The Addiction Counselor Advisory Committee of the Kansas Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board received an operations and budget update on Jan. 13, during which Executive Director David Fye said the agency is finalizing draft survey reports, implementing a background‑check process for new license applicants, and tracking a legislative bill that would require parental consent for mental‑health services in schools.

"We are in the process of moving forward to implement a background check for all licensees," Fye said, explaining that the change responds to multi‑state compact requirements and that the board is working with the Kansas Bureau of Investigation on a memorandum of agreement and staff training to handle confidential results.

Fye told the committee the BSRB continues to be fee funded and reported the agency’s fiscal condition: the fee fund balance was "as high as about $2,200,000," the yearly agency budget runs about $1,200,000, and the balance currently sits near $1.7 million after several years of intentional fee decreases. He said the board did not request additional state general fund appropriations for the upcoming session and that some proposed fee decreases under review could reduce annual revenue by roughly $75,000 if approved.

Fye also described the agency’s plan to publish finalized survey reports for each regulated profession, including executive summaries and recommendations; those reports will be posted to the BSRB website and public comment invited once regulatory materials are ready.

On legislation, Fye called committee members’ attention to House Bill 2420, a prefiled bill he summarized as requiring parental consent prior to a student receiving mental‑health services in a school setting. He said the board is monitoring bills that touch behavioral‑health regulation and would present testimony if requested by the legislature.

Next steps: the advisory committee will receive further updates as the background‑check implementation progresses, and Fye said the board will report back after upcoming budget committee recommendations are issued.