Requiring the department of health and environment to audit hospital compliance with the lay caregiver act and report the results of such audit to the legislature.

HB 2002 requires Kansas hospitals to comply with the Lay Caregiver Act, which mandates that hospitals help patients designate caregivers before discharge and provide them with discharge instructions and aftercare education. Starting in 2026, the Department of Health and Environment must annually audit hospitals for compliance with these requirements and report the results to the legislature’s Health and Human Services committees by January 31 each year. This bill directly affects hospitals (as the entities required to follow the act) and the legislature (as the recipient of audit findings). The key provision replaces the previous lack of enforcement with a mandatory, annual verification process to ensure hospitals are meeting caregiver-related obligations.