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Committee approves KU Med proviso on minor‑record access and expands specialty tuition program by $2.4 million
Summary
The Committee on Higher Education Budget approved a proviso limiting State General Fund support for a patient‑portal configuration that restricts parental access for minors and adopted a $2.4 million expansion of KU Medical Center specialty tuition support to create more rural specialty slots.
The Committee on Higher Education Budget approved two amendments to the University of Kansas Medical Center (KU Med) budget and then voted to advance the budget as amended.
First, Representative Potter Parcell offered a partial amendment that would withhold State General Fund support for a medical‑records portal feature if the portal continues to limit parental access to records for minors aged 14–17 unless the minor grants permission. The amendment applies only if the feature is funded with state general funds and requires a report to the House Appropriations and Senate Ways and Means chairs before funding is restored. The committee adopted the proviso by voice vote. Committee members and other legislators debated whether the issue extends beyond KU Med to private hospital systems and whether it is best addressed by statute rather than budget language; supporters said the proviso would prevent state funds from supporting portal configurations that conflict with state parental‑access requirements.
Second, Representative Swielly moved an amendment to combine and broaden two specialty tuition programs — originally separate OBGYN and psychiatry programs — into a single specialty tuition program for KU Med and to increase funding by $2,400,000 for fiscal year 2026. The motion’s backers said the consolidated program would expand eligibility to additional specialties (examples cited included oncology, general surgery, cardiology and neurology) and fund approximately 100 specialty tuition slots with service obligations in rural areas. The committee approved that amendment by voice vote.
After adopting the amendments the committee voted to approve the KU Medical Center budget for fiscal years 2025–26 as amended and to forward the recommendation to Appropriations.
Ending: The amendments passed during this committee session are contingent on whether state general funds are used for portal technology and on the KU Medical Center implementing the expanded specialty tuition program; the committee asked staff to collect more information where needed before final Appropriations action.
