Timothy Graham, Government Relations
The fifth week of the 2025 Kansas legislative session has concluded. To date, the legislature has introduced 694 bills and resolutions. KNEA is tracking 125 of these bills and has provided testimony on 19. Additionally, over 20 of our members have visited the Kansas Statehouse this session to lobby, with some delivering oral testimony before various legislative committees.
The legislative pace remains rapid, but committee work will slow for a few days, as Monday, February 17, is the last day for non-exempt committees to meet before Turnaround. On Tuesday, focus will shift as legislators are scheduled to work all day on the floors of both the House and Senate Chambers. They are set to do the same on Wednesday and Thursday. Turnaround is Thursday, February 20. No session is scheduled for Friday.
During the week of February 10, we began with members joining us at the Statehouse to testify against SB 76 (the Pronoun Bill). We concluded the week with members scheduled to participate in I Love Public Schools on Valentine’s Day. Although the weather kept some from attending, we greatly appreciated the support from those who could join us.
In addition to testifying on SB 76 (an anti-transgender bill), we also testified on HB 2194 (a KPERS working-after-retirement bill), HB 2299 (a so-called anti-discrimination bill), HB 2303 (a longitudinal data bill), and HB 2348 (an anti-tenure bill).
Click the links to read more about these bills. You can also review the section below for our stance on the bills, actions taken, and what to expect moving forward. To read our testimony and additional details, visit KNEA Testimony.
Legislative Committee Updates – Week of February 10
Below is a summary of the Kansas Legislature’s standing committee activities on education policy. You will also find details on the bills we testified on last week, the bills we are monitoring this week, and perspectives on public education from the news and social media.
House Committee on Education
Meeting Time: 1:30 p.m.
Room: Statehouse, 218-N
Chair: Rep. Susan Estes
Vice Chair: Rep. Kyle McNorton
Ranking Democrat: Rep. Jerry Stogsdill
Week 5 Committee Activity
Monday, February 10, The committee convened for a hearing on HB 2139, a bill aimed at increasing the minimum expenditure amount for school districts concerning contracted goods and services, eliminating the need for sealed bids in certain cases. KNEA did not take a position on this bill.
Additionally, the committee engaged in discussions and took action on H Sub for HB 2102, which sought to facilitate the advance enrollment of military students relocating to Kansas due to their parents’ stationing. Another bill, HB 2185, also moved forward, expanding the Kansas National Guard Educational Assistance Act to cover dependents of National Guard members. Both HB 2185 and H Sub for HB 2102 were passed out favorably by the committee. KNEA did not take positions on either of these bills.
Tuesday, February 11, the committee worked HB 2140, which proposed the creation of a dedicated Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) educator position. There was little discussion, and the bill was passed favorably out of the committee. KNEA did not take a position on the bill. The inclement weather sped up action on HB 2139, the bill heard on Monday and explained above. After several questions, a motion was later made to pass the bill out of committee, and it failed. KNEA did not take a position on either bill.
They also conducted a hearing on HB 2299, a bill that grants the Attorney General the authority to investigate violations and impose civil penalties under the Kansas Act Against Discrimination. This bill seems to be targeted at individuals on higher campuses that were involved in debates surrounding the Israeli/Palestine conflict, but like so many things that take place in the legislature the bill reaches far beyond that. KNEA submitted and delivered testimony in opposition to the bill.
Wednesday, February 12, Kansas was hit again by a winter storm, and everyone enjoyed a snow-day!
Thursday, February 13, the committee’s attention turned to previously debated bills. H Sub for HB 2102 needed a technical but very important change. The committee made the amendment and passed the bill out favorably, again. KNEA did not take a position on the bill. The committee also discussed HB 2033, a bill that essentially allows one institution to circumvent the process for being an approved at-risk service provider. The motion was made to pass it out favorably. KNEA submitted testimony in opposition to the bill.
The rest of the committee was used for a presentation on pre-K.
Friday, February 14, the committee did not meet.
Watch committee meetings here.
