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Legislative Update

Legislative Update January 22, 2010

 

The first two weeks of the 2010 legislative session have been a whirlwind of activity.  A number of committees within the House and Senate have been hearing from state agencies and organizations impact of the multiple budget cuts over the last year.  The committees have had a major focus on the impact reductions to Medicaid programs are having.

 

For those not aware of the budget reductions for aging programs under Medicaid, the Governor reduced reimbursement in Medicaid rates to service providers by 10 percent.  These reductions impacted many organizations that serve low income Kansas seniors.  Organizations impacted include Area Agencies on Aging, hospitals, doctors, mental health centers, nursing homes, home health agencies, pharmacists, etc.  This has had major impact to these organizations because most organizations already lose money providing services to Medicaid recipients.  A decision was also made, except for crisis situations, to eliminate sleep cycle support services, oral health care, assistive technology and comprehensive supports.

 

Governor Parkinson has made a recommendation in his budget that the Medicaid rate reductions be restored.  Without restoration of the rates and services we will see seniors losing the option of remaining in their home and receiving services.   I am already hearing stories of families having to make the tough decision to place their parent in a nursing home due to the loss of sleep cycle support.  

 

The months ahead will be challenging.  Legislators will be having to make some tough decisions about budgets and revenues.  I ask that if you have concerns about reductions in funding for services to seniors that you contact your state legislators.

 

You can reach your legislator by calling the Kansas Legislative Hotline at  (800) 432-3924

 

If you know of other senior advocates who would be interested in signing up for the K4A Legislative Update, send them to our website:  www.k4a.org

 

Legislation Tracked by K4A

 

Bill Number
and Sponsor

Bill Subject

Current Status

Last Action

H Sub for SB 3

Anthony Hensley, D-19th

Elections

In House Elections

03/30/2009 - House
Withdrawn from Calendar; rereferred to Elections

 


 

Sub for SB 6

Derek Schmidt, R-15th

Amending the Charitable Organizations and Solicitations Act; concerning professional fund raisers

In House Judiciary

03/11/2009 - House
Scheduled Hearing: Monday, 3/16/2009, 3:30 PM, Rm 143-N

 

 


 

SB 25

Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee

Crimes and punishments; relating to smoking and cigarette sales

In House Health and Human Services

03/04/2009 - House
Scheduled Hearings: Proponents - Tuesday, 3/10/2009, 1:30 PM, Rm 784 DSOB; Opponents -Wednesday, 3/11/2009, 1:30 PM, Rm 784 DSOB

 

 


 

SB 56

Senate Ways and Means Committee

Elections; pertaining to advance voting ballots

In House Elections

03/30/2009 - House
Withdrawn from Calendar; rereferred to Elections

 

 


 

SB 67

Senate Judiciary Committee

Crimes and punishment; creating the crime of endangering a dependent adult; relating to mistreatment of a dependent adult

In Senate Judiciary

01/23/2009 - Senate
Referred to Judiciary

 

 


 

SB 81

Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee

Enacting the Kansas Nonsmoker Protection Act

In Senate Public Health and Welfare

01/23/2009 - Senate
Referred to Public Health and Welfare

 

 


 

SB 96

Joint Committee on Pensions, Investments and Benefits

Retirement and pensions; relating to the Kansas Public Employees Retirement Act of 2009; providing permanent annual cost-of-living adjustment for certain retirants; member contributions

In Senate Ways and Means

01/27/2009 - Senate
Referred to Ways and Means

 

 


 

SB 109

Senate Ways and Means Committee

Grandparents as Caregivers Act

In Senate Ways and Means

01/30/2009 - Senate
Scheduled Hearing: Wednesday, 2/4/2009, 10:30 AM, Rm 545-N

 

 


 

SB 125

Oletha Faust-Goudeau, D-29th

Grandparents as Caregivers Act; relating to eligibility requirements

In Senate Ways and Means

01/30/2009 - Senate
Scheduled Hearing: Wednesday, 2/4/2009, 10:30 AM, Rm 545-N

 

