*This legislative report is the most current as of 3 p.m., on Thursday, March 27. Updates will be added to the online version of this report when they occur. 

Conference committee work was the focus of week 11 of the 2025 Kansas legislative session as lawmakers in both chambers worked to agree on amendments to several bills. 

 
Bill Tracker 

The following bills are on Gov. Laura Kelly’s desk:  

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 and passed in the Senate 31-9. It was enrolled and presented to the governor on Tuesday, March 25. For more information, click here. 

 

Substitute 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 and in the Senate 40-0. The governor signed the bill into law on Friday, March 28. It will go into effect July 1. For more information, click here. 

 
 

The following bills have passed both chambers:  

Senate Sub for Sub for HB 2007: Making and concerning supplemental appropriations for fiscal year 2025, and appropriations for fiscal years 2026 and 2027 for KSDE and various state agencies.  

The conference committee members appointed to work on the bill inserted the contents of the bill into SB 125. They agreed to the following: 

• FY 2025 funding for the Safe and Secure Schools grant, professional development, CTE transportation, the mentor teacher program, computer science advancement grants, and teacher excellence grants was retained (they took the House position). 
• FY 2025 funding for SparkWheel was eliminated (they took the Senate position). 
• For FY 2026, $10 million was added for special education services state aid and for FY27 to meet maintenance of effort (MOE). 
• Did not add funding for toiletry grants in FY26. 
• Require KSDE to spend $500,000 from existing resources to provide the E-Rate match in FY26. 
• Require KSDE to spend $2 million from existing resources and issue an RFP for a supplemental American history online curriculum in FY26. 
• Require KSDE to spend $320,000 from existing resources for a virtual reality career exploration program in FY26. 
• Eliminate FY26 funding for professional development, the mentor teacher program, computer science advancement grants, and teacher excellence. 
• Fund CTE transportation at $1.5 million in FY26. 
• Require KSDE to spend $1.5 million from existing resources to provide grants for the purchase of AEDs. 

 

The budgets for the Kansas School for the Deaf and the Kansas State School for the Blind for FY25 and FY26 have been approved. 

 

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

• Passed as amended in the House 119-0 and passed as amended in the Senate 39-1. 
• The bill includes three other multistate licensure compacts: the Dietitian Compact, the Cosmetologist Licensure Compact and the Physician Assistant Licensure Compact. The House acceded to all Senate amendments on the bill and the Senate adopted the conference committee report by a 40-0 vote.  The House also adopted the conference committee report on Wednesday, March 26, and approved it 121-1. To read more, click here. 

 

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, and passed as amended in the House, 86-36. Since the House added amendments, the Senate voted to nonconcur and a conference committee was adopted to review the amendments. On March 13, the House voted to accede, and a conference committee was adopted on the House side to work the bill. The House adopted the conference committee report on Wednesday, March 26, 117-5 vote. This bill is scheduled for final action on Thursday, March 27. It has been sent to Gov. Laura Kelly. To read more, click here. 

 

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 in the Senate as amended 32-8 and passed in the House as amended 83-39. A conference committee report was adopted by the House, 84-38, and the Senate, 32-8, on Wednesday, March 26. It has been sent to Gov. Kelly. To read more, click here. 

 
 

The following bills have been passed out of their chamber of origin: 

Sub for HB 2299: Declaring antisemitism and antisemitic acts to be against public policy and establishing a statutory definition of such terms. 

• The contents of this bill were inserted into SB 44 and then the conference committee report was adopted by the House, 102-21, and the Senate, 39-1. To read more, click here. 

 

Senate Sub for HB 2382: 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. 

• The original bill that would have adjusted the daily compensation rate for members of the state board of education passed in the House 115-7. On Monday, March 17, the Senate Committee on Education voted to remove the contents of HB 2382 and insert the contents of SB 275 (see above). 
• On Tuesday, March 18, the Senate accepted the committee report that recommended the substitute bill be passed and passed it 29-11. The House voted to nonconcur with the amendments and a conference committee was requested. The motion to accede in the Senate was adopted. The Senate’s conference committee report, which was an agree to disagree, was adopted and a new committee was appointed. The report from this conference committee added language that would allow the State Board to set their own pay but without appropriating new funding. The Senate adopted the report, 31-9. The House adopted the report, 84-40, on Thursday, March 27. To read more, click here. 

 

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. A hearing was held Tuesday, March 11, in the House Committee on Education and on Thursday, March 13, voted to pass the bill out as amended. It was withdrawn from the House calendar and rereferred to the House Committee on Education. To read more, click here. 
   

 

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 was withdrawn from the House calendar and referred back to the House Committee on Federal and State Affairs. 

 

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. It was withdrawn from the Senate calendar, referred to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, then put back on General Orders on the Senate calendar. 

 

SB 49: Requiring attendance center needs assessments to be conducted by the local board of education 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. It was withdrawn from the Senate calendar, referred to the Senate Committee on Ways and Means, then put back on General Orders on the Senate calendar.  

 

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. 

 

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

• The Senate Committee on Education voted Monday, March 17, to recommend the bill be passed as amended.  
   

 

Other bills KSDE is tracking: 

HB 2031: Providing that driving school instructors and motorcycle instructors may possess a driver's license or motorcycle driver's license from any state. 

• A conference committee has been appointed to work the bill. 

 

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. This bill is exempt and still alive. 

 

HB 2104: Standardizing firearm safety programs in school districts. 

• Passed by House Committee on Federal and State Affairs on Feb. 13. It was withdrawn from the House calendar and rereferred to the House Committee on Federal and State Affairs. This bill is exempt and still alive. 

 

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. Since the bill was originally introduced by the House Committee on Appropriations, it is exempt and alive. 

 

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. Since the bill was originally introduced by the Senate Committee on Assessment and Taxation, it is exempt and alive. 

 

The following bills are considered ‘dead’: 

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. The House Committee on Thursday, March 6, voted to recommend the bill be passed. It was stricken from the House calendar on Friday, March 21, which means the bill number is dead, but its contents can appear in another bill. 

 

SB 87: Expanding student eligibility under the tax credit for the 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. The House Committee on Education voted to recommend the bill be passed as amended. The House passed over this bill twice and it was stricken from the calendar on Friday, March 21, which means the bill number is dead, but its contents can appear in another bill. 

 

Coming up 

First adjournment is Friday, March 28. The veto session is expected to begin April 10. The 90th day of the session, expected to be the last day, is April 12. 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.