Join Us for Aging Services Day at the Legislature on February 1st in Topeka
For the first time, we’re hosting a joint Aging Services Legislative with Kansas Healthcare Association/Kansas Center for Assisted Living (KHCA/KCAL) and Kansas Adult Care Executives (KACE). Come join us and make your voice heard on long term care funding and workforce issues! Priority deadline registration is January 22.
The Kansas Legislature Is Open For Business
It was a slow start to the legislative session this week with a winter weather impacting the ability for committees to meet. In Kansas, legislative bills exist on a two year cycle. This year is the second of the biennium and so expect the session to get off to a quicker start next week with bills from last session still being alive and workable. Happenings for this week included the Governor’s State of the State Address on Wednesday evening, and House Appropriations and Senate Ways and Means held a joint hearing on Thursday on Fall Human Services Consensus Caseloads and the Governor’s Budget Recommendations that included priorities of “Medicaid Expansion, sustainable and meaningful tax relief, early childhood education, K-12 and workforce development, and water.” LeadingAge Kansas is talking these first few weeks to meet with legislators and discuss priorities.
Bills of Interest Still Alive From Last Session
- SB 6 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. In House Health and Human Services.
- SB 62 Enacting the protect vulnerable adults from financial exploitation act. In Senate Financial Institutions and Insurance.
- HB 2243 Enacting the protect vulnerable adults from financial exploitation act. In House Financial Institutions and Pensions.
- SB 191 Establishing requirements for the involuntary discharge or transfer of a resident in an adult residential care facility. In Senate Public Health and Welfare.
- SB 277 Providing for the regulation of supplemental nursing services agencies by the secretary for aging and disability services. In Senate Public Health and Welfare.
- HB 2265 Providing for the regulation of supplemental nursing services agencies by the secretary for aging and disability services. In House Health and Human services.
- HB 2049 Changing the length of the nurse aide course required for unlicensed employees in adult care homes to 75 hours. In House Health and Human Services.
- HB 2161 Enacting the patient right to visitation act. In House Health and Human Services.
- HB 2250 Enacting the supported decision-making agreements act. In House Judiciary.
- HB 2358 Permitting mid-level practitioners to provide medical certification to attest to an individual’s cause of death to file a death certificate. In House Federal and State Affairs.
Bills Introduced this Week
- HB 2478 Adding “maternity center” to the definition of “healthcare provider” for purposes of the healthcare provider insurance availability act. Referred to House Insurance.
- HB 2484 Enacting the social work licensure compact to provide interstate practice privileges for social workers. Referred to House Health and Human Services.
- SB 338 Changing certain reporting requirements of group-funded liability and workers compensation pools.
Coming Up Next Week
- January 16: KDHE Enhancement Requests in House Social Services Budget
- January 17: Presentation on 2024 Palliative Care Legislative Priorities in Senate Public Health and Welfare
- January 18: Presentation on State of Cancer in Kansas in House Health and Human Services
- January 18: KDADS Enhancement Requests in House Social Services Budget
Not a fan of reading weekly legislative updates? We’ve got you covered. Listen and watch updates each Friday on our Spotify Podcast and TikTok.
