(Feb. 24, 2026) - Today, the Senate Education Committee held a hearing on House Bill 2468. The bill would allow individuals to participate in the federal tax credit for individual contributions to scholarship-granting organizations and increase the aggregate tax credit limit on the tax credit for low-income students’ scholarship programs.
The committee heard from conferees, including:
Proponents:
- Scarlett O’Costa, Student
- Dr. Jamie Finkeldei, Wichita Catholic Schools
- James Franko, Kansas Policy Institute
- Kim Hammers, Embrace
- Andrea Hillebert, Mater Dei Catholic School
- Chuck Weber, Kansas Catholic Conference
Opponents:
- Leah Fliter, Kansas Association of School Boards
- Tim Graham, Kansas National Education Association
- Jim Karleskint, United School Administrators of Kansas
- Ann Mah, Retiree
- Dr. Beryl New, Kansas State Board of Education
- Mary Sinclair, Kansas PTA
- Erin Woods, Game on for Kansas Schools
The committee also worked the following bills:
Senate Bill 340, which would prohibit the promise scholarship awards from being used to fund corequisite courses.
Senate Bill 406, Directing the governor to approve eligible programs for workforce Pell grants and providing requirements for the state workforce development board with regard to eligibility, approval and financing of such programs. The bill was recommended favorably for passage and will go to the floor.
Senate Bill 382, Providing for the administration and proctoring of statewide assessments to virtual school students by such students' virtual schools. The committee added the contents of Senate Bill 383, Adding certain third parties who contract with school districts to the definition of special teacher and authorizing special education state aid reimbursement for qualified teachers who provide approved special education or related services to students with an IEP administered by such school district pursuant to a contract. The committee further amended and passed out as amended.
Senate Bill 381, Requiring instruction to provide students with an understanding of communist and socialist regimes and ideologies and that students pass an American civics examination in order to graduate with a high school diploma.
Senate Bill 384, Extending the application deadline for authorization to operate as a public innovative district from December 1, to May 1, and deeming applications approved if not approved or denied within 30 days of submission.
The committee will meet again tomorrow.