Education

died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 385: Establishing Erin's law to require school districts to provide training and age-appropriate student instruction on the identification and reporting of signs of child sexual abuse.

SB 385, "Erin's Law," requires Kansas school districts to implement mandatory programs starting in the 2026-2027 school year. It mandates annual teacher training on identifying and reporting child sexual abuse, including prevention strategies and resource information. The bill also requires age-appropriate student instruction for all K-12 students on abuse awareness, prevention, and reporting options, with a parent opt-out provision. School districts may use approved resources like the Erin's Law Foundation curriculum to meet these requirements.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates age-appropriate student instruction and teacher training on child sexual abuse prevention, enhancing K-12 safety protocols and student protection within educational programs.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum K-12 Education Teachers

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died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2530: Substitute for HB 2530 by Committee on Education - Providing for the transferability of credentials earned through ACT workkeys career readiness assessments towards a degree.

HB 2530 requires Kansas high schools to provide free career readiness assessments (ACT WorkKeys) to students in grades 9, 11, and 12, with participation optional. It mandates that Kansas colleges and universities accept certain WorkKeys credentials (platinum, gold, or silver) as transferable credit toward technical degrees, following American Council on Education guidelines. Schools must publish exam details online, and the state board must report annual assessment data to lawmakers. The bill directly affects Kansas public and nonpublic high school students, school districts, and postsecondary institutions.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates career assessments and credit transfer for technical degrees, enhancing educational pathways and access for students transitioning to higher education.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education K-12 Education Testing & Assessment

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died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 424: Enacting the student secular bill of rights to establish statutory protections against religious coercion and discrimination in public schools.

SB 424 establishes statutory protections in Kansas public schools against religious coercion and discrimination, directly affecting students, parents, and school staff. It defines prohibited actions like forced participation in religious activities, school-sponsored prayer, religious displays, or proselytizing, while clarifying that academic study of religion remains permissible when objective and secular. The bill creates a legal cause of action for students or parents to seek remedies if schools violate these protections. It aligns with established constitutional principles, referencing Supreme Court rulings on church-state separation, and aims to codify existing First Amendment safeguards into state law.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill establishes legal protections against religious coercion in public schools, ensuring student rights and secular educational environment per its title and summary.90% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety

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died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 341: Providing requirements for agreements between a school district and a postsecondary educational institution for the provision of postsecondary courses taught in secondary schools.

SB 341 requires community colleges and technical colleges to follow specific financial rules when partnering with school districts to offer college courses in high schools. Starting July 1, 2026, these institutions must directly pay for instructional materials not provided by schools, pay school districts a set teaching fee (based on credit hours) that must go to the teacher as a salary supplement, and treat site coordinators as contractors with direct payment. The bill affects school districts, high school teachers, and community/technical colleges by standardizing payment structures for these dual-enrollment courses. It sets clear "standard amounts" for teaching and coordination services, adjusted annually for inflation, and applies to all new or renegotiated agreements after 2026. Existing agreements before that date remain unaffected.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates teaching fee payments to teachers as salary supplements and requires postsecondary institutions to cover course costs, directly supporting educator compensation and program sustainability.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Career & Technical Education Curriculum Higher Education

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died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2428: Requiring the state board of regents to establish curricula and designate courses at postsecondary educational institutions relating to DEI-CRT-related courses and content and requiring the study of American institutions and certain programs at freshman orientations concerning free speech.

HB 2428 requires Kansas public universities, community colleges, and technical colleges to revise curricula by prohibiting mandatory enrollment in DEI-CRT courses (defined as courses covering topics like systemic racism, critical race theory, or gender-based equity). It mandates that all bachelor's degree programs starting in 2027-2028 include a new general education course on American institutions, requiring study of founding documents, constitutional principles, and free speech. The bill also requires freshman orientations to cover campus free speech policies and include programming on the First Amendment. These provisions apply directly to all public postsecondary institutions in Kansas, with limited exemptions for programs explicitly focused on racial, ethnic, or gender studies.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationProhibits mandatory DEI-CRT courses, restricting curriculum content in higher education, directly aligning with 'restricts curriculum' indicator.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 421: Enacting the safeguarding personal expression at K-12 schools act to authorize students and student clubs or organizations to engage in certain speech or expression at school and providing a civil cause of action for violations of the act.