 


 

SB 129

Senate Local Government Committee

State Medicaid plan; requiring certain changes regarding county jail inmates

In Senate Local Government

01/28/2009 - Senate
Referred to Public Health and Welfare; withdrawn from Public Health and Welfare; referred to Local Government; Scheduled Hearing: Tuesday, 2/3/2009, 9:30 AM, Rm 446-N

 

 


 

SB 140

Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee

Property taxation; enacting the Senior Citizen Property Tax Deferral Act

In Senate Assessment and Taxation

01/30/2009 - Senate
Referred to Assessment and Taxation

 

 


 

SB 196

Joint Committee on Pensions, Investments and Benefits

Retirement and pensions; relating to employment after retirement; retirants employed by third-party entities

In Senate Ways and Means

03/12/2009 - Senate
Withdrawn from Calendar; rereferred to Ways and Means

 

 


 

SB 235

Senate Judiciary Committee

Uniform Adult Guardianship and Protective Proceedings Jurisdiction Act

In Senate Judiciary

02/09/2009 - Senate
Referred to Judiciary

 

 


 

SB 243

Senate Assessment and Taxation Committee

Veterans; relating to benefits for disabled veterans; pertaining to license plates for disabled veterans; adjustments to gross income; sales tax exemptions; and homestead tax credits

In Senate Assessment and Taxation

02/19/2009 - Senate
Withdrawn from Ways and Means; rereferred to Assessment and Taxation

 

 


 

SB 330

Senate Ways and Means Committee

Nursing facilities; relating to the reimbursement rate

In Senate Ways and Means

03/24/2009 - Senate
Referred to Ways and Means

 

 


 

SB 389

Senate Financial Institutions and Insurance Committee

Dental benefits under health insurance

In Senate Financial Institutions and Insurance

01/20/2010 - Senate
Referred to Financial Institutions and Insurance

 

 


 

HB 2019

House Taxation Committee

Eligibility requirements for Medicaid; allowing a collateral assignment of the proceeds of life insurance policies

In House Aging and Long-Term Care

02/03/2009 - House
Scheduled Hearing: Thursday, 2/5/2009, 3:30 PM, Rm 711 DSOB

 

 


 

HB 2055

House Aging and Long-term Care Committee

Department on Aging; relating to the Senior Services Fund; creating the Health Care for Seniors Fund; disposition of certain additional lottery proceeds; prescribing certain powers, duties and functions for the Secretary of Aging

In House Aging and Long-Term Care

02/04/2009 - House
Scheduled Hearing: Tuesday, 2/10/2009, 3:30 PM, Rm 711 DSOB

 

 


 

HB 2056

House Aging and Long-term Care Committee

Department on Aging; relating to the Senior Services Fund; creating the Health Care for Seniors Fund; disposition of certain additional tobacco litigation settlement proceeds; prescribing certain powers, duties and functions for the Secretary of Aging

In House Aging and Long-Term Care

02/04/2009 - House
Scheduled Hearing: Tuesday, 2/10/2009, 3:30 PM, Rm 711 DSOB

 

 


 

HB 2057

House Aging and Long-term Care Committee

Enacting the Geriatric Mental Health Act; establishing a geriatric mental health program administered by the Department on Aging

In House Aging and Long-Term Care

02/04/2009 - House
Scheduled Hearing: Tuesday, 2/10/2009, 3:30 PM, Rm 711 DSOB

 

 


 

HB 2058

House Aging and Long-term Care Committee

Creating the Health Care for Seniors Fund; concerning the disposition of a sales tax and compensating use tax proceeds; prescribing certain powers, duties and functions for the Secretary of Aging and Secretary of Revenue

In House Taxation

01/23/2009 - House
Referred to Taxation

 

 


 

HB 2106

House Education Committee

Retirement and pensions; relating to the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System; employment after retirement

