Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas House Bill HB2386

Introduced
2/14/25  
Refer
2/17/25  

Caption

Updating income eligibility requirements for the state children's health insurance program.

Impact

The bill is expected to considerably broaden the reach of the children's health insurance program, allowing for an estimated increase in enrollment as more families qualify under the new income eligibility requirements. Moreover, the proposed changes to the authorization and eligibility criteria are designed to streamline the process and encourage enrollment from communities that previously faced barriers to coverage. The provision requiring families to contribute to the premiums through a sliding-fee scale based on the ability to pay reflects an effort to maintain the financial sustainability of the program while enhancing accessibility.

Summary

House Bill 2386 seeks to update the eligibility requirements for the state children's health insurance program in Kansas. With a primary focus on ensuring that more children have access to necessary healthcare, the bill amends the existing regulations concerning income eligibility thresholds. Under the new provisions, children from households with incomes up to 250% of the federal poverty guidelines will now be eligible for coverage, a significant increase from previous limits. This aims to provide health coverage for children who fall within this increased income bracket, thereby expanding access to crucial health services for numerous families in the state.

Contention

While the overarching goal of HB 2386 is to expand access to healthcare for children, it has also faced scrutiny concerning the potential financial implications for the state. Critics have raised concerns about the sufficiency of funding to support the expanded coverage and the potential for increased demand to outpace available resources. Additionally, the inclusion of waiting periods for recently uninsured children may be viewed as a barrier to immediate access for some families, raising debates around the urgency of healthcare access versus budgetary constraints.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

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 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 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 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 SB8

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

KS SB6

Providing a sales tax exemption for sales of electricity to residential premises by municipally owned or operated utilities.

KS HB2004

Authorizing counties to propose an earnings tax for ballot question.

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 SB5

Authorizing counties to impose an earnings tax.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.