Kansas Mental
Health Coalition

House Passed Budget and Senate Budget Hearings Begin

March 02, 2025 12:21 PM | Amy Campbell (Administrator)

The Legislature passed it's Turnaround Deadline February 21 - when bills are supposed to pass either the House or Senate and then move to the other chamber for consideration.  Some bills are exempt from deadlines, but the 2025 Legislature is working to push legislation at a pace that is expedited this year.

Sub HB 2007 was passed by the House and is now in the process of being revised by the Senate Ways and Means Committee.  The 2025 budget process is different than previous years.  In past years, the House would create its budget bill and the Senate would create its budget bill.  Then, the two would meet in conference committee to negotiate a compromise, that would then be approved by the House and Senate once again.

This year, HB 2007 began in the House, with the Appropriations Committee compiling the recommendations of various agency budget committees and inserting its own revisions.  Then, the bill was passed as amended by the House of Representatives and goes to the Senate for consideration.  This has drastically compressed the amount of time each chamber has to consider the budgets for every state agency.  

Now, the Senate Ways and Means Committee begins its work but will not host traditional public hearings.  Instead, interested citizens and groups must submit written testimony to the Committee 24 hours ahead of the hearing for their agency of interest and deliver 20 copies of the testimony before 10:30 the day prior to the hearing.  It has been a challenge to meet with the committee members, as stakeholders scramble to have conversations about their budget requests.

In early committee action, Ways and Means has amended 2007 to strip House enhancements for Dept of Commerce programs and higher education.  This seems to indicate the Senate will carve out space for its own recommendations by reducing the House version rather than adding Senate spending on top.

Hearing dates:

March 4   KDADS and State Hospitals

March 5   KDHE 

March 5   DCF

NOTE:  The budget bill and process was discussed in detail at the February 26 KMHC meeting.  You may find more information at that agenda.

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LIST OF KMHC LEGISLATION TO WATCH



(c) Kansas Mental Health Coalition, P.O. Box 4744, Topeka, KS  66604  785-969-1617

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