Kansas House Bill HB2033

Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/17/25
• Refer: 1/17/25
• Report Pass: 2/6/25
• Report Pass: 2/14/25
• Engrossed: 2/25/25
• Refer: 2/26/25
• Report Pass: 3/12/25
• Enrolled: 3/25/25
• Vetoed: 4/10/25
• Override: 4/10/25

Caption

Including programs and services provided by nonprofit organizations accredited by the international multisensory structured language education council as approved at-risk educational programs.

Summary

HB2033 revises Kansas law governing school district at-risk education funds and the programs that may be paid for with those funds. The bill directs the State Board of Education to identify, approve, and maintain an online list of at-risk educational programs that use evidence-based instruction and best practices for students eligible for at-risk services. It also expressly adds programs and services provided by nonprofit organizations accredited by the International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council as approved at-risk educational programs. The bill limits at-risk education fund expenditures to approved programs, personnel, instructional support, contracted services, and provisional programs that the state board authorizes for trial use. It creates a process for school districts to pilot provisional programs, have them reviewed for measurable success, and, if they prove evidence-based, have them added to the approved list. If the state board later removes a program from the list, a district may seek permission to continue funding it by showing direct improvements in academics, attendance, college and career readiness, or school climate/behavior. The bill also defines key terms such as "above and beyond," "evidence-based instruction," and "provisional at-risk educational program." In practical terms, the bill narrows and formalizes how districts may spend at-risk aid, tying expenditures more closely to state-approved, evidence-based interventions. It affects school districts, the State Board of Education, nonprofit education providers, and students identified as at-risk or eligible for at-risk services. It also creates a stronger state oversight role by requiring a published approved-program list and by conditioning funding on demonstrated outcomes. The overall sentiment appears generally supportive but somewhat divided, as reflected in passage by substantial but not unanimous margins in both chambers and successful veto overrides in both the House and Senate. That pattern suggests broad bipartisan interest in expanding access to certain structured literacy or at-risk interventions while also indicating meaningful opposition. The main point of contention is likely the bill's requirement that districts use only state-approved programs and its specific inclusion of nonprofits accredited by the International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council, which may be viewed by critics as narrowing local flexibility or favoring particular providers. Supporters likely see it as a way to ensure accountability and evidence-based spending of at-risk funds.

Impact

HB2033 amends K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 72-5153, restructuring the statutory rules for school district at-risk education funds. It requires the State Board of Education to maintain an approved list of at-risk educational programs, limits fund expenditures to those approved programs or authorized provisional programs, and adds a specific category of eligible nonprofit providers accredited by the International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council. The bill also establishes a review-and-approval process for provisional programs and a mechanism for districts to continue funding removed programs if they can show measurable student outcomes.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have had mixed but ultimately favorable support. It passed both chambers and then survived veto override votes in both the House and Senate, indicating enough support to become law despite opposition. The vote margins suggest that many lawmakers favored the bill's emphasis on evidence-based interventions and accountability, while a substantial minority remained opposed.

Contention

The main controversy centers on whether the bill unduly restricts local school district discretion by limiting at-risk fund spending to a state-approved list of programs. Another likely point of debate is the bill's explicit inclusion of nonprofits accredited by the International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council, which may have been viewed by some as a targeted preference for certain literacy-oriented providers. Supporters likely argued that the bill improves accountability and ensures at-risk dollars are spent on proven interventions, while opponents likely worried about reduced flexibility, state micromanagement, and the potential exclusion of locally chosen programs.