nearly 20% of Kansas children experiencing food insecurity as evidence of the real need for this type of relief. A CTC is among the most effective tools for lifting children out of poverty, and Kansas should join 16 other states that now offer such a credit for families. A CTC is more than just a tax break – it’s fewer hungry children, less parental stress, and an investment in children’s futures. In an economy where costs are still top of mind, the time is right for Kansas lawmakers to prioritize the children and adopt a state CTC.

Child Care Bill Moved Back to Committee for More Work

While HB 2294, the bipartisan early childhood proposal, had been scheduled for debate by the full House on Thursday, the bill was instead promptly sent back to the House Commerce Committee for further work after lawmakers from both parties expressed displeasure with the bill before it hit the floor.

As a reminder, the bill seeks to streamline the early childhood governance structure and contains some language that may impact child care rules and regulations. Today, the House Commerce Committee hosted an open conversation on the bill, inviting all House lawmakers to come and ask questions or signify what changes they’d like to see.

Based on the conversation – much of which questioned the need for a streamlined childhood office and even further loosening the definition of unlicensed care – we hope the open dialogue created an opportunity for lawmakers to learn more about the serious impact of their proposals to the child care system.

The Committee Chair requested the Governor’s Office take the presented feedback and work up a list of solutions addressing lawmakers’ concerns. The Committee plans to bring amendments to this bill next Wednesday at the earliest, and we hope Commerce members practice the greatest degree of caution when considering changes that will directly impact the care of the littlest Kansans.

House Health Passes Out Bills Helping Kansas Kids

Several bills positively impacting children’s health received hearings and seem like they have a good chance of continuing to move forward in the legislative process.

The House Health Committee considered four bills that would make permanent changes, rather than relying on yearly budget allowances.

HB 2236 would permanently codify the Mental Health Intervention Team (MHIT) pilot program. It sets up the necessary funding and systems for schools and mental health providers to work together so students (particularly in crisis) can receive mental health support in school settings and beyond, removing known barriers to kids receiving services.
HB 2386 would correct Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) eligibility levels is something we have advocated for several years. If this measure passes, a long-standing issue will be fixed.
HB 2399 would permanently increase the Newborn Screening Program budget cap from $2.5 million to $5.0 million, to reflect coverage for testing of more conditions.
HB 2397 increases the local health department funding formula.

The House Health Committee debated and worked on these bills. Ultimately, they combined the CHIP eligibility fix, Newborn Screening Program, local health department funding formula, and increased hospital provider rate (HB 2250) into what is now House Sub. for SB 126 before passing it out to the full House. The Committee also separately passed out the MHIT bill. We are very hopeful that House Sub. for SB 126 and HB 2236 will continue moving forward and hit the House floor very soon.

What to Expect in Week 9

Overall, most committees have a little more than one week left to hear and send out bills to the full chamber for consideration. As we’ve stated elsewhere in this newsletter, this could result in last-minute hearing announcements and final action on bills. While we don’t yet know about several committee agendas for this coming week, this is currently what’s on our radar:

On Monday, the Senate Committee on Government Efficiency will hear HB 2101, which would prohibit local governments from implementing guaranteed income programs.
On Tuesday, the Senate Committee on Government Efficiency will hear HB 2240, which would prohibit state agencies from adopting waivers for the Medicaid program. This bill is a less expansive version of SB 161 (covering all public assistance programs), which the Senate sent on to the House in February.
HB 2294 is likely to be amended in House Commerce Committee next week (the Chair said Wednesday or Thursday the most likely days). Based on the most recent committee conversation, many changes could be made to this bill, which would require in-depth evaluation to understand any impact.
The House Committee on Welfare Reform is likely to work the candy/soda ban from SNAP dollars (SB 79) and the data crosscheck bill (SB 85) on Thursday.

For issues that could be considered by either chamber, we could see more about taxes. With both tax committees hearing a bill triggering a “flat” income tax this past week, we could see one of those proposals worked and hit the chamber floor. We’re keeping on eye on these budget-buster bills.