Before we recap the status of the bills we have been tracking, I need to ask for your help with:
A CALL TO ACTION: SUPPORT INCREASED FUNDINGS FOR ADULT CARE HOMES
Currently the House and Senate both have increased funding for nursing homes and assisted living facilities in their budgets. The Senate Ways & Means Committee will debate its budget on March 2 at 10:30 AM and the House Appropriations Committee will debate its budget at 9:00 AM on March 8. We would highly encourage you to email legislators on both committees and ask them to support this increase for adult care homes. Click here for the contact information for the Senate Ways & Means committee members and click here for the House Appropriations Committee members. Our budget asks are listed here. Please let me know if you have questions.
LAWMAKERS HEAD HOME AS “TURNAROUND” HITS THE LEGISALTIVE CALENDAR
Members of the Kansas House and Senate headed home late Thursday night after a long week of hearing and working bills and two full days of floor debate. Friday officially marks the “Turnaround” period in the Kansas Legislature. Bills that did not pass the floor of the House or Senate, and were not exempted from Legislative deadlines by House and Senate leadership, or were not introduced in exempt committees (budget, tax and federal & state affairs) will not advance for the remainder of the Session. Lawmakers will return Wednesday and will begin reviewing, possibly amending, and eventually deciding the fate of bills that come to them from the opposite chamber. Further, budget negotiations will begin to heat up as lawmakers look to pass a budget bill – the one constitutionally mandated piece of Legislation they must address before leaving town.
STATUS OF BILLS OF INTEREST TO LONG TERM CARE:
HB 2264 hb2264_01_0000.pdf (kslegislature.org) Enacting the no patient left alone act to allow in-person visitation to certain patients at hospitals, adult care homes and hospice facilities.
House Final Action - Passed as amended; Yea: 103 Nay: 19
SB 6 sb6_00_0000.pdf (kslegislature.org) - Restricting the authority of the secretary of health and environment and local health officers to prevent the introduction and spread of infectious or contagious diseases; repealing the authority of the secretary to quarantine individuals and impose associated penalties.
Senate Final Action - Passed; Yea: 22 Nay: 18
Thu, Feb 23, 2023
House Emergency Final Action - Passed; Yea: 120 Nay: 1
HB 2292 hb2292_02_0000.pdf (kslegislature.org) Enacting the Kansas apprenticeship tax credit act to encourage development of apprenticeship programs in Kansas by providing income tax credits for participating businesses that employ apprentices.
Thu, Feb 23, 2023
House Final Action - Passed as amended; Yea: 115 Nay: 7
HB 2246 - Establishing requirements for the involuntary discharge or transfer of a resident in an adult residential care facility and authorizing the secretary to investigate and assess a penalty for violations.
This bill was amended hb2246_01_0000.pdf (kslegislature.org) in committee on February 22 recommended to be passed by the Judiciary Committee. The following day, it was removed from the calendar by Rule 1507 which means it’s dead.
SB 191 sb191_00_0000.pdf (kslegislature.org) Establishing requirements for the involuntary discharge or transfer of a resident in an adult residential care facility, the right to appeal such discharge or transfer and a process for such appeal.
This bill which is a counterpart to HB 2246 also did not move out of committee so is considered dead for this year.
SB 62 sb62_00_0000.pdf (kslegislature.org) - Enacting the protect vulnerable adults from financial exploitation act, requiring reporting of instances of suspected financial exploitation under certain circumstances and providing civil and administrative immunity to individuals who make such reports.
On February 23, 2023 it was Withdrawn from Committee on Financial Institutions and Insurance; Referred to Committee on Ways and Means (exempt from the Turnaround Week rule).
HB 2267 hb2267_01_0000.pdf (kslegislature.org) - An act concerning motor vehicles; relating to license plates; allowing adult care homes a qualified facility to apply for disability special license plates; amending K.S.A. 8-1,125 and repealing the existing section.
On February 23, it was stricken from House Calendar by Rule 1507, however, KHCA/KCAL accomplished what we set out to do by receiving this memo from the Kansas Department of Revenue.
This bill did not move out of committee and is therefore dead for the year.
The Legislature will not return until Wednesday, March 1, 2023 so they may have a much needed rest and I plan to follow their example! Should you need assistance with any issue, please feel free to reach out to your entire team at khca@khca.org.
I am honored and privileged to serve each and every one of you. Thank you for this opportunity.
