Senate committee advances omnibus veterans package clarifying licensing for service members, waiving ID fees for homeless veterans and designating Purple Heart 

A Kansas Senate committee on Tuesday advanced House Bill 22‑74 as amended to include three separate measures: clarifying occupational licensing eligibility for service members and reservists, permitting homeless veterans to obtain non‑driver identification without providing a residential address and waiving some related fees, and designating Kansas as a Purple Heart State with an annual Purple Heart Day on Aug. 7.

The committee voted by voice to add the contents of Senate Bill 106 (homeless veterans ID and fee waivers) and Senate Bill 200 (Purple Heart designation) into House Bill 22‑74 and then passed the combined bill favorably for passage. The committee also approved an amendment to make the non‑driver ID issued under the bill indefinite rather than expiring after six years, and committee members said they intend to add verification language (reference to DD Form 214) in conference.

Why it matters: The package affects active and reserve service members, veterans and their spouses, and homeless veterans across Kansas. Supporters said the licensing language reduces administrative barriers for service members and their families who relocate frequently; supporters of the homeless‑veteran provisions said removing address and fee barriers will help veterans access housing, benefits and employment.

Occupational licensing clarification

Michael Kelly, a proponent on the licensing measure, told the committee the bill clarifies that a person is a service member even if they are in the National Guard or reserve components and not currently on active duty. Kelly said that clarification will remove ambiguity for occupational licensing boards, including the Board of Nursing, and allow service members and family members holding out‑of‑state professional licenses to use expedited licensing processes when they relocate.

Kieran Bae, a research associate at the Regulatory Research Center at West Virginia University, testified by WebEx about the economic effects of expedited licensing for military spouses. Bae said 48 states have programs to expedite occupational licensing for military spouses and that research shows such programs generally improve labor‑market outcomes without clear harms to public safety. "This expedited licensing program is expected to support the labor market activity of those spouses," Bae said.

Committee staff (referred to in the hearing as Carly, the committee reviser) noted that the bill’s language lists about 21 entities on page 8 that would be covered — examples include the Dental Board and the State Board of Education — and that the list identifies which licensing boards the change would affect. A committee member asked whether the language would apply to lawyers; a proponent said he did not believe it applied to the bar but that the bill would likely apply to physicians who seek expedited processing when relocating.

Homeless veterans, identification and fee waivers

Senate Bill 106, as read into the record by committee staff, would amend KSA 8‑13‑24 to allow a veteran who is homeless to apply for a non‑driver identification card without supplying a principal residence address. The bill specifies acceptable alternative verification for residency or receipt of services: a letter or certificate from the Kansas Office of Veterans Services (KOVS), the Kansas Soldiers' Home, the Kansas Veterans' Home, a VA medical center in Kansas, a jail or correctional facility, or a Kansas nonprofit that provides services to people experiencing homelessness. The bill also allows certain expired forms of identification to be used and lists examples (common access card, Kansas driver's license, Kansas voter registration card).

Section 2 would amend KSA 65‑24‑18 to prohibit charging a fee for a certified copy of a birth certificate or a search of records if the request comes from a homeless veteran who provides the same types of correspondence used to verify residency. The bill, as read, would take effect on July 1, 2025, after publication in the statute book.

Michael Kelly and other proponents told the committee they support the measure but urged adding language to reduce potential "stolen valor" or fraudulent claims of veteran status. Kelly recommended using Department of Defense discharge documentation (DD Form 214) or other federal records as a verification path and said federal and National Archives resources can be used to reconstruct records if a veteran’s documents were lost in a fire or otherwise destroyed. "There's a process ... the National Archives gets military service records," Kelly said, describing avenues to verify service.

Susan Mollinger (identified in testimony as a founder of Passageways, a Wichita nonprofit), told the committee her organization works with homeless veterans and that roughly one in four veterans who come to Passageways lack any form of identification. She said lack of ID prevents veterans from obtaining housing or employment and that the bill would remove a major barrier to permanent housing for veterans. "Without [identification], we cannot get them into housing," Mollinger said.

The committee debated whether the non‑driver ID should expire. Committee staff initially said the form of identification described in the bill would last six years (the same duration as a driver's license). Sen. Clifford moved to amend the bill to make the ID indefinite; Sen. Erickson seconded the motion. The committee approved the amendment by voice vote.

Amendments, verification and next steps

Committee members also discussed adding specific verification language to address concerns about fraudulent claims of veteran status. Committee members and proponents agreed to pursue an amendment (to be drafted by committee staff) referencing DD Form 214 or equivalent federal records, with the intent to include that amendment in conference when the package is reconciled with House language.

Purple Heart designation

Committee staff explained Senate Bill 200 would designate Kansas as a Purple Heart State, require the governor to proclaim Aug. 7 each year as Purple Heart Day, and urge the Kansas Office of Veterans Services to promote observance activities. The provision was noncontroversial in committee and was added into the omnibus package.

Formal actions

The committee approved, by voice votes, an amendment to make the non‑driver ID issued under the homeless‑veteran provision indefinite; approved motions to place the contents of Senate Bill 106 and Senate Bill 200 into House Bill 22‑74; and voted to pass House Bill 22‑74 as amended favorably for passage. Committee members said the package will proceed to the next legislative steps (possible conference and floor action).

What the committee did not decide

Committee members discussed — but did not finalize in print during the hearing — exact drafting language for DD Form 214 verification. Members indicated the intent to add such a verification amendment in conference. The bill's effective date for statutory amendments was read as July 1, 2025, for the sections described.

Next steps

Committee leadership said staff would conform the spoken amendments to written form and that sponsors will seek to carry the amended package forward through conference and onto the floor. No numeric roll‑call vote was recorded in the hearing; actions were taken by voice vote and recorded in committee minutes as passed.