Learn more about the House Committee on Education here.
House Committee on Higher Education Budget
Meeting Time: 1:30 p.m.
Room: Statehouse, 281-N
Chair: Rep. Steven Howe
Vice Chair: Rep. Clarke Sanders
Ranking Democrat: Rep. Mike Amyx
Week 5 Committee Activity
Monday, February 10, no meeting.
Tuesday, February 11, the committee saw a presentation by Kansas State University President Dr. Richard Linton on K-State 105 and Kansas State Veterinary Medicine. Additionally, Blake Flanders and other Kansas Board of Regent staff gave an overview of the Kansas Board of Regents’ budget process and funding allotment was provided, discussing base funding and historical allotment trends.
Wednesday, February 12, no meeting.
Thursday, February 13, the committee was back and had a make-up hearing on HB 2248. The bill creates the Kansas Nursing Initiative Grant Program, allowing the state board of regents to approve need-based or competitive grants aimed at things like expanding nursing faculty and acquiring essential laboratory supplies. KNEA did not take a position on this bill.
The committee also heard HB 2195, a bill focused on the establishment of the Kansas Technical College Operating Grant Fund, which would be administered by the state board of regents to support technical colleges. KNEA did not take a position on this bill.
Friday, February 14, the committee met to take possible action on bills heard previously that are not being tracked by KNEA.
Watch committee meetings here.
Learn more about the House Higher Education Budget Committee here.
House Committee on K-12 Education Budget
Meeting Time: 3:30 p.m.
Room: Statehouse, 546-S
Chair: Rep. Jason Goetz
Vice Chair: Rep. Scott Hill
Ranking Democrat: Rep. Valdenia Winn
Week 5 Committee Activity
Monday, February 10 marked the beginning of the week as Frank Harwood, Deputy Commissioner of Fiscal and Administrative Services at KSDE, conducted a briefing on the required reports mandated by the Kansas Department of Education.
Tuesday, February 11, the committee conducted a hearing on HB 2303, a bill proposing the enactment of the Longitudinal Data Act that establishes the Division of Longitudinal Data within the Legislative Research Department. KNEA submitted neutral testimony on this bill.
Wednesday, February 12, no meeting.
February 13, another hearing took place regarding HB 2320. This bill focused on children in the custody of the Department for Children and Families, granting them the ability to attend school in any district regardless of their placement. KNEA did not take a position on this bill.
Friday, February 14, no meeting.
Watch committee meetings here.
Learn more about the House Committee on K-12 Budget here.
Senate Education Committee
Meeting Time: 1:30 p.m.
Room: Statehouse, 144-S
Chair: Sen. Renee Erickson
Vice Chair: Sen. Adam Thomas
Ranking Democrat: Sen. Dinah Sykes
Week 5 Committee Activity
Monday, February 10, brought with it a hearing on SB 76, a bill proposing that employees of school districts and postsecondary institutions be required to use the name and pronouns consistent with a student’s biological sex as listed on their birth certificate. KNEA submitted and delivered testimony in opposition to this bill.
Tuesday, February 11, the focus shifted to SB 47, a bill requiring districts to publicly list the names and email addresses of current school board members amongst other things. KNEA did not take a position on this bill.
Wednesday, February 12, the committee met digitally and had hearings on SB 45 and SB 114. SB 45 proposed that students transferring to homeschools or nonaccredited private schools be excluded from the alternative calculation of graduation rates for virtual schools, a move aimed at adjusting reporting metrics. SB 114 sought to allow nonpublic and virtual school students to participate in ancillary public-school activities. KNEA did not take a position on either bill.
Thursday, February 13, is covered directly below.
Friday, February 14, the committee continued deliberations from the day before on several pieces of legislation. By about 3 pm on Friday afternoon, the committee had discussed and passed out the following bills: SB 75 (voucher bill), SB 44 (Promise Scholarship), SB 87 (voucher bill), SB 49 (needs assessment bill), SB 48 (accreditation bill), SB 78 (higher ed accreditation bill), SB 76 (pronoun bill), SB 47 (school board “transparency” bill), SB 45 (virtual school grad rates bill), SB 114 (ancillary activities bill).
