Today, the Senate Education Committee held a hearing on House Bill 2374. The bill creates the Specialty Practice Student Loan Program and the Specialty Practice Student Loan Repayment Fund, which allows the transfer of funds from the OB-GYN and Psychiatry Medical Student Loan Repayment Funds to the Specialty Practice Student Loan Repayment Fund and abolishes the OB-GYN and Psychiatry Medical Student Loan Repayment Funds.

The committee also held hearings on the following:

Senate Bill 496 requires postsecondary educational institutions to provide annual training on freedom of speech, association and exercise of religion to certain individuals based on materials, programs and procedures developed by the Kansas Board of Regents, in consultation with the attorney general, requires the Kansas Board of Regents to confirm that each such institution has complied with training requirements and authorizes the attorney general to bring an action to enforce compliance.

Senate Bill 517 expands the Every Child Can Read Act reporting requirements and amends the Kansas Blueprint for Literacy to establish requirements for the Kansas Board of Education, the Kansas Board of Regents, and school districts regarding literacy education and reporting.

The committee will meet again next week.