Committees Finish Up Work
Most legislative committees finished up their work today in anticipation of First Adjournment on April 6th. Only “exempt” committees are allowed to continue meeting, and working on bills. Exempt committees are the house and senate budget committees, tax committees and federal and state affairs committees. The legislature will spend the next two weeks in their chambers voting on bills, and trying to come up with a school funding plan.
No policy call this week, we will catch you all next Friday.
Budget Bills Kicked Out of Committee
Early in the week, the house and senate budget committees quickly passed out their state budget bills for consideration by the rest of the legislature. Both bills contain a 4.25% increase for nursing home Medicaid rates. We are unsure at this point when the house and senate will actually take up these bills for debate and vote. The school funding proposals will be contained in separate bills, which complicates timing. The legislature can either take up the main budget bills first, and finalize the school funding bill around it. Or they can pass the school funding plan first, and craft the final budget with whatever money is left over.
The increase for nursing home funding is definitely at risk. Keep your eye out for legislative alerts and calls to action!
Hearing on “Informed Consent” for Antipsychotics
The Children and Seniors Committee held a hearing on Tuesday morning for HB 2232, which imposes various restrictions on the prescription and administration of antipsychotic medications to adult care home residents. If passed, HB 2704 would be the broadest and most restrictive antipsychotics law in the nation. LeadingAge Kansas is strongly opposed to the bill because it does nothing to address the systemic issues behind antipsychotic use, will further shut off access to care for people who most need it, and is unnecessary due to the new federal regulations enacted last November.
LeadingAge Kansas provided testimony to the committee in opposition, as did the Kansas Hospital Association and the Kansas Medical Society.
Kansas Health Care Association did not speak to the committee. They took a neutral position on the bill, and limited their testimony to written only.
Read our testimony, and check out the story in the Kansas City Star.
