At least eight education-related bills have been passed out their originating chamber this week. They will now head to the other chamber. 

Bill Tracker 

The following education-related bills were introduced this week:  

SB 275: Requiring the inclusion of a human fetal development presentation as part of the curriculum for any course that addresses human growth, human development or human sexuality. 

• Referred to the Senate Committee on Education. 

 

The following bills have been passed out of the House and Senate: 

HB 2033: Including programs and services provided by nonprofit organizations accredited by the International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council as approved at-risk educational programs. 

• Passed in the House 89-32. It will now head to the Senate. 

 

HB 2069: Enacting the school psychologist licensure compact to provide interstate practice privileges for school psychologists. 

• Passed as amended in the House 119-0. It was introduced in the Senate and referred to the Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare. 

 

Sub for HB 2102: Providing for the advanced enrollment of military students whose parent/guardian will be stationed in Kansas; and correcting federal statutory citations in the interstate compact on education opportunity for military children. 

• Passed in the House 121-0. It will now head to the Senate. 

 

Substitute for SB 45: Requiring the Kansas State Board of Education to calculate graduation rates for all school districts for purposes of accreditation using an alternative calculation. 

• Passed in the Senate 32-8. It will now head to the House. 

 

SB 47: Requiring school districts to publicly list the names and email addresses of current board members; authorizing local school board members to add new agenda items to board meeting discussions, ask questions or engage in discussion with members of the public during meetings and access school property; and the public may address the school board at meetings. 

• Passed in the Senate 21-19. It will now head to the House. 

 

SB 76: Requiring employees to use the name and pronouns consistent with a student’s biological sex and birth certificate; and authorizing a cause of action for violations therefor. 

• Passed in the Senate 26-14. It will now head to the House. 

 

SB 87: Expanding student eligibility under the tax credit for low income students scholarship program; increasing the amount of the tax credit for contributions made pursuant to such program; and providing for aggregate tax credit limit increases under certain conditions. 

• Passed in the Senate 24-16. It will now head to the House. 

 

SB 114: Authorizing nonpublic and virtual school students to participate in ancillary public school activities and making it unlawful for the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) and school districts to discriminate against such students based on enrollment status. 

• Passed as amended 32-8. It will now head to the Seante. 

 

The following bills have been passed out of their committees:  

HB 2104: Standardizing firearm safety programs in school districts. 

• The House Committee on Federal and State Affairs voted to recommend the bill be passed. It is scheduled to be debated on the House floor Thursday, Feb. 20. 

 

HB 2140: Creating the Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) educator position. 

• The House Committee on Education voted to recommend the bill be passed.

 

HB 2299: Prohibiting discriminatory practices on the basis of religion at public educational institutions and authorizing the attorney general to investigate violations and assess civil penalties under the Kansas act against discrimination. 

• The House Committee on Education voted to recommend the bill be passed as amended. It is scheduled to be debated on the House floor Thursday, Feb. 20. 

 

HB 2382: Establishing the daily compensation rate for members of the state board of education in an amount that corresponds to the daily compensation rate of members of the legislature while in session. 

• The House Committee on K-12 Education Budget voted to recommend this bill be passed as amended. 

 

SB 48: Requiring school districts to demonstrate improvement in academic performance and be in compliance with federal and state statutes and rules and regulations to achieve or maintain accreditation. 

• The Senate Committee on Education voted to recommend this bill be passed as amended. 

 

SB 49: Requiring attendance center needs assessments to be conducted by the board and include input from board members, teachers, school site councils and administrators and that board members receive certain state assessment data and identify allocations of money in the district budget/summary. 

• The Senate Committee on Education voted to recommend this bill be passed as amended. 

 

SB 75: Establishing the education opportunity tax credit to provide an income tax credit for taxpayers with eligible dependent children who are not enrolled in public school. 

• The Senate Committee on Education voted on Thursday, Feb. 13, to recommend the bill be passed. It was withdrawn from the Senate Calendar and referred to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means. 
   

