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With less than three weeks left before Turnaround – when bills must pass their original chamber to stay alive for the year – the pace picked up significantly this week in the Kansas Legislature.
Revisors worked furiously to meet today’s deadline when all non-exempt bills must be introduced. Both chambers began considering non-controversial bills on their General Orders, several hot topic bills were introduced, and hearings are quickly filling up committee calendars. The last day for non-exempt committees to meet is February 21 followed by Turnaround on February 24.
Read our full legislative report.
Education Bills heard this week:
HB 2218 – Heard in House K-12 Education Committee & recommended for full House consideration – This bill would establish the Sunflower Education Equity Act to provide education savings accounts for qualified students in Kansas.
Our take:
This bill will utilize state base aid ($5,000 per student) and give it to parents in the form of an education savings account (ESA) to spend on tuition at nonpublic schools and several other education expenses. The fiscal note on the bill is approximately $150 million per year fully implemented. Committee Chair Kristey Williams (R-Augusta) amended the bill to include a phased in implementation as follows:
- 2023-24 - limited to 2,000 students from families earning three times the federal poverty limit.
- 2024-25 - limited to 4,000 students from families earning four times the poverty limit.
- 2025-26 - limited to 8,000 students from any family.
- 2026-27 - no limits to number of students or income level.
HB 2163 –heard in House Education Committee – This bill would require statutory due process procedures for a school district's non-renewal or termination of a teacher contract.
HB 2138 - heard in House Education Committee – This bill would create the career technical education credential and transition incentive for employment success act to provide additional state aid to certain school districts for students who obtain career technical education credentials.
HB 2139 – heard in House Education Committee – This bill would create the crime of abuse of a sports official and providing criminal penalties therefor.
SB 83 – heard in Senate Education Committee – this bill would provide additional student eligibility under the tax credit for low income students scholarship program and increasing the amount of the tax credit for contributions made pursuant to such program.
HB 2132 – heard in House Education Committee – this will would expand the eligible fields of study and establishing a maximum scholarship amount for certain private postsecondary educational institutions in the Kansas promise scholarship act.
Our take:
The expansion will include scholarships for elementary and secondary education degrees which should help our teacher shortage needs significantly.
HB 2236 – heard in House Education committee – this bill would establish parents' right to direct the education, upbringing and moral or religious training of their children including the right to object to harmful and inappropriate educational materials.
SB 128 – heard in Senate Tax Committee – This bill would establish the ad astra opportunity tax credit to provide an income tax credit for taxpayers with eligible dependent children not enrolled in public school.
SB66 – heard in Senate Education – this bill would enact the interstate teacher mobility compact to recognize equivalent teacher licenses across member states.
Other bills to watch:
HB 2048 – Heard two weeks ago by the Committee on K-12 Education Budget- This bill would provide additional student eligibility under the tax credit for low income students scholarship program and increasing the amount of the tax credit for contributions made pursuant to such program.
SB 84 – to be heard in Senate Education Committee – this bill would Include individuals who receive a high school equivalency (HSE) credential in performance-based payments for certain postsecondary educational institutions.
HB 2030 – Heard two weeks ago by the Committee on K-12 Education Budget - this bill would authorize nonpublic school students to participate in activities regulated by the Kansas state high school activities association and allowing nonpublic school students who enroll part time in a public school to participate in nonpublic school activities.
HB 2080 – Public hearing heard in House Education – The bill will authorize students enrolled in a virtual school to take virtual state assessments.
HB2261 – Heard in the House committee on K-12 Education Budget – The bill will authorize boards of education of school districts to compensate board members for the duties and obligations of board members.
SB 82 – Heard in Senate Education – The bill would Requiring schools to establish policies and concussion management teams to prevent and manage concussions within school.
HB 2143 – Heard in House Education – The bill establishes requirements for school district bullying policies and procedures for investigating complaints.
SB 97 – Heard in Senate Assessment and Tax – The bill would increase the extent of property tax exemption for residential property from the statewide school levy from $40,000 to $65,000.
HCR 5004 – Heard in House K-12 Education Budget Committee – The resolution urges the U.S. Congress to fully fund the federal government's original funding promise under the individuals with disabilities education act. This will help support the gap in special education services for districts.
HB 2060 – Heard in House K-12 Education Committee – The bill establishes the special education and related services funding task force.
HB 2040 – Heard & advanced in House Education Committee – This bill would revise the Kansas school equity and enhancement act to provide per-student education funding based on student enrollment in the current school year.
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