(March 16, 2026) – Today, the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee met to work the bills before them. The committee took up the following bills:

House Bill 2524 permits the secretary of the Kansas Department for Children and Families to license family foster homes when certain persons reside in such home and creates an appeal process for family foster homes when licenses are not granted. The bill was recommended favorably for passage and will now go to the Senate.

House Bill 2536 requires proposed guardians for certain adults who have a cognitive impairment or are diagnosed with a neurological condition to complete training approved by the secretary of the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services prior to appointment as a guardian. The bill was recommended favorably for passage and will now go to the Senate.

House Bill 2509 adds an advanced practice registered nurse to the definition of health care provider for purposes of the Healthcare Provider Insurance Availability Act. The committee saw a motion to amend that grants a six-month period to comply, creates options for residents in training and allows options for those entering the Kansas Health Care Stabilization Fund. The language is based on what was in the recently passed optometrist scope-of practice-bill. The committee approved the bill as amended, and it will now go to the full Senate.

House Bill 2520 increases the number of allowed residents in a home plus facility from 12 to 16. The bill was recommended favorably for passage and will now go to the full Senate.

House Bill 2528 requires all Kansas State Board of Nursing actions related to nonpractice violations be void, allows for late license renewal for professional, practical and advanced practice registered nurses, sets fees for late license renewal, limits unprofessional conduct to acts related to the practice of nursing, prohibits the board from taking retaliatory action against a licensee based on certain lawful actions and creates a civil cause of action for violation thereof, requires that board members be subject to Senate confirmation and requires the board to issue refunds for overpayment or duplicate payment. The bill was amended in the following ways following negotiation and discussions between proponents and the Kansas Board of Nursing staff:

• Further provisions would clarify that any action based on unprofessional misconduct not related to licensure timing would not be expunged.
• Adds language indicating what the board can do following a licensure lapse to get to reinstatement and allows a time period of five years.
• Adds language regarding investigations of the Kansas State Board of Nursing, allowing for independent review.
• Adds delay language to the closure of investigations so if investigations are currently underway, they can continue.
• Disciplinary action versus under petition is dealt with differently.
• Language if applicant causes investigation delays.
• Language to allow LPNs and RNs to be treated the same.

The committee approved the amendments above in one motion and then turned its focus to an amendment to require the board to only have to inform licensees twice of renewal dates rather than a more extensive number of times. The motion was then made to restore previous versions of the House language dealing with conflict of interest and eliminating the ability of anyone that is a legislator or in the governor's office from serving on the board. That amendment was also passed by the committee. The committee saw a motion to amend, changing the grace periods from 90 days to 30 days. The amendment passed. The next amendment moved the expiration dates for an investigation to 24 months from the 22 months currently in the bill. That amendment failed.

The committee will complete work on House Bill 2528 and other bills when they meet tomorrow.