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Friday
March 29th, 2024
L&T Opinions Page

shannon francisGUEST COLUMN, Shannon Francis, 125th District Representative

 

Thanks to all of you that help me share what is happening in our state government. The Liberal Chamber of Commerce and Epic Touch sponsor a monthly legislative forum throughout the legislative session.  The Leader & Times and KSCB/The Legend share my newsletter every week.     

 

Bills of interest that have recently passed the House

HB 2290: Authorizing the affiliation of northwest Kansas technical college and north central Kansas technical college with Fort Hays state university. 

HB 2160:  The bill clarifies cotton bales can be transported by the cotton producer intrastate from the place of production or storage to a market, place of storage, or place of use. If the cotton bales are fully loaded from front to back in a single layer, and the truck, trailer, or semitrailer is equipped with cradles, and stakes or side posts that are no less than 12 inches high.

HB 2039:   Would require Wildlife and Parks  to issue a free permanent hunting and fishing license to Kansas disabled veterans with over a 30% service related disability.

HB 2263:  Pharmacy technicians would be able to administer  the influenza vaccine to persons six years of age or older; and vaccines, other than the influenza vaccine, to persons 12 years of age or older.

HB 2141:  The bill would require custodial and non-custodial parents to cooperate with the child support enforcement program administered by DCF to be eligible for federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Under current law, individuals who have not cooperated with child support services without good cause are ineligible. The bill would clarify that this requirement applies to both custodial and non-custodial parents. A parent who is delinquent in making a child support payments would be disqualified from receiving food assistance benefits. 

Disqualification from food assistance benefits would not apply if:  A court is allowing the parent to delay payment; or in a payment plan; or DCF determines the parent has good cause for not complying with child support enforcement.

HB 2264:  The bill would specify that a patient care facility would not be able to stop a patient from receiving in-person visitation from any person designated by the patient.  Visitors could include, but would not be limited to: 

• An immediate family member, domestic partner, or significant other; 

• The agent for health care decisions established by a durable power of attorney for health care decisions; 

• An essential caregiver; or 

• A minister, priest, rabbi, or clergyperson of any religious denomination or sect to which the patient is an adherent. The bill would prohibit patient care facilities from preventing a patient who is terminally ill or receiving end-of life care from receiving in-person visitation from two individuals at a time. 

HB 2196: Expands the deferred retirement option program (DROP) membership to all Kansas police and firemen's retirement system members.  A Deferred Retirement Option Plan (DROP) is a retirement plan design feature where an individual member initiates the calculation of a retirement benefit, but opts to defer actual receipt of the benefit for a specific period. During the specified DROP period, the member would continue working and the member’s benefit would be credited to an account and made available in a lump sum when the member ultimately retired. It is hoped this program will help public safety agencies with vacancy rates, compounded by increasing retirements and loss of more senior staff. 

HB 2408:  Would exempt adult care homes from statutes governing barbering and cosmetology inspections when barbers and hairdressers are providing services in them.

 

Bills to address shortage of mental health professionals in rural areas

HB 2260:  Amends the Medical Student Loan Act by increasing the number of psychiatry students who may enter into medical student loan agreements from six to 12 students. These loans are for students that have agreed to practice primary care medicine or psychiatry in areas of need in the state. The proponents stated the Kansas Medical Student Loan program is one means of addressing workforce shortages, particularly in mental health care, and attracting primary care and psychiatric physicians to underserved areas.

HB 2340: Requiring the behavioral sciences regulatory board to process applications within a certain time, decreasing the years of practice required for reciprocity licensure of certain behavioral sciences professions, extending the license period for temporary licenses, establishing new license categories and decreasing continuing education requirements related to diagnosis and treatment. 

HB 2288: Enacting the counseling compact to provide for interstate practice privileges for professional counselors. 

HB 2375: Establishing the temporary candidacy baccalaureate and masters social work licenses and providing requirements and fees therefor.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR, Reita Isaacs, Liberal

 

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