(Jan. 29, 2026) – Today, the House Appropriations Committee and the Senate Ways and Means Committee held a hearing on House Bill 2555, which addresses reporting requirements for the Rural Health Transformation Program. Kansas Department of Health and Environment's Janet Stanek appeared before the committee to support the bill.
Vice Chair Kristey Williams (R-Augusta) raised the need for behavioral health beds and asked whether Critical Access Hospitals could accept patients to help meet that need.
Chairman Troy Waymaster (R-Bunker Hill) highlighted that this is a compromise bill and that this funding differs from some of the past federal funding programs, discussing the differences.