Kansas legislative calendar compresses session; several early-childhood bills remain live

John Wilson, legislative director at Kansas Action for Children, told the Kansas Early Childhood Government Summit that the 2025 legislative session has been accelerated and many early-childhood policy bills remain in play.

Wilson said legislative leadership shortened the schedule so the legislature is expected to conclude around April 12. He described recent procedural deadlines and explained that some bills are exempt from the usual deadlines and therefore can still be worked by either chamber.

Wilson highlighted several measures affecting early childhood services by the bill identifiers as discussed in the meeting. He said Senate bills 132 and House Bill 2294 would consolidate multiple programs into a single Office of Early Childhood; as of the briefing, no hearing was scheduled but the bills are exempt from some deadlines. He described Senate Bill 207 and House Bill 2383 as a set of nearly identical bills offering supports for child-care providers — including telehealth pilot funding, prescription drug stipends, and help closing reimbursement gaps in the Child and Adult Care Food Program — but he noted the policy items would require appropriation (a “trailer” or reconciliation bill) to be funded. Wilson flagged House Bill 2210 and Senate Bill 179 as competing proposals for a state child tax credit (HB 2210 would cover ages 0–3; SB 179 would cover 0–5 and therefore carry a higher fiscal cost).

Wilson also reviewed other bills that intersect with early childhood supports: House Bill 2119 (elimination of the affordable housing tax credit, a change some advocates said could worsen housing access for families), House Bill 2074 (expansion of a property tax credit to include renters), and proposed fixes to Children’s Health Insurance Program eligibility (a technical fix to statute identified as tied to 2008 poverty levels). He said the Senate passed a proposal that would bar use of SNAP benefits to buy candy and soda (Senate bill noted as controversial), and he described last-minute budget maneuvers in which the House linked funding for summer EBT to approval of a SNAP waiver to restrict sugary purchases.

On the budget, Wilson said the House-crafted budget diverged from a traditional governor-driven process. He described the House budget as smaller than the prior year, noting reductions or limited increases in several health and education lines: partial increases to pediatric dental and sick-visit coverage in Medicaid, but only $10 million added for special education instead of higher advocate requests. He said the House also included a 1.5 percent across-the-board cut to agency operations and planned to lapse funding for several state positions; the House budget will next go to the Senate Ways and Means Committee, where advocates should target requests for additions. Wilson recommended supporters of early-childhood funding identify champions on the Senate Ways and Means Committee and follow committee testimony opportunities, and he said Kansas Action for Children was posting committee profiles and testimony instructions.

Wilson repeatedly cautioned that many policy bills (including several early-childhood measures) require funding to be operative and that funding must be found either in committee or through reconciliation processes. He urged the audience to watch for hearing notices and to prepare testimony when committee schedules are posted.

Ending

Kansas Action for Children offered a newsletter and legislative alerts to follow developments; Wilson said the best immediate advocacy target for funding additions is the Senate Ways and Means Committee during its review period.