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Budget committee restores contract-nursing funds for state hospitals and approves amended budgets
Summary
The Committee on Social Services Budget restored multi-million-dollar contract-nursing allocations for Larned and other state hospitals, approved FY2026–FY2027 budgets as amended, and held $1.1 million for a competency unit pending offset analysis.
The Committee on Social Services Budget on the floor Tuesday moved to restore contract-nursing funding for multiple state psychiatric hospitals and approved amended budgets for fiscal years 2026 and 2027.
Members voted to restore $32,000,000 in contract nursing funding for Larned State Hospital after hearing that vacancies, recruitment challenges and deleted FTEs complicate a quick switch to state hires. Representative Jim Carpenter moved to restore the funds and Representative Orpiza seconded; the motion passed on a voice vote.
Why it matters: Committee members said contract labor remains the practical short-term option while the state works to recruit permanent staff. Scott Brenner, deputy secretary with KDADS, told the committee that fully filling vacant positions at Larned would cost roughly $31,000,000, while total FY2025 spending (including agency staff and contractors) was about $57,000,000.
Committee action and details: Representative Carpenter argued restoring the funds avoids closing beds, saying, “we might as well just bite the big one and put it back in there,” noting there is no quick fix to the staffing shortage. After discussion the committee approved restoring the contract nursing dollars for both years at Larned. The committee also addressed the state security program competency unit at Larned: staff explained the enhancement would reopen a 20‑bed secure unit (likely staffed with contractors) to remove defendants from county jail wait lists. Representative Carpenter moved to hold the $1,100,000 placeholder for that unit pending information on offsets from county-payments; that motion passed on voice vote.
Other hospitals: The committee restored $7,000,000 in FY2026 contract-nursing funding and $5,000,000 for FY2027 at Osawatomie State Hospital; motions carried by voice vote. Parsons State Hospital budgets for FY2026 and FY2027 were accepted as presented. For the newly forming South Central Regional Mental Health Hospital the committee moved to recommend the budget as presented, including the transfer of previously appropriated funds; members noted $15,000,000 has been held in KDADS and will transfer into the South Central account on July 1, 2026.
Staffing additions and KNI: The committee restored $1,200,000 SGF to fund certified medication aide (CMA) positions to relieve LPN/RN duties at KNI and similar facilities. Members debated adding dedicated cook positions to relieve CNAs; some supported the idea for clinical dietary needs while others questioned adding 20 new FTEs amid budget constraints. The committee agreed to add CMAs and pass the KNI budget as amended.
What’s next: With these votes the committee completed its hospital budget recommendations for the day and scheduled KDHE testimony for the following day. The approvals were voice votes; specific roll-call tallies were not recorded in the transcript.
