(March 17, 2026) – Today, the Kansas House took up House Bill 2368. The bill provides for the licensure of anesthesiologist assistants. The bills debated today were put up under an Emergency Final Action Vote to expedite the voting process. During the debate, Representative Dave Buehler (R-Lansing) carried the amendment, discussed how other states have passed similar legislation, how that passage has been positive, not negative, for those states and emphasized overall health care staffing shortages.
Rep. Will Carpenter (R-El Dorado) emphasized this as an access to health care issue, recognized some concerns and brought an amendment limiting AAs to Douglas, Johnson, Sedgwick, Shawnee and Wyandotte counties.
Rep. Nikki McDonald (D-Overland Park) and Susan Ruiz (D-Overland Park) spoke against the bill and the amendment. Rep. Barb Wasinger (R-Hays) spoke against the amendment and moved to send the bill back to the House Health and Human Services Committee for further discussion. The motion passed on a vote of 62-54, so the bill will now return to the House Health and Human Services Committee.
The House also debated Sub for House Bill 2798. The legislation grants authority to state educational institutions regarding transactions involving contracts, easements, and the procurement of goods and services, exempts the state educational institutions from statutes governing such transactions, and authorizes legislators to request copies of certain documents.
This evening, the House is scheduled to debate and vote on House Bill 2793. The bill enacts the Kansas Sports Authority Act to establish a sports authority to provide for the construction, financing and management of certain sports facilities and sports facility infrastructure and creates venues for professional sports and other events.
The House also took final action votes on the following bills:
Senate Bill 321 designates bridges on United States Highway 69 and the 18th Street Expressway in Johnson County as the Representative Robert M. Tomlinson Memorial Bridge and a bridge on Interstate 135 in Sedgwick County as the Don Snyder Memorial Bridge. The bill passed on a vote of 123-0.
Senate Bill 358 requires individuals convicted of certain felonies to be held without bond in the county jail until sentencing. The bill passed on a vote of 109-14.
Senate Bill 361 allows foreign exchange students living with a host family to enroll in and attend the resident school district of the host family as if the student were a resident of the school district and excludes such a student from the open-seat lottery process. The bill passed on a vote of 113-0.
Senate Bill 366 prohibits the use of a mobile telephone while operating a motor vehicle in school or construction zones and provides penalties thereof and permits the display of certain lighting in road construction zones by vehicles and trailers engaged in highway construction and maintenance operations. The bill passed on a vote of 116-7.
Senate Bill 382 provides for the administration and proctoring of statewide assessments to virtual school students by such students' virtual schools, adds certain third parties who contract with school districts to the definition of special teacher and provides for special education state aid reimbursement for qualified teachers who provide approved special education or related services to students with an individualized education program administered by such school district pursuant to a contract. The bill passed on a vote of 111-12.
Senate Bill 396 reorganizes the Clearwater Cemetery district in Sedgwick County to remove the Ohio township. The bill passed on a vote of 122-1.
Senate Bill 427 clarifies that the chairperson and vice chairperson of the Senate Committee on Confirmation Oversight have the authority to review tax information from the Kansas Department of Revenue and background checks from the Kansas Bureau of Investigation on persons appointed to state offices and subject to Senate confirmation. The bill passed on a vote of 123-0.