SB 421, the "Safeguarding Personal Expression at K-12 Schools Act" (SPEAKS Act), protects K-12 students in Kansas from school discrimination based on religious, political, or ideological speech. It allows students to express these views in class discussions, assignments, clubs, and clothing - on the same terms as other student expression - while prohibiting schools from penalizing them for such speech. Schools may still restrict unprotected speech (like threats or severe harassment) and disruptive conduct. The bill creates a private right to sue schools for violations, with minimum $5,000 damages per violation, and allows students to use the act as a defense in disciplinary cases. It applies to all Kansas public schools and student clubs or organizations.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProtects student speech rights in K-12 curriculum and activities, ensuring non-discriminatory expression on religious/political views, directly advancing educational access and freedom.90% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education

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died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2489: Requiring school districts to provide fentanyl abuse education programs and maintain supplies of naloxone in each school.

HB 2489 requires Kansas public school districts to implement fentanyl abuse education programs for students in grades 9-12, using age-appropriate guidance developed by the state board of education. It also mandates that all schools maintain a stock supply of naloxone (an opioid overdose reversal medication) in accessible storage, with trained staff authorized to administer it during emergencies. School districts may use funds from the Kansas Fights Addiction Fund - partially sourced from opioid litigation settlements - to purchase naloxone supplies. The bill establishes specific protocols for naloxone storage, inventory tracking, and administration by designated school personnel. This law directly affects all Kansas public schools and their students, aiming to address opioid misuse through prevention education and emergency response readiness.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates fentanyl education programs for grades 9-12 and naloxone access, enhancing student health safety within school curriculum and programs.90% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates naloxone access and fentanyl education in schools to combat opioid crisis, advancing public health initiatives and protecting student health.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety Substance Abuse

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died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 350: Enacting the age-appropriate school device act to establish safety standards and requirements for the use of school-issued devices in certain grade levels and authorizing parents to opt students out of certain uses of such devices.

SB 350 establishes grade-level rules for school-issued digital devices in Kansas public schools (K-12), directly affecting students, schools, and parents. It bans digital devices entirely for K-5 (requiring print-based instruction), restricts shared device use with time limits (max 1 hour/day) and blocks social media for grades 6-8, and allows issued devices for grades 9-12 with strict safety settings (blocking social media, disabling cameras, limiting use to 90 minutes/day). The bill mandates schools to provide media literacy instruction on digital health risks and requires parental opt-out for device issuance, home use, or digital testing. Schools must delete personal data between student uses and maintain safety standards for all devices.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBans digital devices in K-5, restricts device use in grades 6-8, and limits device access in grades 9-12 - imposing direct curriculum restrictions on technology use in schools.85% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyRestricts school device access: bans devices K-5, blocks social media/cameras, limits usage time - directly limits technology use in education.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education School Safety Data Privacy Social Media

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died · Kansas · House Apr 10, 2026

HB 2523: Authorizing technical colleges and community colleges to affiliate with Kansas universities or colleges, authorizing state educational institutions to affiliate with accredited independent institutions and providing procedures for such affiliations.

HB 2523 allows Kansas technical colleges, community colleges, and state universities to form formal partnerships with Kansas universities or accredited independent institutions. It directly affects Kansas public colleges, technical schools, and qualifying private institutions by creating standardized procedures for these affiliations. Key provisions include allowing institutions to change their official designations in legal documents, transferring operational powers and responsibilities to the partnering institution, and establishing rules for faculty, staff, and student transitions during the affiliation. The bill also ensures continuity for existing contracts, legal actions, and debt obligations during the partnership process.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEnables institutional partnerships to expand educational access and collaboration between Kansas colleges without restricting funding or curriculum.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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died · Kansas · Senate Apr 10, 2026

SB 343: Requiring the state board of regents to adopt rules and regulations to prohibit state moneys from being allocated for certain low-earning outcome programs and prohibiting political subdivisions from allocating state moneys for certain low-earning outcome programs.

SB 343 prohibits state and local public funds from supporting postsecondary education programs with low graduate earnings, as defined by federal standards. The state board of regents must create rules blocking state funds (including student aid and operational budgets) for such programs and submit annual reports to the legislature on enforcement and fiscal impact. Local governments, school boards, and other political subdivisions are also barred from using public money for these programs. This bill directly affects Kansas public universities, community colleges, and local education entities receiving state or local funding.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesDefunds low-earning postsecondary programs by prohibiting state/local funding allocation, restricting budgetary spending per bill's explicit prohibitions on program funding.95% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBill prohibits state/local funds for postsecondary programs with low graduate earnings, defunding specific educational programs and restricting funding allocation.90% confidence

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