The bills in red above are bills that we testified on.
Watch committee meetings here.
Learn more about the Senate Education Committee here.
Notable Issue Updates – Week of February 3
The following is a brief update on a few of the issues we are tracking during the 2025 legislative session.
Vouchers
There are essentially two versions of voucher legislation that have appeared in five voucher bills during the 2025 legislative session so far. HB 2136 and SB 87 are companion bills that include language expanding the so-called Low-Income Student Scholarship Program, a relatively small voucher program that has existed since around 2014.
Meanwhile, HB 2156 and SB 75 are full-fledged voucher bills that offer a refundable tax credit to families with dependents enrolled in private schools.
As noted above, SB 75 and SB 87 have passed out of the Senate Committee on Education. Some advocates have already issued alerts claiming that these bills will be debated in the Senate next week. This is not correct. These bills may be heard next week, but it is unlikely they will be debated unless Senate Republican leadership believes they have enough votes to override a certain veto.
It is not too early to email legislators urging them to oppose both bills. However, it may be more effective to send these emails in response to a KNEA alert if we learn that one or both bills are scheduled for debate. That decision is up to you—you can send emails now or wait for further instructions.
Please be prepared to contact your legislator at a moment’s notice when we give the green light.
Education Funding – (K12, Special Education, Higher Education)
The budget process has changed, but the verdict is still out on whether the changes—insisted upon by the majority party leadership—have simplified the process or made it more chaotic. Either way, it is likely safe to assume that this new process is here to stay.
It is also clear that education funding recommendations started strong but lost ground at every stage of the process to date.
Regarding higher education, Governor Kelly largely aligned with the Kansas Board of Regents’ budget requests in her recommended budget. Unfortunately for higher education, the House Committee on Higher Education Budget significantly pared down the proposal. Community college representatives appeared somewhat satisfied with the budget, while Regent institutions expressed anxiety about the final version, which is set to reach the House floor this week.
For base state aid, all budget proposals have incorporated the court-ordered consumer price index adjustment.
On the issue of special education funding, Governor Kelly’s initial recommendation included the second year of a five-year plan to increase funding by $75 million annually, aiming to meet Kansas’ statutory requirement of covering 92% of excess costs.
As you may recall, securing new funding for special education was a tough battle during the 2024 legislative session. After advocates helped defeat the unfavorable version of SB 387 (the 2024 K-12 funding bill), the revised version, Sub for SB 387, included the full first-year investment in special education (SPED). Though many felt it was too good to be true, education advocates involved in the 2024 process remained cautiously optimistic that the legislature was committed to fully funding SPED by 2029.
However, legislative leadership is now emphasizing a narrative that the “out years” of Kansas’ fiscal forecast look bleak. With that concern in hand, legislators are beginning to discuss budget and spending cuts seriously. After the initial confusion surrounding the new budget process settled down, the House Committee on K-12 Budget began its work.
New K-12 Budget Chair Jason Goetz led a more structured and effective committee. Notably, for the first time in several years, the House produced a “clean budget bill,” free of the usual multiple policy add-ons. Additionally, Chair Goetz fostered a more civil and constructive committee environment—something that was critically needed.
As the process unfolded, the recommended $75 million SPED funding enhancement was reduced to $30 million. While advocates were disappointed, legislators across the political spectrum found ways to accept the compromise.
Once the House Committee on K-12 Budget forwarded its work to the full House Committee on Appropriations, Rep. Kristey Williams moved to eliminate the entire $30 million allocation the K-12 Budget Committee had approved.
In response, Chair Goetz introduced a substitute motion to include $10 million for SPED. That motion passed, and as the bill heads to the full House for debate this week, that is where SPED funding currently stands.
The House will debate the budget this week to set the stage for Senate deliberations following the legislative turnaround.