Other bills KSDE is tracking: 

HB 2034: Authorizing school districts to employ chaplains or accept chaplains as volunteers to provide support, services and programs for students; Prohibiting certain persons from serving as chaplain. 

• Referred to the House Committee on Education. 

 

HB 2067: Establishing a feminine hygiene product grant program and grant fund to award monies to qualifying Title I schools to provide feminine hygiene products to students at no cost. 

• Referred to the House Committee on Taxation. 

 

HB 2103: Including participation in certain learning experiences and agricultural activities as a valid excuse for absence from school, and authorizing school boards to make rules therefore. 

• The House Committee on Education held a hearing for this bill Monday, Feb. 3. 

 

HB 2104: Standardizing firearm safety programs in school districts. 

• Passed by House Committee on Federal and State Affairs on Feb. 13. 

 

HB 2129: Transferring teachers from KPERS 3 to KPERS 2 and defining teachers for purposes of KPERS. 

• A hearing for this bill was held Wednesday, Feb. 5, in the House Committee on Financial Institutions and Pensions. 

 

HB 2136: Expanding student eligibility under the tax credit for low-income students scholarship program; increasing the amount of the tax credit for contributions made pursuant to such program; and providing for aggregate tax credit limit increases under certain conditions. 

• A hearing for this bill was held in the House Committee on Education on Wednesday, Feb. 5. 

 

HB 2137: Authorizing the Kansas State Department of Education to contract with a private vendor to install, operate and maintain school bus cameras. 

• Referred to the House Committee on Education. 

 

HB 2138: Authorizing school districts to levy an annual tax levy of up to two mills for the purposes of school building safety, security and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act; and including such levy in the capital outlay state aid determination for such school districts. 

• Referred to House Committee on Education. 

 

HB 2139: Increasing the minimum expenditure amount for school districts for contracted goods and services without requiring sealed bids and the minimum expenditure amount for goods and services that the district superintendent may acquire on behalf of the district. 

• A hearing for this bill was held on Monday, Feb. 10, in the House Committee on Education. 

 

HB 2141: Requiring school districts to offer parents the opportunity to object to educational materials and activities that are not included in approved curriculum or standards, or that impair a parent’s beliefs, values or principles. 

• Referred to the House Committee on Education. 

 

HB 2142: Requiring each school district adopt an independent review process as part of such district’s policies prohibiting and preventing bullying. 

• Referred to the House Committee on Education. 

 

HB 2156: Establishing the education opportunity tax credit to provide an income tax credit for taxpayers with eligible dependent children who are not enrolled in public school. 

• Referred to the House Committee on Education. 

 

HB 2176: Requiring the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) to establish a school classification system based on student attendance and a multiplier factor that adjusts certain schools' student attendance. 

• Referred to the House Committee on Education. 

 

HB 2186: Requiring school districts to prohibit the use of privately owned electronic communication devices during school hours and to prohibit students from using school district computers or devices to access social media platforms. 

• Referred to the House Committee on Education. 

 

HB 2203: Including children with fetal alcohol syndrome disorder under the definition of other health impairment in the special education for exceptional children act. 

• Referred to the House Committee on Education. 

 

HB 2259: Requiring school districts to adopt policies to limit the use of personal electronic communication devices during school hours and requiring the state board of education to designate a period of time for social media awareness and develop goals and materials relating thereto. 

• Referred to the House Committee on Education. 

 

HB 2295: Providing for reimbursements to local school boards for reduced price school meals; prohibiting local school boards from collecting money for such meals. 

• Referred to the House Committee on Education. 

 

HB 2303: Enacting the longitudinal data act, establishing the division of longitudinal data in the legislative research department, authorizing the appointment of a director of the division by the legislative coordinating council and providing for the development and management of the Kansas longitudinal data system for the purpose of tracking and analyzing education, workforce and related data. 

• A hearing for this bill was held Tuesday, Feb. 11, in the House Committee on K-12 Education Budget. 

