HB 2485 allows the chief executive of Kansas' state board of regents to negotiate repayment terms for students who owe money on state scholarships, grants, or other financial aid. It prohibits the state from providing any additional aid to students who currently have outstanding repayment obligations under these programs. This directly affects students who have received state-funded aid but now owe money, requiring them to settle those debts before qualifying for new financial assistance. The bill amends existing law to clarify the board's authority to handle repayments and enforce the eligibility restriction.
HB 2428 requires Kansas public universities, community colleges, and technical colleges to revise curricula by prohibiting mandatory enrollment in DEI-CRT courses (defined as courses covering topics like systemic racism, critical race theory, or gender-based equity). It mandates that all bachelor's degree programs starting in 2027-2028 include a new general education course on American institutions, requiring study of founding documents, constitutional principles, and free speech. The bill also requires freshman orientations to cover campus free speech policies and include programming on the First Amendment. These provisions apply directly to all public postsecondary institutions in Kansas, with limited exemptions for programs explicitly focused on racial, ethnic, or gender studies.
SB 350 establishes grade-level rules for school-issued digital devices in Kansas public schools (K-12), directly affecting students, schools, and parents. It bans digital devices entirely for K-5 (requiring print-based instruction), restricts shared device use with time limits (max 1 hour/day) and blocks social media for grades 6-8, and allows issued devices for grades 9-12 with strict safety settings (blocking social media, disabling cameras, limiting use to 90 minutes/day). The bill mandates schools to provide media literacy instruction on digital health risks and requires parental opt-out for device issuance, home use, or digital testing. Schools must delete personal data between student uses and maintain safety standards for all devices.
SB 343 prohibits state and local public funds from supporting postsecondary education programs with low graduate earnings, as defined by federal standards. The state board of regents must create rules blocking state funds (including student aid and operational budgets) for such programs and submit annual reports to the legislature on enforcement and fiscal impact. Local governments, school boards, and other political subdivisions are also barred from using public money for these programs. This bill directly affects Kansas public universities, community colleges, and local education entities receiving state or local funding.
SB 387 requires Kansas school districts to verify the household gross earned income of students applying for free meals through the national school lunch program (using written proof), excluding those directly certified via other programs. It also mandates that school districts cannot seek federal "community eligibility" payments - allowing schools to serve free meals to all students without individual applications - without explicit legislative approval after July 1, 2026. During legislative recesses, districts may seek temporary approval from the Legislative Coordinating Council within 14 days. This bill directly affects school districts managing meal programs and students qualifying for free meals, changing how income eligibility is confirmed and how federal funds are accessed.
SB 340 amends Kansas's Promise Scholarship program to clarify that scholarship funds cannot cover remedial courses unless those courses are offered in a corequisite format (where students take remedial content alongside their main course). This directly affects Kansas Promise Scholarship recipients and eligible public/private colleges, as it restricts scholarship use for traditional remedial classes but allows corequisite remedial courses. The bill updates eligibility rules in K.S.A. 74-32,274 to specify that only corequisite remedial courses qualify for funding, while other remedial courses remain ineligible. This change aims to streamline scholarship usage for academic support without altering the program's income limits or funding caps.
SB 381 requires Kansas public, private, and parochial schools to teach students in grades K-12 about communist and socialist regimes and ideologies through state-developed curriculum. It also mandates that all students entering grade 9 in 2026 or later pass a 100-question American civics exam - modeled after the U.S. citizenship test - to graduate high school. The exam can be taken starting in grade 7, with retakes allowed, and accommodations for students with IEPs follow their individualized plans. This bill revises Kansas graduation requirements under statute 72-3217, effective for students enrolling in high school after July 1, 2026.
HB 2420 requires Kansas school districts to obtain written parental consent before providing school-based mental health services to students, including verbal notification about the service's purpose and plan. It directly affects students, parents, and school staff, covering services designed to address emotional, behavioral, or social needs (excluding universal tier 1 support). Exceptions allow immediate suicide risk assessments under existing law when a credible report of suicide risk exists. Violations trigger a $5,000 civil penalty per incident, recoverable by the attorney general or county prosecutor.
SB 280 requires local taxing entities (like cities, counties, or school districts) to obtain majority voter approval via a special election before raising total property taxes by more than the annual inflation rate, as measured by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' consumer price index. It excludes new construction taxes from the calculation of the tax levy limit and does not apply to certain statutorily fixed mill rates. The law takes effect January 1, 2026, mandating voter consent for tax increases beyond inflation for all other property tax levies. This directly affects local governments seeking to raise revenue above inflation and property owners whose taxes could be impacted by such increases.
SB 254 prohibits immigrants unlawfully present in the U.S. from receiving most Kansas state or local public benefits, including reduced college tuition. It requires applicants 18+ to provide proof of lawful presence (like a driver's license or federal immigration documents) before accessing benefits, and mandates state agencies to verify status through the federal DHS system. The bill also requires immigration status checks for non-citizen criminal defendants during bond hearings, creating a presumption they might flee. Exceptions include benefits required by federal law, and it explicitly excludes driver's license services from the definition of "public benefit."
