(Nov. 8, 2024)—Today, the Special Committee on Legislative Budget, chaired by Rep. Troy Waymaster, met for the first time. The chair indicated that the legislative base budget bill will not include any previously passed one-time provisosThe committee has been approved for five days of meetings. The committee reviewed what has been submitted to Gov. Laura Kelly.
The committee reviewed the following:
- Board of Accountancy
- Board of Tax Appeals
- Pooled Money Investment Board
- Board of Veterinary Examiners
- Office of the State Bank Commissioner
- Kansas Department of Credit Unions
- Government Ethics Commission
- Board of Technical Professions
- Kansas Dental Board
- Office of Administrative Hearings
- State Historical Society
- State Library
- KHDE-Environment
- Kansas Water Office
- Kansas Board of Nursing
- Kansas Board of Pharmacy
- Behavioral Sciences Regulatory Board
- Kansas State Board of Mortuary Arts
- Health Care Stabilization Fund Board of Government
- Board of Examiners in Optometry
- Judicial Council
- Kansas Department of Labor
- Kansas Neurological Institute
- Larned State Hospital
- Osawatomie State Hospital
- Parsons State Hospital and Training Center
- Kansas Bureau of Investigations
- Kansas Commission on Peace Officer's Standards and Training
The committee made the following recommendations:
- All discussions on state employee pay will be set aside.
- Delete contract nursing from state hospitals' base budget so they can evaluate the topic further. Speaker Dan Hawkins (R-Wichita) suggested that a special committee be needed to discuss that issue further.
No other adjustments were recommended for any health-related agencies discussed with the committee today.
The committee also requested more information about:
- Ending balances for all fee-funded agencies.
- Updates on ARPA funds that are still out there, how they are allocated, and when they are likely to be spent.