Capitol Comments Articles
Next Week's Schedule

Schedule (Jan. 17, 2025) – With a historically fast start to the legislative session, next week will already see the first of the agency budget report outs to the appropriations committees. While Monday will be a holiday, legislative committees are likely to jump further into bill hearings and testimony on Tuesday.

Monday, Jan. 20
No Session

Tuesday, Jan. 21
Senate Public Health and Welfare – 8:30 a.m. – Room 142S
Presentation: Kansas Department of Health and Environment

Senate Government Efficiency – 9:30 a.m. – Room 144S
Briefing by staff: constitutional basis of legislative power

Senate Commerce – 1:30 p.m. – Room 346S
Joint meeting with House Committee on Commerce, Labor and Economic Development Update:
Kansas Department of Labor – unemployment system rollout, update and agenda

Senate Ways and Means – 10:30 a.m. – Room 548S
Update: Kansas Fights Addiction Grant Program

Senate Utilities – 1:30 p.m. – Room 548S
Presentation: Kansas 911 system – Sherry Massey
Hearing: Senate Bill 11 – Requiring the Kansas 911 Coordinating Council to establish requirements for 911 telecommunicators to receive training and continuous education in telecommunicator-cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

House Appropriations – 9:00 a.m. – Room 112N
Informational briefing: Kansas Fights Addiction – Pat George, chair

Budget report out: Chairperson Steven Howe – Higher Education Budget, Kansas Behavioral Science Regulatory Board, Kansas Board of Healing Arts

House Health and Human Services – 1:30 p.m. – Room 112N
Presentation: Kansas Hospital Association, Kansas Medical Society, Silver Haired Legislature

House Welfare Reform – 1:30 p.m. – Room 152S
Presentation: Select State Legislative Welfare Reforms – Iraida Orr, principal research analyst,
Kansas Legislative Research Department
Hearing: Reorganization bill, number to be determined

House Social Services Budget – 3:30 p.m. – Room152S
Budget Hearing: Kansas State Board of Nursing, Office of Veterans Services and Health Care Stabilization Fund
Hearing continuation: Recommendations for Board of Mortuary Arts, Kansas Guardianship Program, Board of Pharmacy and Child Advocate
Presentation: Overview of KORA  Kansas Open Records Act and KOMA  Kansas Open Meeting Acts

Wednesday, Jan. 22
Senate Public Health and Welfare – 8:30 a.m. – Room 142S
Update: Kansas Department for Children and Families

Senate Financial Institutions and Insurance – 9:30 a.m. – Room 546S
Overview and update: Kansas Public Employees Retirement System  Alan Conroy, executive director

Senate Government Efficiency – 9:30 a.m. – Room 144S
Presentation  efficiency proposals: Office of the Secretary of State
Presentation  agency operations Kansas insurance commissioner

Senate Ways and Means – 10:30 a.m. – Room 548S
Update  broadband expenditures: Kansas Department of Commerce, Kansas Department of Transportation, representative of the telecommunications industry

House Appropriations – 9:00 a.m. – Room 112N
Budget report out: Chairperson Avery Anderson, Transportation and Public Safety budget – Emergency Medical Services Board

House Education – 1:30 p.m. – Room 18N
Cardiac Emergency Response Plan Update: Kansas Department of Health and Environment, Lainey Faulkner, director, Bureau of Health Promotions
Informational hearing: Importance of automated external defibrillator devices, American Heart Association,
Kari Rinker, region sr. state government relations lead

House Social Services Budget – 3:30 p.m. – Room 152S
Budget Hearing: Larned State Hospital, Osawatomie State Hospitals, Parsons and Kansas Neurological Institute, Intellectual Disability State Hospitals
Hearing continuation: Recommendations for Kansas State Board of Nursing, Office of Veterans Services and Health Care Stabilization Fund

House Insurance – 3:30 pm (Mon-Wed) – Room 218N
Informational briefing: Procurement of coordinated care organizations and pediatric critical care medicine

House Transportation and Public Safety Budget – 3:30 p.m. – Room 118N
Budget Hearing: Kansas 911 Coordinating Council

Thursday, Jan. 24
Senate Government Efficiency – 9:30 a.m. – Room 144S
Overview of past efficiency audits and studies: Kansas Legislative Division of Post Audit

Senate Financial Institutions and Insurance – 9:30 a.m. – Room 546S
Overview and update: Kansas Insurance Department, Vicki Schmidt, insurance commissioner, informational hearing: discretion for the insurance commissioner to lower fees and the elimination of the insurance agent appointment renewal fee, reduction of appointed members to regulatory boards that are under the jurisdiction of the insurance commissioner

House Appropriations – 9:00 a.m. – Room 112N
Budget report out by Chairperson David Buehler, Social Services Budget – Kansas Board of Pharmacy

House Health and Human Services – 1:30 p.m. – Room 112N
Presentation: InterHab, Kansas Nursing Homes, Children's Advocacy Centers of Kansas

House Social Services Budget – 3:30 p.m. – Room 152S
Budget Hearing: Kansas Department for Children and Families
Hearing continuation: Recommendations for Larned State Hospital and Osawatomie State Hospital, and Parsons and Kansas Neurological Institute Intellectual Disability State Hospitals

House Transportation and Public Safety Budget – 3:30 p.m. – Room 118N
Budget Hearing: Kansas Fire Marshal

Friday, Jan. 25
House Insurance
Morning Tour of Optum Rx in Overland Park

House General Government Budget – 3:30 p.m. – Room 281N
Budget Hearing: Kansas Insurance Department
Budget Hearing: Kansas Department of Labor Department
Budget Hearing: Kansas Public Employee Retirement System
Recommendations: Kansas Insurance Department, Kansas Department of Labor, KPERS

House Social Services Budget – 3:30 p.m. – Room 152S
Hearing continuation: Public testimony for Kansas Department for Children and Families