• Federal issues:
    • ACA Enhanced Premium Tax Credits
    • Frozen Child Care Funding (Kansas not frozen, but all states will be subjected to a new level of scrutiny via the HHS’s new “Defend the Spend Initative”)
    • Childhood vaccination schedule changes (flu, COVID, Hep A, Hep B, meningitis, rotavirus no longer recommended broadly; HPV recommendation changed from three doses to just one now)
  • Rural Health Transformation Program grant
    • At around $221 million, Kansas received the sixth highest amount of funding
    • There are a lot of unknowns with this program because of how it was written in law
    • We don’t know yet what the federal government approved from our proposal – but that should become public this coming Tuesday!
    • We heard in a legislative committee this week that that $221 million must be spent by the end of this coming September. 
    • There are no guarantees that Kansas will receive any ongoing money, so it may be difficult for the state to address long-term solutions if they don’t know if they’ll have money to keep drawing health care professionals to rural areas, for example
    • The Legislature is likely to try to put some guardrails around the program this session. No details known at this time, but something to monitor
    • What are some things in the proposal?
      • Expanding mental health access for kids
      • Expanding remote monitoring and telehealth services
      • Treating “food as medicine” to emphasize the importance of food security and a healthy diet
  • Lots of layers to the upcoming legislative session! While it doesn’t impact young children or pregnant women directly, political context matters to how issues can get across the finish line
    • Session is schedule to go quickly; last day is scheduled for April 11
    • It’s an election year, with all 125 Kansas representatives up for reelection, as well as the Governor and other statewide races
    • Several current lawmakers are running for higher office so likely to see those individuals use the session to create narratives around particular issues
    • Several House Republicans were punished this last fall because they refused to sign a petition to call a special session for redistricting. Those lawmakers lost their leadership positions on committees. The Speaker of the House has already said they still don’t have the votes, so we’ll see if this issue takes up a lot of air in the Statehouse over the next few months.
  • Policies on our radar for the legislative session
    • The Children’s Initiatives Fund is facing a $10 million shortfall for the next fiscal year. Lawmakers will need to fill the gap with state dollars or make some difficult choices to cut programs. We’re advocating for the former. You can read more about the CIF here.
    • The current school finance formula expires June 2027, so lawmakers need to get a move on passing a new one or extending the current one. We’ll be looking for opportunities to bolster investment in early childhood programs, like preschool, because doing more early on will help more kids succeed in K-12 and even into adulthood.
    • We’ll also be working on general policies that help families make ends meet and live in safe environments. We’ll be working on housing solutions, advocating for a state child tax credit, and working toward policies that help more children access health insurance