HB 2576, known as Erin's Law, requires Kansas school districts to implement annual teacher training and age-appropriate student instruction on identifying and reporting child sexual abuse starting in the 2026-2027 school year. The law mandates that all teachers receive training covering prevention, identifying abuse signs, and reporting procedures, while all K-12 students must receive age-appropriate instruction on recognizing abuse and knowing how to report it, including resources for support. Parents or guardians may opt their children out of the student instruction. The training and instruction may use resources like the Erin's Law Foundation curriculum or other approved materials.
SB 420, the Holocaust Education Act, requires all Kansas public school districts to include Holocaust education in the social studies curriculum for students in grades six through twelve. The bill mandates that the state board of education develop age-appropriate curriculum, materials, and guidelines covering the historical context of the Holocaust (including persecution of Jewish people, Roma, people with disabilities, and others), learning projects, and resources from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum or Midwest Center for Holocaust Education. School districts must provide this instruction to meet the goal of fostering awareness of human value and preventing future atrocities. The law defines "Holocaust" broadly to include the systematic persecution and murder of multiple groups by Nazi Germany from 1933-1945.
SB 385, "Erin's Law," requires Kansas school districts to implement mandatory programs starting in the 2026-2027 school year. It mandates annual teacher training on identifying and reporting child sexual abuse, including prevention strategies and resource information. The bill also requires age-appropriate student instruction for all K-12 students on abuse awareness, prevention, and reporting options, with a parent opt-out provision. School districts may use approved resources like the Erin's Law Foundation curriculum to meet these requirements.
SB 341 requires community colleges and technical colleges to follow specific financial rules when partnering with school districts to offer college courses in high schools. Starting July 1, 2026, these institutions must directly pay for instructional materials not provided by schools, pay school districts a set teaching fee (based on credit hours) that must go to the teacher as a salary supplement, and treat site coordinators as contractors with direct payment. The bill affects school districts, high school teachers, and community/technical colleges by standardizing payment structures for these dual-enrollment courses. It sets clear "standard amounts" for teaching and coordination services, adjusted annually for inflation, and applies to all new or renegotiated agreements after 2026. Existing agreements before that date remain unaffected.
HB 2488 requires the University of Kansas School of Medicine to replace its current student assessment system with either a standard A-F letter grading system or a tiered system with at least four distinct performance levels for all medical degree courses. This directly affects medical students and faculty at the University of Kansas School of Medicine by mandating objective, comparable feedback on coursework. The bill’s key provision, outlined in Section 1(b), specifies that every course in the medical curriculum must use one of these two grading methods for evaluating student performance. The legislation aims to create a standardized environment for feedback, as stated in the legislative findings, though it does not specify how the grading system must be implemented. The bill was introduced on January 21, 2026, and is pending committee review.
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 2141 requires Kansas school districts to adopt policies allowing parents to object to educational materials or activities not in the approved curriculum or that conflict with their sincerely held beliefs, values, or principles. Parents may withdraw their child from a class or activity without academic penalty, and schools must provide alternative assignments or accommodations. The bill specifies that exemptions do not excuse students from completing required coursework or graduation credits. It applies to all public school districts in Kansas and defines "educational materials" broadly to include textbooks, digital content, and videos, while excluding student presentations.
HB 2140 creates a statewide Drug Abuse Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) educator position within the Attorney General's office. This position must provide approved drug education curriculum - including specific content on fentanyl and opioids - to public elementary and secondary schools in Kansas. The D.A.R.E. educator is required to report annually to the legislature about curriculum changes and list the public schools participating in the program. The bill directly affects Kansas public schools and students by mandating this standardized drug education program under state oversight.
HB 2104 requires Kansas school districts to use state-established curriculum guidelines for firearm safety education programs if they choose to offer them. It mandates specific, age-appropriate programs: kindergarten through fifth grade must use the NRA's Eddie Eagle Gunsafe program, sixth through eighth grade may choose between Eddie Eagle or the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks' Hunter Education in Our Schools program, and ninth through twelfth grade must use Hunter Education in Our Schools. The bill standardizes these offerings across districts to ensure consistent safety education on firearm accident prevention and response. School districts are not required to implement these programs but must follow the state guidelines if they do. The law takes effect upon publication in the statutes.
HB 2299 prohibits public educational institutions in Kansas (including K-12 schools, community colleges, and state universities) from engaging in religious discrimination or promoting antisemitism. It defines antisemitism using the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s 2016 definition, covering acts like threatening violence against Jewish people or allowing antisemitic curriculum. The attorney general can investigate complaints, subpoena evidence, and impose civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation for institutions that violate the law. The bill explicitly excludes religious education coursework from the prohibition.
