Committee hears bill to create rural attorney stipend and training program

House Bill 2595, introduced to the Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources, would establish an attorney training program at the University of Kansas School of Law and Washburn University School of Law that offers stipends to qualifying law students who commit to practicing full time in rural Kansas after admission to the Kansas bar.

In a presentation to the committee, Kyle Hamilton summarized the bill’s key elements: participating students would receive stipends not to exceed $3,000 per school year for up to three years to help cover tuition, books and supplies; preference would be given to Kansas residents; recipients must complete their law degree and begin full‑time practice in a rural Kansas county within 90 days of admission to the bar and remain in practice for at least 12 continuous months for each stipend year received. The bill would create an "attorney training program for rural Kansas" fund to be administered by the president of the State Board of Regents and requires periodic reporting to key legislative committees.

The bill prompted questions about scope and adequacy. Representative Featherston and others asked how the bill’s rural definition compares with other programs; Hamilton said definitions differ across statutes and programs. Representative Boatman and several members noted the $3,000 stipend is small relative to reported average law‑school debt (testimony cited approximately $98,000 in law‑school debt and about $125,000 total education debt); Cheryl Stemel, Director of Government Relations and Special Counsel for the Kansas Supreme Court, said the stipend is a starting point and recommended pairing stipends with a loan‑repayment program to create a faster pipeline for practicing attorneys who could immediately relocate to underserved areas.

Stemel told the committee the issue is longstanding: a multi‑year committee found shortages of attorneys in many Kansas communities and recommended several measures, including rural externships, mentorship networks and an advisory committee to oversee slot allocation and evaluate program outcomes. She cited a 5% statewide decrease in the number of attorneys since last year and urged accountability through data collection and periodic reporting.

A fiscal outline provided by fiscal staff listed planned transfers into the new fund: $45,000 in FY2028; $90,000 in FY2029; $135,000 in FY2030; $90,000 in FY2031; and $45,000 in FY2032. The University of Kansas estimated an additional $15,000 in FY2028 for related costs and the Division of Budget noted Washburn could receive $30,000 in FY2028 to support up to 10 first‑year students under the bill’s caps.

The committee closed the hearing on HB 2595 with the chair indicating the bill will be worked on Monday and that amendments will be considered, including proposals for a sunset or annual review, an advisory committee, and domicile requirements for participants. No final committee vote on HB 2595 occurred during this session.

The committee’s next procedural step is a work session to consider amendments and the fiscal/accountability provisions described in testimony.