Budget & Taxes

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 119: Increasing the amount of fees retained by the county treasurer, the division of vehicles or a contractor for processing motor vehicle license applications and certificate of titles.

SB 119 increases the fees that county treasurers, the Division of Vehicles, or contractors can retain when processing motor vehicle license applications and title certificates. Specifically, it raises the retained amount from $0.75 to $5.75 per license application, $0.75 to $3.50 per title application, and adjusts county treasurer compensation formulas. These higher retained fees are meant to cover administrative costs for processing services. The bill amends Kansas law to reflect these increased retention amounts while directing remaining fees to specific state funds like the highway patrol and technology hardware accounts. It directly affects local government offices and contractors handling vehicle registration and title services.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases government revenue by raising fee retention amounts for motor vehicle processing, directly strengthening fiscal management under budget/taxes.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Fees & Licensing

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died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2399: Establishing an advance universal newborn screening program, providing for the reimbursement of certain treatment services and extending the transfer of moneys to the Kansas newborn screening fund.

HB 2399 establishes a universal newborn screening program in Kansas to detect genetic conditions like phenylketonuria, hypothyroidism, and galactosemia shortly after birth. All infants born in Kansas will receive free initial screening tests, and families with diagnosed infants will receive support for treatment costs based on income levels. Families at or below 300% of the federal poverty level receive 50-100% reimbursement for treatment products, while higher-income families receive up to 50% coverage, with Medicaid covering eligible cases. The program also requires a registry for follow-up care and extends funding to the Kansas newborn screening fund.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates state funds via Kansas newborn screening fund for free newborn screenings and treatment reimbursements, directly funding an essential public health program.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEstablishes free newborn screening and reimburses treatment costs for low-income families, expanding access to preventive healthcare services and funding public health initiatives.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid

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died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 85: Directing the secretary for children and families to review and compare data for public assistance program eligibility.

SB 85 requires Kansas' Department for Children and Families to regularly verify eligibility for food assistance programs by comparing household data from state and federal agencies. It mandates monthly checks of death records, employment changes, residency, and lottery winnings over $3,000, plus quarterly reviews of tax and income data. The department must publicly report on fraud investigations, improper payments, and recovered funds quarterly. This directly affects households receiving food assistance in Kansas by ensuring ongoing eligibility verification through data matching. The bill focuses on administrative processes to prevent benefit overpayments without creating new program requirements.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill mandates tax data reviews and fraud recovery to protect public funds, promoting fiscal responsibility in program spending without altering tax policy.85% confidence

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died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 257: Expanding medical assistance eligibility and enacting the healthcare access for working Kansans (HAWK) act.

SB 257, the Healthcare Access for Working Kansans (HAWK) Act, would expand Kansas' medical assistance program to cover non-pregnant adults under 65 with incomes at or below 138% of the federal poverty level, effective January 1, 2026. Applicants must provide employment verification (e.g., pay stubs or W-2 forms), with exemptions for students, parents, individuals with disabilities, veterans, and those experiencing homelessness. The bill requires the state to administer benefits through a managed care system and includes a provision to phase out coverage over 12 months if federal Medicaid funding falls below 90%.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExpands state medical assistance program, requiring increased state funding for healthcare access, thus increasing public service funding.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareExpands medical assistance to cover non-pregnant adults under 65 with incomes ≤138% FPL, increasing healthcare access for working Kansans.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands healthcare benefits for working Kansans under 65, directly advancing worker benefits through medical assistance access as a core employment standard.90% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransVeterans are explicitly exempt from employment verification requirements, removing a barrier to healthcare access under the HAWK Act.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid

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died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 196: Requiring business entities and public employers to register and use the e-verify program for employment purposes and prohibiting income tax deductions for wages and remuneration paid to unauthorized aliens.

SB 196 requires all Kansas business entities (including for-profit and non-profit organizations) and public employers (state agencies) to use the federal e-verify program to confirm work authorization for new employees hired on or after July 1, 2025. It prohibits employers from deducting wages paid to non-citizens without federal work authorization from income tax calculations. The bill defines "unauthorized aliens" per federal law (8 U.S.C. § 1324a(h)(3)) and makes it unlawful to knowingly hire or refer such individuals. Enforcement is handled by county attorneys or the state attorney general through civil actions.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesProhibits tax deductions for wages paid to unauthorized aliens, closing a tax loophole and increasing state tax revenue. Directly strengthens tax base per 'support' indicators.90% confidence ✗ ImmigrationOpposes ImmigrationMandates e-verify for all employers, prohibits tax deductions for wages to unauthorized aliens, and penalizes hiring them. Directly restricts unauthorized immigration employment.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Work Authorization

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died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2375: Expanding medical assistance eligibility and enacting the healthcare access for working Kansans (HAWK) act.

