Kansas State University

Kansas Legislative Update

Submitted by Sue Peterson

The Kansas Legislature enters the sixth week of the session. The next two weeks marks the last weeks committees can conduct hearings and pass bills out of committees in the original chamber in which the bills were introduced.

Last week, President Myers testified before the Senate Higher Education Subcommittee of the Ways and Means Committee and the House Higher Education Budget Committee. The Senate Ways and Means Committee approved the subcommittee recommendations last Friday.

Senate subcommittee recommendation:

The subcommittee concurs with the governor's recommendation for FY 2022 with the following adjustments:

1. Review the status of the state general fund and the COVID-19 federal relief funding distribution at omnibus bill consideration.
2. Review the deferred maintenance of the universities at omnibus.
3. Review the funding of the Excel in Career Technical Education program, SB 155, at omnibus bill consideration.
4. Review the status of HB 2101, Kan-Grow Engineering Initiative, which will expire as of June 30, 2022, at omnibus bill consideration. Request the agency provide information on how many students leave the state after graduating from the program at omnibus. Review adding the private/independent colleges to the program at omnibus bill consideration.
5. Review the funding of the Kansas Comprehensive Grant program at omnibus consideration.
6. Review the $10.3 million for the universities at Omnibus bill consideration as part of the governor’s pay increase proposal.

This week’s committee action includes on Monday, Feb. 15, the House Water Committee will hear a presentation for the Kansas Forest Service, Jason Hartman, state forester, and Robert Atchison, rural forestry coordinator. On Wednesday, Feb. 17, the House Higher Education Budget Committee will present preliminary recommendations to the House Appropriations Committee for their consideration. Finally, on Thursday, Feb. 18, the House Judiciary Committee will hear House Bill 2264, permitting student-athletes at postsecondary educational institutions to receive compensation for the use of their name, image, likeness rights or athletic reputation. K-State Athletics Director Gene Taylor will testify in support of the bill.

The Kansas Legislature will provide virtual access to committee meetings and floor action throughout the 2021 legislative session. Links to access the meetings can be found at www.kslegislature.org/li/.

The Office of Government Relations will again provide weekly Legislative Review Sessions through the remainder of the session to discuss the previous week and upcoming hearings and meetings. The next Legislative Review Session will be at noon Friday, Feb. 19, by Zoom. Zoom details are below. You will be required to sign in with your K-State eID and password to access the meeting.

Join Zoom meeting.
Meeting ID: 971 9078 3478
Passcode: 978743

The information can also be obtained by contacting the Government Relations Office at 785-532-6227 or email kstategr@k-state.edu.

Throughout the Kansas legislative session, the Office of Government Relations maintains a list of legislation pertaining to higher education, K-State and state agency operations. To subscribe to the listserv email kstategr@k-state.edu.

If you have any questions regarding the Kansas Legislature, please contact Sue Peterson or Kristin Holt in the Office of Government Relations.