Only One Week Left Before First Adjournment
The legislature is coming to the end of the regular legislative session, which is known as First Adjournment. (If you’re one of the cool kids, it’s called Drop Dead Day.) Traditionally, all of the voting on bills is concluded by First Adjournment, the legislature takes a break for a few weeks, and then returns for the Veto Session. The Veto Session is when they finish the state budget, and attempt overrides of any Governor vetoes that happened during their time away.
First Adjournment is scheduled for next Friday, April 6th. However, there is a hitch, called school funding. The legislature owes the Kansas Supreme Court a school funding plan by April 30th, and the Attorney General’s office, who is arguing the case for the legislature, ideally needs a plan well before that so they can write legal briefs and turn them into the court before the hearing. This means that unless the legislature passes a plan by next Friday, no one is getting a break. (Can you feel the tears in that sentence? This platform doesn’t let me do emojis.)
Don’t Forget the Policy Call Today at Noon. Email Rachel for the call-in number.
Budget Passed in Senate
The Senate passed their budget bill on Tuesday afternoon, which contains a significant increase for nursing home medicaid reimbursement. The House was supposed to debate their budget bill on Thursday, but it has now been put off to next week.
I originally stated that both the House and Senate were proposing a 4.25% increase for nursing homes. However, that is because I misattributed some federal and state fund totals. The Senate has actually proposed more than twice the funding increase as the House. I apologize for not giving our Senators full credit for their efforts to help nursing homes in their budget package.
Bill Updates
The House and Senate did a lot of voting this week. Time to check in with the bills we’ve been tracking this year. Here is the current status of bills, with one week to go in the regular session.
On the Way to the Governor for Signature (or Veto)
HB 2496 Nurse licensure compact establishing a multi-state license category
HB 2590 Changes to the long term care ombudsman program
In House and Senate Negotiations
These bills have passed both the House and Senate, but have differences that must be negotiated in a “conference committee.”
HB 2232 Electronic monitoring in adult care homes
HB 2458 Expands the type of crimes that qualify as mistreatment of a dependent adult or elder person
S Sub for S Sub for HB 2386 (not a typo) Restrictions on crimes that disqualify candidates for professional licenses, registrations and certifications
In Limbo
The following bills are either in a committee, or are pending before the House or Senate for debate. However, as “exempt” bills they still have a chance to be worked until the very last day of the legislative session.
S Sub for HB 2674 Amended to contain Kansas Telemedicine Act (HB 2512) and Licensure of Dental Therapists (SB 312)
Sub for HB 2427 Amends background checks in adult care homes to require fingerprinting, increases fees, and adds various new misdemeanor and felonies to the exclusion list
HB 2704 Informed consent requirements for antipsychotic drugs