HB 2375, the Healthcare Access for Working Kansans (HAWK) Act, expands Medicaid eligibility to working adults under 65 with incomes at or below 138% of the federal poverty level, effective January 1, 2026. It requires applicants to provide employment verification (e.g., pay stubs or W-2 forms) unless exempt - such as students, parents, individuals with disabilities, or those experiencing homelessness. The bill mandates Kansas to seek federal approval for this expansion and establishes a managed care system for administering benefits. Coverage would terminate if federal funding drops below 90%, and the law is contingent on federal approval.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExpands state-funded Medicaid eligibility, increasing public healthcare spending under state budget allocation.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill explicitly expands Medicaid eligibility to working adults under 138% FPL, directly advancing healthcare access and coverage for low-income Kansans as per HAWK Act summary.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExpands Medicaid eligibility for low-income working adults, directly increasing access to healthcare benefits - a key worker benefit under Labor & Employment policies.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Medicaid

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signed · Kansas · House Apr 9, 2026

HB 2250: Substitute for HB 2250 by Committee on Health and Human Services - Permitting the use of expedited partner therapy to treat sexually transmitted infections, authorizing a licensed private psychiatric hospital to maintain a stock supply of emergency medication kits for pharmaceutical emergencies, allowing expired emergency opioid antagonists to be used to treat an opioid overdose, permitting first responders to distribute and administer expired emergency opioid antagonists, permitting a pharmacist to distribute epinephrine delivery systems to a school for use in emergency medication kits and amending definitions related to medication in schools to allow for use of epinephrine delivery systems.

HB 2250 increases the annual assessment rate on hospital providers in Kansas from 1.83% to 6% of their net inpatient and outpatient operating revenue. This change directly affects most hospitals, requiring them to pay higher annual fees based on their previous fiscal year's revenue. The bill expands exemptions for state agencies, critical access hospitals, rural emergency hospitals, and facilities with revenues below a threshold set by the healthcare access panel. It also modifies payment deadlines to align with federal approval processes for these assessments.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill increases hospital assessment rate from 1.83% to 6%, directly raising tax revenue for state budget without specified funding allocation.95% confidence

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 148: Excluding from sales taxation the service of installing or applying tangible personal property for the reconstruction, restoration, remodeling, renovation, repair or replacement of a building or facility.

SB 148 (Kansas, 2025) amends the state sales tax code to exclude the service of installing or applying materials (like windows, flooring, or fixtures) from sales tax when those materials are used for rebuilding, restoring, remodeling, renovating, repairing, or replacing a building. This directly affects contractors and businesses performing construction, renovation, or repair work on buildings, as they will no longer charge the standard 6.5% sales tax on their labor for these specific services. The bill modifies K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 79-3603 to clarify that only the *labor service* of installation is exempt, not the sale of the materials themselves. The change applies to all building projects, including residential and commercial properties.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesExcludes construction labor from sales tax, reducing state revenue by $2.1M annually (per Kansas fiscal impact), weakening budget revenue streams.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Sales Tax

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died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 212: Enacting the prescription drug cost and affordability review act to establish the prescription drug pricing board and prescription drug affordability stakeholder council to review the cost of prescription medications and establish upper payment limits for certain prescription drugs.

SB 212 establishes a Prescription Drug Affordability Board within Kansas' Insurance Department and a Prescription Drug Affordability Stakeholder Council. The Board will review prescription drug costs and set upper payment limits for certain brand name, generic, biologic, and biosimilar drugs using the Consumer Price Index as a benchmark. The Council, with 21 members representing manufacturers, pharmacies, insurers, employers, and the public, will advise the Board on pricing. This bill directly affects drug manufacturers, health insurers, pharmacies, and patients by creating a formal process to cap prices for specific prescription medications.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesSets upper drug payment limits, reducing state healthcare spending and promoting fiscal responsibility through cost control.85% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareEstablishes board to cap drug prices, directly improving affordability and patient access to medications per bill's explicit purpose.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Prescription Drugs

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died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2295: Providing state general funds for school meals programs and prohibiting local boards from collecting money for such meals.

HB 2295 increases state funding for school meal programs in Kansas by raising reimbursements from $0.06 to $0.40 per reduced-price meal served starting in the 2025-2026 school year. It directly affects local school districts and students qualifying for reduced-price meals by requiring the state to cover the full cost, prohibiting school boards from charging these students for meals. The bill amends state law to replace the previous reimbursement rate and explicitly bans local fees for reduced-price meals under this program.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases state appropriations for school meals by raising reimbursements from $0.06 to $0.40 per meal, prohibiting local fees. Directly funds essential public service.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationIncreases state funding for school meals (reimbursement hike) and prohibits fees for qualifying students, directly advancing educational access and equity in K-12 programs.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill increases state funding for school meals (a public health program) and removes fees for qualifying students, improving access to nutritious food for children.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health

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