Gender-Affirming Care
On Tuesday, February 11, Governor Kelly vetoed SB 63, a bill that prohibits gender-affirming care for minors. Last year, she vetoed a similar bill, and the legislature’s attempt to override that veto failed. However, the political landscape has shifted since then.
Last session, Republicans—most of whom support this bill—were one vote short of overriding Governor Kelly’s veto. In the 2024 general election, they gained seats in the Kansas Legislature, and they now appear to have the numbers needed to override her veto. The motion to override Governor Kelly’s veto on this bill is expected to take place this week.
You can read our call to action from Wednesday, February 12, regarding this bill here: SB 63 Call to Action.
As mentioned above, SB 76, also known as the “pronoun bill,” has been passed out of the Senate Committee on Education. However, it remains unclear whether the bill will advance further.
There are three key issues we are currently tracking in the KPERS realm.
KPERS Tier 3 Reform – HB 2129 is legislation that is under consideration to move teachers from KPERS Tier 3 to KPERS Tier 2. Additionally, another bill aims to adjust the Tier 3 formula to improve final benefits. This bill, HB 2086, has passed favorably out of the House Committee on Financial Institutions and Pensions.
Cost-of-Living Allowance (COLA) – HB 2380 proposes a COLA for certain KPERS recipients who are 85 years old or older. However, this bill has not yet been scheduled for a hearing.
Working After Retirement (WAR) – HB 2194 would exempt school districts from paying the KPERS “assessment” for employees returning to the classroom. This bill remains in the committee.
College Tenure
This issue was not a hot topic until last week, following the sudden introduction and rapid hearing of HB 2348. The bill’s existence comes with an unusual backstory. It seeks to prohibit tenure from being recognized as a property right. Essentially, removing this designation significantly weakens tenure. We stand alongside several influential stakeholders in opposing this bill. Currently, it remains in committee
KNEA Testimony – Week of February 10
You can read this testimony and more at the following link: KNEA Testimony
SB 76 – Requiring employees of school districts and postsecondary educational institutions 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. –OPPOSED-
HB 2194 – Providing a KPERS working after retirement exemption from the employer contribution rate for retirants who are employed as teachers by a school district in a position for which a certificate to teach is required. -SUPPORTED-
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. -OPPOSED-
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. -NEUTRAL-
HB 2348 – Providing that tenure at postsecondary educational institutions shall not be defined, awarded or recognized as an entitlement, right or property interest in a faculty member’s current, ongoing or future employment by an institution. -OPPOSED-
On the Radar – Week of February 17
KNEA is not scheduled to testify on any legislation the week of February 17. We will be at the Statehouse monitoring the process to see what bills “survive” the process in order to see consideration in the 2nd half of the 2025 Kansas Legislative Session.
What They Are Saying – Week of February 10
We’re not the only ones advocating for or reporting on public education. Below are snippets from our education allies, legislators, and the press.
The Sunflower State Journal covered the hearing on SB 76, the “pronoun bill” mentioned above. A clip from their article reads:
The bill was opposed by the Kansas National Education Association. The KNEA’s lobbyist, Tim Graham, called the legislation “problematic for so many reasons.”
“KNEA has joined the transgender community to ask all of you to try to understand things from their perspective,” he said.
“When they say this bill is hurtful and other bills like this are hurtful, we believe them,” Graham said.
“We can’t understand why we continue to see bill after bill after bill after bill come through the Legislature that seems to be targeting their existence,” he said.
Also covering that hearing was State Affairs Kansas.
They reported on two examples of our testimony:
Timothy Graham, top lobbyist for the Kansas National Education Association, warned it would put teachers under threat of costly lawsuits if they fail to comply, and Butler Community College professor Cory Teubner said it would have the opposite effect of what its backers intend by compelling him to align with an ideology he doesn’t support, imploring lawmakers to “let me do my job.”
“I would be the one compelled to speak in ways that are inconsistent with my moral perspective,” Teubner said.
Upcoming Dates and Events
- February 25 – KPERS COLA Day
- March 4 – Equality Day
