ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
There continues to be a flurry of activity from the governor’s office, including the signing of the fiscal year budget bill.
Wednesday, Gov. Laura Kelly announced she signed the state’s budget, Senate Bill 125, which allocates funding for Fiscal Years 2025, 2026, 2027, and 2028.
“While I appreciate the bipartisan effort that went into crafting this bill, I remain concerned about the long-term fiscal impact this budget will have on our ability to invest in programs and services that Kansas families rely on, given that this budget will put the state in the red by Fiscal Year 2028,” Gov. Laura Kelly noted in a release from the State of Kansas. “I am also concerned that the Legislature will adjourn before the release of Consensus Revenue Estimates, meaning we won’t fully understand the fiscal impact of this budget until after the Legislature has left town. Despite my overall concerns, I appreciate that this budget includes funding for programs that improve state resources for Kansans. I will continue to prioritize fiscal responsibility and look forward to working with the Legislature to make commonsense investments that provide Kansans the resources they need to prosper without risking the future of our state.”
The budget:
• Invests in Kansas’ Water Quality and Quantity: Senate Bill 125 adds another $6 million annual investment to safeguard Kansas’ water supply. It includes $1.75 million to increase state matching dollars to local conservation districts, $1 million for sorghum research, and $3 million for a pilot project to manage sedimentation in the John Redmond Reservoir and secure that critical water source.
• Invests in Early Childhood and K-12 Education: The budget, as signed by Governor Kelly, fully funds K-12 education for a seventh consecutive year, providing additional funds for public schools across the state. Senate Bill 125 also invests an additional $10 million in special education state aid and $1.25 million to expand rural child care access.
• Advances Kansas’ Economy: The budget includes nearly $50 million to support Kansas’ aviation industry, providing opportunities to continue the state’s historic success in economic development. The budget also includes funding attract innovative businesses in the cybersecurity and biotechnology industries to Kansas. Additionally, it allocates $1 million for rural remote workplaces to support our rural workforce.
• Supports Higher Education: The budget includes more than $16 million to support student success and retention initiatives, more than $34 million in additional funding for community and technical colleges, and continues the state’s commitment to lowering costs for students through investments in need-based financial aid.
• Bolsters Intellectual and Developmental Disability Services Funding: The bill increases funding for the Intellectual and Developmental Disability (I/DD) waiver by allocating $14 million to offer services to 200 individuals and allocating $10.5 million to increase reimbursement rates for I/DD waiver providers in Fiscal Year 2026.
Wednesday also saw Gov. Kelly sign House Bill 2069, which enacts compacts for school psychologists, dietitians, cosmetologists, and physician assistants to enable interstate practice privileges.
“I have consistently supported reducing barriers for qualified professionals to practice in Kansas,” Gov. Kelly noted in a release from the State of Kansas. “This legislation is crucial for strengthening our workforce and creates an environment that attracts talent and fosters economic development. The purpose of these compacts is to facilitate the portability of licenses across state lines, benefiting professionals and consumers alike, especially in fields like health care. The passage of this legislation makes Kansas among the first states to enact these compacts. It will go into effect once more states join the compacts.”
“House Bill 2069 is an example of the Legislature acting in the best interest of Kansans,” Representative for House District 10 Suzanne Wikle noted in the State of Kansas release. “These interstate compact acts will allow professionals, including military spouses, to quickly gain employment when they relocate to Kansas.”
The compacts also reduce administrative burdens while increasing availability of licensed professionals as well as cooperation among member state licensing bodies. The compacts would preserve regulatory authority of states, while also providing license portability for qualifying professionals. The school psychologist, dietitian, cosmetologist, and physician assistant compacts would also ease the transition of relocating military members and their spouses and would give them privileges by having an unrestricted license when in good standing from a participating state.
“House Bill 2069 is commonsense legislation that will reduce barriers for employment for school psychologists, cosmetologists, physician’s assistants, and dieticians,” Representative for House District 40 David Buehler noted in the State of Kansas release. “This is especially important for military family members coming to Kansas, making the state more military-friendly and boosting employment opportunities in our state. I am proud to have supported the passage of this bill.”
Finally, Wednesday saw Gov. Kelly sign Substitute Bill for Senate Bill 193, which removes administrative barriers for law enforcement agencies to provide lifesaving care to Kansans during an opioid overdose.
“Ensuring our law enforcement officers have the resources needed to combat the opioid epidemic is essential and will undoubtedly save more Kansans’ lives,” Gov. Kelly noted in a release from the State of Kansas. “We know that addiction does not discriminate. I’m proud to sign this bipartisan bill into law so that communities of all sizes can implement this commonsense policy and prevent Kansans from feeling the devastating impacts of fatal overdoses. Previously, law enforcement officers faced barriers to obtain naloxone, also known as Narcan, which reverses the effects of opioids, due to a statutory requirement mandating agencies to have a medical director or licensed pharmacist. The compliance cost and health care workforce shortage placed substantial obstacles on smaller law enforcement agencies that prevented many from meeting this requirement. Substitute Bill for Senate Bill 193 changes this outdated and unnecessary requirement now that these lifesaving drugs are available over the counter.”
“The opioid epidemic has cost thousands of our fellow Kansans their lives. This commonsense fix will empower our first responders throughout our state to save lives,” Senator for District 39 William Clifford noted in the State of Kansas release. “As a former emergency medical technician I know that mere seconds can mean the difference between life and death. This legislation puts an important tool in the hands of all law enforcement and will have an immediate impact on survival from opioid overdoses.”
This change expands and streamlines law enforcement officers’ ability to swiftly provide critical care during life-threatening emergencies. If a new prescription grade opioid drug becomes available, then a law enforcement agency must procure the services of a physician or pharmacist, the State of Kansas release noted.
“This bipartisan legislation breaks down roadblocks, so law enforcement officers are equipped with the tools they need to reverse opioid overdoses,” Senator for District 6 Pat Pettey noted in the State of Kansas release. “Making naloxone more accessible for law enforcement is a practical step forward as we continue fighting the opioid epidemic. I’m proud to support this bill and know it will have a tremendous impact in Kansas communities.”
