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Office of Administrative Hearings outlines tech upgrades and new education contracts

Committee on General Government Budget · January 9, 2026

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Summary

Legislative fiscal staff said OAH’s FY2026 off‑budget expenditures are about $2.2 million; acting director Lawrence Snell said all 14 positions are filled and the office is pursuing an e‑filing portal and contracting with school districts to serve as hearing officers for certain education cases.

The Committee on General Government Budget heard a review of the Office of Administrative Hearings’ FY2026 and FY2027 budget requests and planned operational changes.

Molly Pratt, a fiscal analyst, told the committee the OAH receives off‑budget payments from agencies that use its services and that the approved FY2026 off‑budget expenditures total about $2.2 million. Pratt said the agency decreased its FY2026 estimate by roughly $97,824 primarily because one attorney position was reclassified as a legal analyst and because previously vacant positions were being filled, reducing the need to budget for temporary pay and fringe contributions.

Lawrence Snell, the continuing acting director, said the office had been asked by the Department of Education to serve as hearing officers for certain Individualized Education Program (IEP) disputes when local hearing‑officer lists are exhausted. "We are gonna start doing that," Snell said, noting this work would require separate contracts with individual school districts. Snell also said the OAH added an additional entity to its roster (referred to in testimony as the "Kansas Houses Resourcing Corporation") and that the agency is exploring technological upgrades, including a redesigned website and an e‑filing/case management portal intended to reduce printing and mailing costs for state agencies and claimants.

Snell told the committee all 14 OAH positions are currently filled for the first time since 2018 and described a recent second annual report intended to increase transparency about caseloads and outcomes. Committee members asked about prior court‑reporter shortages; Pratt said the committee would have a chance to address those items in future hearings.

No formal vote was taken on OAH budget issues during the session; staff identified several follow‑up items for future meetings, including details about court‑reporter availability and the proposed e‑filing timeline.