House committee passes bill to designate first full week of February as Kansas Burn Awareness Week

The Committee on House Health and Human Services passed House Bill 2170, which would designate the first full week of February each year as Kansas Burn Awareness Week and take effect July 1, 2025, after publication in the statute book.

The bill’s sponsor and proponent witnesses said the change would codify the American Burn Association’s national observance in state law, honor people who have died or been injured in burn incidents, and promote public education about prevention and treatment.

Carly, a committee staff member, summarized the bill’s language and effective date and said the bill “would take effect on 07/01/2025 after publication in the statute book.” Dr. Julia, identified in committee testimony as the burn director representing the Burnett Burn Center at the University of Kansas Health System and the Ascension Via Christi Regional Burn Center, urged approval and provided national and state statistics. “Burns are some of the most devastating of all medical emergencies,” Dr. Julia said, noting that “over 400,000 people seek care for burn injuries every year” in the United States and that “of those who seek care, over 3,000 will die in this country each year.” She added that advances in care have produced a survival rate greater than 96 percent for patients admitted to burn units.

Dr. Julia said burn survivors often require prolonged, multidisciplinary care. She told the committee the proposed week would both “honor those who have lost their lives or suffered severe burn injuries” and “educate the public on effective preventive measures to avoid accidental burn injuries or fatalities.” The witness said the centers she represented strongly support the bill and requested a favorable report from the committee.

During committee consideration, Representative Weichel moved to pass the bill out favorably; Representative Bergquist seconded. The committee approved the motion by voice vote; a roll-call tally was not recorded in the transcript.

The bill’s text specifies the observance and cross-references national recognition; any administrative steps required for implementation were not detailed in testimony. The bill would become effective July 1, 2025, contingent on publication in the statute book.

Committee action: motion carried by voice vote; individual yea/nay tallies were not specified on the record.

(Ending) The committee’s vote sends House Bill 2170 to the next legislative stage for further consideration by the full House.