Capitol Comments Articles

(Aug. 4, 2022) – While the constitutional amendment outcome received a lot of attention, there is more work to be done finalizing election results. Here is some information regarding the state elections and what to expect as we head into November.
(May 24, 2022) – Yesterday, the Kansas Legislature closed the 2022 session and set a return date of Jan. 9, 2023. Each session the Kansas Hospital Association provides a summary of bills of interest to health care providers for our members.
(May 23, 2022) – Today, the Kansas Legislature addressed an unprecedented veto session #2. With last week's Kansas Supreme Court ruling last week that the re-districted legislative maps will stand, the matters before the Legislature during today's one-day session were limited to outstanding items.
(May 23, 2022) – Today, several members gave farewell addresses or were recognized by their colleagues in recognition of their decisions not to run for re-election.
(May 16, 2022) – On Friday, Governor Laura Kelly vetoed Substitute for Senate Bill 34 and House Bill 2387. The bills need a two-thirds majority of both the House and Senate chambers to see a veto override by the Legislature when they return on May 23.
(April 29, 2022) – The Kansas Legislature adjourned their work for the veto session just after 2 a.m. on April 29.
(April 29, 2022) – The Conference Committee agreed to House Substitute for Senate Bill 19, the 988 suicide hotline enacting legislation.
(April 29, 2022) – As sometimes occurs near the end of the session, there was a new proposal based on a series of other bills put together late yesterday. These proposals are many times tied to a need to secure enough votes on other proposals as things wrap up in a session.
(April 29, 2022) – The Omnibus Budget Bill contained in House Bill 2510, passed the House 95-22 and the Senate 33-7.
(April 29, 2022) – After discussion throughout the session, the food sales tax reduction proposal passed that was contained in House Bill 2106.
(April 29, 2022) – While the Conference Committee members of House and Senate Federal and State Affairs met throughout the week to discuss the provisions related to both medical marijuana, as well as sports wagering in Kansas, the committee didn't complete the agreement on medical marijuana provisions.
(April 28, 2022) – Yesterday, the Senate debated the conference committee report on House Bill 2540, the report includes changes in schedules I, II, IV and V of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act, amending the definition of controlled substances in the Kansas criminal code, excluding certain drug products from the definition of marijuana and excluding fentanyl testing strips from the definition of drug paraphernalia.
(April 28, 2022) – Yesterday, the Kansas Senate passed unanimously a bill that would reduce the sales tax on unprepared foods from the current 6.5 percent to 4 percent by Jan. 1, 2023.
(April 28, 2022) – Late yesterday, after five rounds of negotiations, the budget conference committee completed their work on an agreement on the chambers' final budget package of the year.
(April 28, 2022) – Today, the conference committee made of House and Senate Health Committee members, met to discuss Senate Bill 34 and all bills in conference.
(April 28, 2022) – Today, the Kansas House of Representatives took up the matters previously vetoed by Governor Laura Kelly.
(April 27, 2022) – Today, the House and Senate Budget conferees serving on the Omnibus Budget Conference Committee began meeting to work through differences between the House and Senate positions.
(April 27, 2022) – Today, members of the Federal and State Affairs Conference Committee began meeting to work through the differences between the House's position on a proposal related to medical marijuana and the proposal in the Senate Committee.
(April 26, 2022) – House Bill 2237, a conference committee report dealing with Housing and Child Care Tax Credit Package, passed the Senate on a vote of 34-3. The Kansas Hospital Association submitted joint support for the package, along with many other statewide associations.
(April 26, 2022) – Today, the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules and Regulations, chaired by Representative Barb Wasinger (R-Hays), reviewed regulation changes from the state boards.
(April 26, 2022) – The Kansas Senate took up veto overrides today, as well as read the governor's veto messages.
(April 26, 2022) – House Bill 2387 limits the executive branch's authority to issue a request for proposal for new managed care organization contracts until Jan. 31, 2023, and limits the ability of the governor to prohibit attending or conducting certain religious services and worship services.
(April 25, 2022) – On Friday, the Joint Legislative Post Audit Committee heard an overview of previous audits.
(April 25, 2022) – Today, the Kansas Legislature returns to Topeka to complete the veto session.
(April 21, 2022) – Today, the House and Senate Budget Committees began their work to complete the 2022 legislative session.
(April 20, 2022) – Today, the Joint Bob Bethell Committee on Home and Community-Based Services and Kancare Oversight heard updates from agencies, in addition to providers, organizations and citizens impacted by the state programs.
(April 20, 2022) – Today, Governor Kelly also signed House Substitute for Senate Bill 267, the budget bill, into law with certain line-item provisions vetoed.
(April 20, 2022) – This week, Governor Laura Kelly signed Senate Bill 453, the legislation allowing certified nurses aides to be trained by licensed practical nurses in addition to registered nurses.
(April 19, 2022) – Late last week, Governor Laura Kelly vetoed the contents of House Substitute for Senate Bill 286.
(April 19, 2022) – Late last week, Governor Lara Kelly signed Senate Substitute for House Bill 2279. T
(April 13, 2022) – Governor Laura Kelly has taken action on several pieces of legislation this week ahead of the Legislature's return on April 25.
(April 13, 2022) – Next week, some of the conference committees will begin meeting and some interim meetings will occur ahead of the full legislative return on April 25.
(April 4, 2022) – The Judiciary Committee met several times over the course of the last week and negotiated compromise positions on a couple of health-related pieces of legislation that had been making their way through the process.
(April 4, 2022) – Last week, the House and Senate Health Committee members also took action on Senate Bill 453, Senate Bill 200 and Senate Bill 19.
(April 4, 2022) – As the Legislature wrapped up their work ahead of the first adjournment break near 1:30 a.m. on April 2, many provisions the Kansas Hospital Association has tracked had action before the Legislature adjourned. The Legislature will return to Topeka for veto session on Monday, April 25, after receiving the April tax revenue estimates.
(April 4, 2022) – Governor Laura Kelly took action to sign into law this week Senate Bill 440, which relates to occupational therapy services and provides limited services to patients without a referral.
(Feb. 28, 2022) – Each year, the Kansas Hospital Association provides the KHA Legislative Turnaround Report to keep you updated on the issues as they make their way through the legislative process.