Week 2 Wrap-Up: Voucher bill, tracking and member advocacy

By Ann Marie Bush

KNEA Communications Director

The second week of the 2026 Kansas Legislative Session ramped up in intensity.

While the week included the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, which closed the Statehouse, the remaining days were filled with written and oral testimony from the Kansas National Education Association (KNEA) and others.

Here are a few highlights from week two:

House Bill 2468 – KNEA opposes ‘voucher’ bill

Twenty-five opponents, including KNEA, one neutral conferee, and 14 proponents testified on HB 2468, introduced Jan. 15, 2026, by the House Committee on Education. The bill would allow Kansas to participate in a federal tax credit program for contributions to scholarship-granting organizations (SGOs) and increase the tax credit limit under the Low-Income Student Scholarship Program.

While described as a tax credit, the program functions similarly to a voucher by using public tax policy to subsidize private school tuition. Timothy R. Graham, KNEA’s Director of Government Relations, provided oral testimony in opposition of the bill.

House Bill 2420 – KNEA opposes bill requiring parental consent for some school-based mental health services

House Bill 2420, introduced by Rep. Megan Steele on Jan. 12, 2026, would require school districts to obtain parental consent before providing certain school-based mental health services.

Opponents told lawmakers during a Thursday, Jan. 22 hearing of the House Committee on Education that the bill is written too broadly and could delay critical supports students need to stay engaged in learning.

Sixty-three opponents submitted written testimony, while six individuals, including Graham, testified in person. Three proponents testified in person, seven submitted written testimony, and one person provided neutral written testimony.

Senate Bill 339 – KNEA tracking recess bill

KNEA is tracking Senate Bill 339, introduced by the Committee on Education on Jan. 15, 2026. It would require school districts to provide at least 30 minutes of daily recess for students in kindergarten through fifth grade and designate that time as part of the school term. The bill would take effect July 1, 2026, upon publication in the statute book.

A hearing on the bill took place Thursday, Jan. 22. Eight individuals submitted testimony in favor of the bill, while four provided testimony in opposition.

The Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) submitted opponent testimony, stating that local districts and boards of education are “best positioned to establish their school calendar and to determine the appropriate time dedicated during the school day to organized recess.”

Dr. Brent Yeager, superintendent of Olathe USD 233, also submitted written testimony in opposition. Olathe elementary students currently receive 35 minutes of daily recess.

“Mandatory recess times may be a challenge because recess is only considered instructional time in certain situations,” Yeager wrote. “An unintended consequence of this bill may be forcing districts to add time to the school day or lengthen the school year to meet required instructional minutes.”

Senate Bill 341 – KNEA tracking bill regarding postsecondary courses taught in secondary schools

Another bill KNEA is tracking is Senate Bill 341, introduced by the Senate Committee on Education on Jan. 15, 2026. It addresses postsecondary courses taught in secondary schools and establishes requirements for agreements between school districts and community or technical colleges.

During a Senate Committee on Education hearing Jan. 16, three people submitted neutral testimony on the bill, one person testified in opposition, and two submitted testimony in favor.

Senate Bill 246 – KNEA tracking bill requiring all school district employees to submit criminal history record checks

Senate Bill 246, originally introduced Feb. 7, 2025, by the Senate Committee on Judiciary, would require all applicants for teaching licenses and certificates, as well as employees of school districts and public innovative districts, to submit to criminal history record checks. The bill also creates a criminal history record check reimbursement fund.

A hearing on the bill was held Tuesday, Jan. 20, before the Senate Committee on Judiciary.

Ed Klumpp, legislative liaison for the Kansas Sheriffs’ Association and the Kansas Association of Chiefs of Police, submitted neutral testimony. The associations proposed an amendment allowing law enforcement agencies to charge a fee to reimburse costs incurred in taking and processing fingerprints.

Four additional individuals submitted testimony in favor of the bill.

KNEA members at the Statehouse

Literacy Day and Equality Day brought several KNEA members to the Statehouse on Tuesday, Jan. 20.

On Wednesday, KNEA hosted a luncheon for legislators in partnership with the Kansas Working Alliance.

Continue to follow KNEA’s legislative coverage at www.ksutd.org.

Ann Marie Bush can be reached by email at ann.bush@knea.org.