In House Select Committee on KPERS

01/28/2009 - House
Referred to Select Committee on KPERS

 

 


 

HB 2109

House Judiciary Committee

Health care; enacting the Kansas Uniform Health Care Decisions Act

In House Judiciary

01/13/2010 - House
Staff briefing: Tuesday, 1/19/2010, 3:30 PM, Rm 346-S

 

 


 

HB 2118

House Health and Human Services Committee

Social workers; social worker safety training

In House Health and Human Services

01/28/2009 - House
Referred to Health and Human Services

 

 


 

HB 2229

Geraldine Flaharty, D-98th

Visitation in medical care facilities and adult care homes

In House Health and Human Services

02/06/2009 - House
Scheduled Hearing: Tuesday, 2/10/2009, 1:30 PM, Rm 784 DSOB

 

 


 

HB 2242

Tom Sloan, R-45th

State Long-term Care Ombudsman; relating to the authority of the State Long-term Care Ombudsman

In House Aging and Long-Term Care

02/11/2009 - House
Scheduled Hearing: Tuesday, 2/17/2009, 3:30 PM, Rm 711 DSOB

 

 


 

HB 2248

Ed Trimmer, D-78th

Sales taxation; relating to exemptions; certain organizations providing services for seniors

In House Taxation

02/05/2009 - House
Referred to Taxation

 

 


 

HB 2269

House Taxation Committee

Property taxation; relating to exemptions; certain housing for the elderly, persons with disabilities or persons with low income

In House Taxation

02/25/2009 - House
Scheduled Hearing: Thursday, 3/5/2009, 9:00 AM, Rm 535-N

 

 


 

HB 2302

House Taxation Committee

Property taxation; relating to exemptions; housing for elderly persons

In House Taxation

02/09/2009 - House
Referred to Taxation

 

 


 

HB 2310

House Federal and State Affairs Committee

Long-term care partnership program; allowing the exchange of certain long-term care policies or certificates

In Senate Public Health and Welfare

03/24/2009 - Senate
Referred to Public Health and Welfare

 

 


 

HB 2323

House Federal and State Affairs Committee

Providers of care services; relating to employment of persons by such providers

In Senate Public Health and Welfare

03/30/2009 - Senate
Referred to Public Health and Welfare

 

 


 

S Sub for HB 2353

House Taxation Committee

Chautauqua County ; relating to financing of jail; retailers’ sales tax

On General Orders in Senate

01/20/2010 - Senate
Committee Report: Substitute be passed by Assessment and Taxation

 

 


 

HB 2368

House Taxation Committee

Sales taxation; relating to certain exemptions; certain nonprofit organizations

In House Taxation

03/06/2009 - House
Referred to Taxation

 

 


 

HB 2424

House Vision 2020 Committee

Insurance; providing coverage for telemedicine

In House Vision 2020

In House Insurance

01/13/2010 - House
Referred jointly to Vision 2020 and Insurance

 

 


 

HB 2427

House Vision 2020 Committee

Healthcare; relating to telemedicine and telehealth monitoring; providing for reimbursement

In House Insurance

In House Vision 2020

01/13/2010 - House
Referred jointly to Insurance and Vision 2020

 

 


 

HB 2442

House Appropriations Committee

Establishing the Kansas Streamlining Government Commission; providing for an independent review of state agencies of the executive branch of state government; prescribing powers, duties and functions for the commission and certain other state agencies

In House Appropriations

01/20/2010 - House
Scheduled Hearing and Possible action: Thursday, 1/28/2010, 9:00 AM, Rm 346-S

 

 


 

HB 2475

House Taxation Committee

Sales taxation; relating to rate of taxation

In House Taxation

01/20/2010 - House
Referred to Taxation; Scheduled Hearings: (Pros)Thursday, 1/21/2010, 9:00 AM, Rm 783 DSOB; (Opps) Tuesday, 1/26/2010, 9:00 AM, Rm 783 DSOB

 

 


 

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