(Feb. 16, 2026) – Today, the Senate Ways and Means Committee completed work on its version of the state budget. The committee discussed the following changes:

• STAR Bonds' limiting language was sent back to the committee.
• Global amendment to cut five areas and restore $19.6 million to the State General Fund
  • Reduce the previous increase to the Brain Injury waiver from $3.9 million to the increase of $3 million, rather than $6.9 million.
  • Reduce the previous community support waiver increases from $7.3 million to 3.8 million.
  • TA waiver reduced $500,000.
  • Reduce the Certified Community Behavioral Health Center planning grants by $4 million.
  • Reducing Long-Term Care Medicaid capacity daily add-on increases from $20 per day to $15 per day.
  • State Water Plan Fund for item/trash removal. $100,000 to be moved to SGF.
  • $225,000 from State Water Plan Fund for Regional Feasibility Study, moved back to SGF.
  • An amendment that any funds receiving above a certain threshold would go to the State General Fund rather than the State Budget Stabilization Fund
  • Delete $6.1 million from bond obligations for grocery stores from when we took food tax away and allocate to the State General Fund.

The committee discussed deleting $10 million for contract staffing at Larned State Hospital, but did not adopt the amendment.

The committee discussed that tomorrow they may take up items including additional funding for hospital Behavioral Health Beds to come from the Attracting Professional Sports Team Funds. The committee also asked for additional information on a motion made to eliminate any proviso language to any policy that hadn’t been vetted by a sub-committee.

The committee will meet again tomorrow.