Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas House Bill HB2374

Introduced
2/11/25  
Refer
2/11/25  
Refer
2/27/25  
Report Pass
2/13/26  
Engrossed
2/19/26  
Refer
2/25/26  
Report Pass
3/16/26  
Enrolled
3/26/26  

Caption

Creating the specialty practice student loan program and the specialty practice student loan repayment fund, allowing for the transfer of funds from the OBGYN and psychiatry medical student loan repayment funds to the specialty practice student loan repayment fund and abolishing the OBGYN and psychiatry medical student loan repayment funds.

Impact

The bill is intended to address the statewide need for healthcare professionals by incentivizing medical students to practice in areas with a lack of adequate medical services, particularly in specialized fields. By focusing on approved specialties, the legislation aims to guide medical graduates to commit to fulfilling their practice obligations in designated service commitment areas, which may include rural or underserved communities. This could ultimately lead to better healthcare access for residents in such areas.

Summary

House Bill 2374 is an act focused on creating a specialty practice student loan program and establishing a specialty medical loan repayment fund. This legislation allows for the transfer of funds from existing psychiatry and OBGYN medical loan repayment funds into the specialty fund, effectively streamlining the financial support for students pursuing careers in medical specialties that might be underserved in Kansas. The bill also repeals the existing funds related to psychiatry and OBGYN, indicating a consolidation of resources intended to enhance the efficacy of the program.

Sentiment

The sentiment surrounding HB 2374 appears to be generally supportive among lawmakers, as evidenced by its passage through the legislative process without opposition (40-0 in the Senate vote). Stakeholders recognize the necessity for a dedicated funding mechanism to facilitate the growth of specialized healthcare providers, which can significantly impact patient care quality in underserved areas. However, reflections on the effectiveness of consolidating funds into a single program and how it might affect specialty areas remain points of consideration.

Contention

Notable points of contention include concerns over the potential narrowing of focus in funding, as eliminating specific loan repayment funds may impede the state's ability to attract medical professionals in particular specialties like psychiatry and obstetrics, which are recognized as vital. The legislation mandates strict obligations for recipients of the loans, such as needing to practice medicine in predetermined service commitment areas; failure to meet these obligations could result in significant financial penalties, which raises questions about the feasibility and implications for future medical graduates.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

KS SB1

Modifying income tax rates for individuals, exempting all social security benefits from Kansas income tax, increasing the Kansas standard deduction and the Kansas personal exemption, increasing the income tax credit amount for household and dependent care expenses, decreasing the privilege tax normal tax, excluding internal revenue code section 1031 exchange transactions as indicators of fair market value for property tax valuation purposes, increasing the extent of property tax exemption for residential property from the statewide school levy, providing for certain transfers to the state school district finance fund and abolishing the local ad valorem tax reduction fund and the county and city revenue sharing fund.

KS HB2001

Authorizing the secretary of commerce to enter into agreements with major professional sports franchises to establish STAR bond projects for a major professional sports complex, providing for additional revenue sources, expanding the powers and discretion of the secretary and making other changes to the STAR bonds financing act to facilitate such projects, limiting the secretary’s authority to approve such projects to one year unless extended by the legislative coordinating council, authorizing the Kansas development finance authority to issue STAR bonds for such projects, transferring funds under certain circumstances from the state gaming revenues fund to the attracting professional sports to Kansas fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, and, if approved by the legislative coordinating council, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026.

KS HB2002

Expanding medical assistance eligibility and enacting the cutting healthcare costs for all Kansans act.

KS SB2

Eliminating the income limit to qualify for the subtraction modification exempting social security benefits, increasing the income tax credit amount for household and dependent care expenses, establishing the veterans' valor property tax relief act providing for an income tax credit or refund for eligible individuals, citing the increased property tax homestead refund claim section as the homeowners' property tax freeze program, decreasing the normal privilege tax rate, increasing the extent of property tax exemption for residential property from the statewide school levy, decreasing the rate of ad valorem tax imposed by a school district; providing for certain transfers to the state school district finance fund, reducing the state rate of tax on sales of food and food ingredients and modifying the percent credited to the state highway fund from revenue collected.

KS HB2003

Establishing the veterans' valor property tax relief act providing for an income tax credit or refund for eligible individuals, modifying the definition of household income and increasing the appraised value threshold for eligibility of seniors and disabled veterans related to increased property tax claims and citing the section as the homeowners' property tax freeze program, providing property tax exemptions for certain personal property including watercraft, marine equipment, off-road vehicles, motorized bicycles and certain trailers, excluding internal revenue code section 1031 exchange transactions as indicators of fair market value, providing for certain exclusions from the prohibition of paying taxes under protest after a valuation notice appeal and providing four prior years' values on the annual valuation notice.

KS SB7

Authorizing federally licensed firearm dealers, in addition to county sheriffs, to receive applications for concealed carry licenses and forward such applications to the attorney general, prohibiting sheriffs from assessing any fee related to application services and allowing dealers to assess a fee related to application services not to exceed $20.

KS SB8

Exempting the sale of firearms, firearms accessories, ammunition, firearm safes and firearm safety devices from the retatilers' sales tax.

KS SR1701

Providing for the organization of the Senate for the 2024 special session of the Legislature.

KS HCR5002

Providing for the adjournment sine die of the 2024 special session of the Legislature.

KS HR6001

Providing for the organization of the House of Representatives for the 2024 special session of the Legislature.

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