ICYMI: Legislative Update | February 2, 2026
Week 3 Recap & Week 4 Preview
Last week, the legislature began deeper budget discussions, with public testimony on the KDADS budget in both the House and Senate. Budget testimony will continue this week, with LeadingAge Kansas presenting its KDADS budget requests in the Senate Human Services Subcommittee. The House will also hear HB 2520, increasing the Home Plus resident cap from 12 to 16; LeadingAge Kansas will provide neutral testimony while outlining member concerns. Committees are moving toward final KDADS budget recommendations, including potential consideration of nursing home rebase, Medicaid capacity payments, HCBS-FE capacity funding, and senior nutrition. Later this week, HB 2528 on nursing license renewal issues will be heard in House Health and Human Services, which LeadingAge Kansas will monitor. With turnaround approaching quickly, activity is moving fast, and updates will continue as decisions unfold.
- HB2392 (from 2025 legislative session) – nurse faculty educational requirements – in House Health
- HB2184 (from 2025 legislative session) – staffing agency standards – in House Social Services Budget
- HB2163 (from 2025 legislative session) – aging services preceptor tax incentive – House Floor
- SB334 (2026 legislative session) – nurse faculty educational requirements – in Senate Commerce
Coming Up This Week
- KDADS Budget Public Testimony – Senate Ways and Means Human Services Subcommittee – Tuesday, February 3 at 12:00 p.m.
- HB2520 – Home Plus, raising cap from 12 to 16; LeadingAge Kansas Neutral – Tuesday, February 3 at 1:30 p.m.
- KDADS Budget Recommendations – House Social Services Budget – Tuesday, February 3 at 3:30 p.m.
- KDADS Budget Report Out to Senate Ways and Means – Wednesday, February 4 at 10:30 a.m.
Coming Up Next Week
- Budget report out on KDADS recommendations to House Appropriations – Monday, February 9 at 9:00 a.m.
Reminder you can watch all legislative hearings on the Kansas Legislature YouTube page.
Comments Accepted Through February 21 on HCBS Waiver Amendments, Including FE
KDADS will accept public input on their waiver amendments for the Brain Injury, Physical Disability, Frail Elderly, and Technology Assisted waivers through February 21. The purpose of these amendments is to address the change in assessing entities for options counseling and assessment functions, establish a waitlist due to the growing capacity on each of the waivers without the necessary appropriated funds to continue adding enrollees, describe how management of the waitlists will be handled, update provider qualifications for the agency-directed personal care services, and some technical cleanup language. The proposed start date for the waiver waitlists is May 1, 2026.
LeadingAge Kansas intends to submit comments outlining concerns with starting the waitlist on the FE waiver and how that will impact seniors across the state. If you have any details you would like to submit, you can do so on the KDADS website.
Kansas 4M Lunch and Learn Series February through May
The University of Kansas, in conjunction with the Kansas Nursing Workforce Center, are hosting a lunch and learn series monthly through May. The first lunch and learn in January focused on financial exploitation of older adults. CEs are available for a small fee for those who need it. Below is an overview of the upcoming series:
March 11: “Clinical Trials with Older Adults”
