Kansas committee hears divided testimony on bill to raise Home Plus cap from 12 to 16

At a committee hearing, members of the Committee on House Health and Human Services heard competing testimony on House Bill 2520, which would raise the maximum number of unrelated residents allowed in a Home Plus from 12 to 16 under the Adult Care Home Licensure Act. Danica Short of the Office of the Reviser of Statutes told the committee the bill would amend KSA 39‑923 and, if enacted, take effect on July 1, 2026, after publication in the statute book.

Proponents, many affiliated with Sunflower Care Homes, said the change is needed to keep the Home Plus model financially viable. Clint Arndt, owner and operator of Sunflower Care Homes, said inflation and steady increases in payroll, property taxes and insurance have made the 12‑resident model difficult to sustain and that moving to 16 would allow small operators to survive without triggering a different regulatory classification from the state fire marshal. Arndt described staffing patterns he uses,…