Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Clinicians and KDHE urge Kansas to allow expedited partner therapy in Senate hearing on SB 448
Summary
Clinicians, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and local health officials told the Senate Public Health and Welfare committee that Senate Bill 448, which would authorize expedited partner therapy for sexually transmitted infections, is safe, evidence-based and would reduce reinfections and public-health costs; no opponents testified and the committee took no vote.
A Senate Public Health and Welfare committee hearing on Senate Bill 448 drew unanimous proponent testimony arguing the measure would reduce sexually transmitted infections by allowing clinicians to provide expedited partner therapy (EPT) to partners of diagnosed patients.
Jenna, a committee staff member, briefed the panel on SB 448, saying the bill would create a new statutory section authorizing a licensed health-care provider (physician, APRN or physician assistant) who diagnoses a patient with an STI to prescribe or dispense antimicrobial treatment to that patient’s partner if the provider judges the partner unlikely or unable to be examined; EPT would be limited to partners exposed in the previous 60 days and identifiable and contactable by the patient. The bill would require the department to supply written materials for distribution and give the agency’s secretary rulemaking authority; the bill’s authors propose an effective date tied to publication and listed 07/01/2026 as an implementation target.
Dr. Patrick Allen, a family medicine physician at Ascension Via Christi and a University of…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
