Education committee adopts technical amendment to HB 2299 to preserve existing statute

The Committee on Education adopted an amendment to House Bill 2299 that removes the statute text from the bill so the current KSA 44-1009 remains unchanged, the committee reviser told members.

Jason Long, the reviser, explained that language stricken in the bill had been removed in error during drafting and that restoring the statute text to remain in the statute book required removing the statute from the bill itself. "This simply removes the statute from the bill so that it will remain as it currently is in the statute book," Long said.

Members discussed related policy concerns before the roll call. Representative Miller asked whether the committee planned to address concerns raised in earlier testimony about the definition used for antisemitism, saying opponents at the prior hearing had urged adoption of a broader definition to avoid restricting criticism of state policy. Representative Ruiz said she had concerns about potential overreach by the attorney general and had hoped to delay work on the bill; Ruiz nevertheless declined to move to table and said she would let the "will of the body" proceed.

The amendment was moved, seconded, and approved by voice vote; the chair called for recorded votes from members who wanted them. Representative Miller, Representative Ruiz, Representative Winn and Representative Featherston were recorded as voting no; the chair announced the ayes "appear to have it." The committee then moved on to the next agenda item.

The action modified bill text only; Long said the change makes no substantive change to KSA 44-1009.