Voucher bill moves to Conference Committee; KNEA to oppose vaccine bill in Friday hearing
Rep. Susan Estes, R-Wichita, moved Thursday, March 12, for the House to nonconcur with amendments adopted by the Senate regarding House Bill 2468, also known as the voucher bill.
By Ann Marie Bush
Director of Communications
The voucher bill House Bill 2468 is now headed to a Conference Committee after Rep. Susan Estes, R-Wichita, moved Thursday, March 12, for the House to nonconcur with amendments adopted by the Senate.
“The Senate did take out the escalator that would eventually move the cap, if we adopted the bill as written, from 20 million to 30 million,” Estes said. “I would like us to continue to work with the Senate and make some changes. Therefore, I move the House nonconcur with the Senate amendments to HB 2468 and that a Conference Committee be appointed.”
During discussion, Rep. Jerry Stogsdill, D‑Prairie Village, objected to the measure, saying: “This is simply a voucher bill by any other name - still vouchers. We should oppose it.”
Estes, Stogsdill and Rep. Shawn Chauncey, R‑Junction City, were appointed as House Conference Committee members.
The Senate agreed to form a Conference Committee as well, selecting Sen. Renee Erickson, R‑Wichita; Sen. Adam Thomas, R‑Olathe; and Sen. Dinah Sykes, D‑Lenexa, as its members.
On Tuesday, March 10, the Senate passed HB 2468 on a 27–13 vote.
The bill would allow Kansas to participate in a federal tax credit program that incentivizes contributions to scholarship‑granting organizations (SGOs). It also increases the tax credit limit under the Low-Income Student Scholarship Program. While structured as a tax credit, the program functions similarly to a voucher by using public tax policy to subsidize private‑school tuition.
The Kansas National Education Association (KNEA) opposed the bill in both House and Senate committee hearings. The bill previously passed the House on Feb. 12 with 70 votes - 14 short of the threshold needed to override a potential veto by Gov. Laura Kelly.
In other legislation action, KNEA submitted written testimony opposing SB 522, a measure that would enact the “Kansas Medical Freedom Act” and prohibit the denial of certain services based on an individual’s medical choices. A hearing took place at 8:30 a.m. Friday, March 13.
The bill begins with an expansive definition of “medical intervention,” Timothy R. Graham, KNEA Director of Legislative Relations, noted in written testimony. The definition includes any medical procedure, treatment, device, prescription or nonprescription drug, injection, medication, or action used to monitor, diagnose, prevent, treat or cure disease, or alter a person’s biological function.
“The definition specifically includes items, such as mask, vaccines, biologics, tests, pills, injections and medical devices,” Graham wrote. “In practical terms, that definition sweeps in a wide range of basic public health tools that schools, healthcare providers and communities have relied upon for decades to prevent the spread of infectious disease.”
Kansas already has a long-standing statutory framework governing school immunizations. Current law requires students enrolling in Kansas schools to present certification of required immunizations, with limited medical and religious exemptions.
“That framework has existed for many years and reflects a long-standing balance between individual choice and the responsibility of schools to protect the health of students, staff and the broader community,” Graham wrote in his testimony. “The provisions of SB 522, however, move in the opposite direction. By prohibiting schools from requiring what the bill defines as medical interventions - including vaccinations - the legislation would undermine the existing statutory structure that currently governs school immunization requirements in Kansas.”
The Committee on Public Health and Welfare will livestream the hearing on the KS Legislature YouTube channel, or members of the public may attend in person in Room 142-S.
For ongoing coverage of legislative activity affecting public education, visit Under The Dome at www.ksutd.org. The site features bill tracking, updates and additional resources to help educators stay informed and engaged throughout the 2026 legislative session.
Ann Marie Bush can be reached by email at ann.bush@knea.org.