(Dec. 12, 2025) – The 2026 Kansas Legislative Session is approaching, bringing a fast-paced election-year environment. Since every member of the Kansas House, all statewide elected officials, and a U.S. Senate seat are on the ballot, legislators will focus on high-profile issues that resonate with voters—and hospitals must be prepared to engage.
KHA has created a 2026 Legislative Preview to help members understand the landscape. Key topics include budget and federal funding pressures, ongoing hospital policy discussions such as the 340B Program, price transparency, scope-of-practice proposals and workforce challenges impacting hospitals across the state.
As the carry-over year begins, many policy discussions are positioned for swift action under the dome, and your voice will be essential as decisions are made in Topeka.
Now is the time to speak up. Lawmakers depend on the firsthand experiences of hospital leaders to understand how legislation impacts patients, staff and communities. Sharing your perspective helps ensure policy choices are based on the realities of care, not assumptions.
One of the best opportunities to make that impact is on Jan. 22 with the 2026 Advocacy Day at the Statehouse. You can register today by visiting: https://registration.kha-net.org/.
We are pleased to celebrate our third Advocacy All-Stars class at this event and offer all participating members a chance to join this year's All-Stars in important face-to-face discussions with legislators during our Advocacy Day. To assist with your conversations on issues before the legislature, KHA has created a 2026 State Priorities to help you address topics that will be important to policymakers this session. We encourage you to share this with your state policymakers during your discussions.
Hospitals and health care professionals are trusted resources during a busy session. We encourage every member to participate in discussions about the challenges and opportunities facing Kansas health care.
Thank you for your continued engagement and leadership. Together, we can ensure that Kansas lawmakers understand what hospitals need to continue delivering high-quality care across our state. I look forward to seeing you at the Capitol.
--Chad Austin