Senate education committee hears House bills overview and budget preview ahead of hearings

The Senate Education Committee received a preview on the House'passed education bills and a high-level walkthrough of the House education budget, with committee staff urging members to prepare for three days of budget hearings next week.

A staff member from the advisor's office described three House bills already passed by the House Education Committee: House Bill 2033 (adds certain nonprofit'provided programs accredited by the International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council to the list of approved at-risk programs), House Bill 2102 (a substitute bill that allows advanced enrollment for military students and corrects a citation in the interstate compact), and House Bill 2185 (amends the Kansas National Guard Educational Assistance Act and the Emerge program). The advisor's office also noted House Bill 2120, passed by the House Higher Education Budget Committee, would authorize the State Board of Regents to sell two parcels of real property.

"You should have a memo from the advisor's office that has a chart with all of the nonbudget, education related house bills that have passed as of today and have been referred to a senate committee or should be soon," said the staff member (advisor's office).

Why it matters: Committee members were told the briefing is preparatory; several items will receive fuller consideration in upcoming departmental budget hearings. The House'side actions could shape what the Senate considers during appropriation debates and agency hearings.

Committee staff from the Kansas Legislative Research Department (KLRD) provided the budget overview. Jennifer Light, KLRD K-12 fiscal analyst, told the committee the paper in front of members lists every adjustment made to House Bill 2007 as it left House Appropriations for the education function, and that the briefing focused on highlights rather than line'by'line detail.

Key budget highlights presented or discussed:

- Special education: The House added $10,000,000 in fiscal year 2026 under the education function. KLRD presented two statewide figures for special education funding: a baseline amount for FY2025 described in the briefing and a projected total of $611,000,000 for FY2026 after adding $10,000,000. The staff noted the statewide percentage of excess special education costs associated with these amounts; the briefing gave 75.4% for the FY2025 baseline and 73.2% for FY2026 after the increase. (Details and formulas for the percentage calculation were presented by staff and will be available in the budget materials.)

- Blueprint for Literacy: The House reduced the request for the Blueprint for Literacy in FY2026 from a $10,000,000 SGF request to $2,000,000 from ARPA interest. "For '26, the request was $10,000,000. The House has got it at $2,000,000 ARPA instead of $10,000,000 SGF," Jennifer Light said. Committee members were told the $2,000,000 is ARPA interest earned and not a new general fund appropriation.

- Postsecondary and university items: The briefing listed several postsecondary adjustments that the House included or altered: - Technical colleges operating grant: +$7,000,000 for FY2026 (two'year colleges). - Washburn University operating grant: historically $14,000,000 SGF; the House added $3,300,000. - Kansas Campus Restoration Act: the House deleted a $13,700,000 SGF transfer to the campus restoration fund for 2026 (the staff linked that change to last session's legislation). - K-State veterinary medical center: $2,000,000 SGF operating adjustment for FY2026. - University of Kansas Medical Center: $1,900,000 added to the specialty medical student loan program by combining OB-GYN and psychiatry scholarship/loan accounts. - Wichita State University: $4,500,000 SGF for aviation research. - Emporia State University: $2,200,000 added for legal expenses in FY2026.

- State agencies and other items: - School for the Blind and School for the Deaf: funding for asbestos abatement, a gas line replacement (Blind), utility tunnel repairs, roof replacement and continued asbestos work (Deaf); one line item of $156,000 was moved from a restricted account into operating expenditures for the School for the Deaf. - State Historical Society: $86,000 increase for capital tour guides and elevator attendants (positions moved from Department of Administration to the Historical Society). - State Library: the House retained the 30'cent per capita funding level but removed the $1,000-per-library base that had been added in the prior session.

Committee members asked several clarifying questions during the briefing. Senator Petty asked whether the at'risk program language in HB 2033 would require or merely allow the State Board of Education to add accredited nonprofit programs to the approved list; the advisor's office staff said the law requires the state board to identify and approve certain at'risk programs and HB 2033 would add qualifying programs to that list. When members raised differences between figures on handouts and memory, staff offered to verify source documents.

Several committee members also asked for additional materials in advance of next week's hearings, including: a one'page summary of State Library grants and aid (per'capita and base amounts), a glossary or list of acronyms used in the budget papers, and comparative views showing the governor's recommendations, the House bill, and committee adjustments side by side. Jennifer Light said staff will prepare more detailed materials and provide follow'up as requested.

Members were reminded that next week will include three days of budget hearings for agencies in the education function and that the committee will hold deeper dives on the Kansas State Department of Education and the schools for the blind and the deaf.

The briefing closed with a logistical note that the committee will meet jointly in Room 112 North for a session with the House Higher Education Budget Committee tomorrow.