 

HB 2320: Authorizing children in the custody of the secretary of the Department for Children and Families to attend school in any school district, requiring records to be timely transferred between school districts and requiring a transportation plan if the child remains in the school of origin. 

• A hearing for this bill was held Thursday, Feb. 13, in the House Committee on K-12 Education Budget. 

 

HB 2330: Designating Nov. 14 of each year as Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day in the state of Kansas. 

• A motion to pass this bill out of the House Committee on Education failed.

 

SB 123: Providing state general funds for school meals programs and prohibiting local boards from collecting money for such meals. 

• Referred to the Senate Committee on Education. 

 

SB 134: Authorizing school districts to request and receive an applicant teacher’s employment files from another school district if such teacher was previously employed by such other school district and establishing which school district is responsible for and the custodian of teacher employment files that are records under the Kansas Open Records Act. 

• Referred to the Senate Committee on Education. 

 

SB 140: Requiring school districts to provide certain information on school district annual budget forms. 

• Referred to the Senate Committee on Education. 

 

SB 142: Authorizing each school district to include a teacher representative as a nonvoting member of such district's board of education. 

• Referred to the Senate Committee on Education. 

 

SB 154: Requiring school districts to prohibit the use of privately owned electronic communication devices during school hours and students from using school district computers or devices to access social media platforms. 

• Referred to the Senate Committee on Education. 

 

SB 159: Requiring school district budget forms and summaries to include all expenditures of bond proceeds. 

• Referred to the Senate Committee on Education. 

 

SB 162: Requiring certain school district employees to receive training in seizure recognition and related first aid. 

• Referred to the Senate Committee on Education. 

 

SB 163: Prohibiting school employment contracts from excluding documentation of disciplinary actions or behavioral corrective actions taken with regard to an employee. 

• Referred to the Senate Committee on Education. 

 

SB 164: Prohibiting discriminatory practices on the basis of religion at public educational institutions and authorizing the attorney general to investigate violations and assess civil penalties under the Kansas act against discrimination. 

• Referred to the Seante Committee on Education.

 

SB 165: Requiring school district bond elections and other tax levy question submitted elections be held only on primary or general election dates and only permitting one such bond election to be conducted each calendar year. 

• Referred to the Senate Committee on Education. 

 

SB 202: Defining teachers for purposes of the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS); transferring teachers from the KPERS Act of 2015 to the KPERS Act of 2009. 

• Referred to the Senate Committee on Financial Institutions and Insurance. 

 

SB 252: Expanding the tax credit for low income students scholarship program act to allow certain high school students and students eligible to be enrolled in certain school districts to be eligible for scholarships; increasing the tax credit for contributions made pursuant to such act and the aggregate tax credit limit; providing for aggregate tax credit limit increases under certain conditions; providing for program administration by the state treasurer. 

• Referred to the Senate Committee on Education. 

 

SB 263: Establishing standards and requirements for active shooter drills conducted by public and accredited nonpublic elementary and secondary schools. 

• A hearing for this bill is scheduled for Thursday, Feb. 27 in the Senate Committee on Education. 

 

Hearing on HB 2330 

The House Committee on Education held a hearing for House Bill 2330. 

If passed, the bill would designate Nov. 14 as Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day in Kansas. It would commemorate the first day Bridges attended William Frantz Elementary School in New Orleans. If Nov. 14 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Wednesday would be the designated day of commemoration for that year.  

HB 2330 would go into effect on July 31, 2025. 

Two students who attended a Ruby Bridges Walk to School event last November, provided proponent testimony. 

Members of the committee voted to enter into emergency action and a motion to pass this bill out of the House Committee on Education failed. 

To read more about the bill, click here. 

 

Up next

The Education Funding Task Force is scheduled to meet at 9 a.m., on Monday, Feb. 24. 

The Senate Committee on Education is scheduled next week to hear a briefing on House education bills and a presentation on Amira Learning. On Thursday, Feb. 27, the committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on SB 263. 

Click here to see calendars and journals of the House and Senate, and agendas for committees. Click here for other useful links and information from KSDE.