Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas House Bill HB2402

Introduced
3/6/25  
Refer
3/6/25  
Report Pass
3/13/25  
Engrossed
3/18/25  
Refer
3/19/25  
Report Pass
3/17/26  
Enrolled
4/9/26  

Caption

Senate Substitute for HB 2402 by Committee on Education - Requiring eligible boards of education to consider participation in the community eligibility provision, providing a financial hardship exception to such participation, requiring the state department of education to assist school districts seeking such participation, extending the application deadline for authorization to operate as a public innovative district from December 1 to May 1 and deeming such applications approved if not approved or denied within 45 days of submission.

Impact

The implementation of HB 2402 is expected to have a significant impact on state laws related to school district operations and services, particularly around meal provisions. The bill alters the requirements around public innovative districts, extending application deadlines and defining conditions under which applications are deemed approved. Thus, it encourages schools to adopt innovative practices by reducing bureaucratic obstacles and ensuring timely assistance from state authorities. This could lead to broader participation in programs designed to reduce food insecurity for students, especially in lower-income areas.

Summary

House Bill 2402 focuses on educational reform within Kansas by enhancing support for school districts eligible to participate in the community eligibility provision, which allows schools with high free meal eligibility to offer free meals to all students without the need for individual applications. The bill requires eligible school boards to actively consider this participation while providing an option for financial hardship exceptions. Furthermore, it mandates that the state department of education assists these districts in navigating the process, thereby streamlining the path to adopting this provision.

Sentiment

The general sentiment towards HB 2402 appears largely positive, especially among advocates for educational equity and access to nutrition. Supporters believe that the bill represents a crucial step towards ensuring that all students receive free meals, regardless of their income levels. However, there are also concerns about the potential financial burden on districts that might find participation to be economically detrimental. This duality of sentiment reveals a significant debate about balancing the benefits of universal access to meals against the fiscal realities faced by some school boards.

Contention

A notable point of contention surrounding HB 2402 is the provision allowing school districts to opt-out of the community eligibility provision if they can demonstrate that participation would cause financial hardship. Critics argue that this exception could lead to disparities in access to free meals, undermining the bill's statewide goals for equity in school nutrition. Additionally, the criteria for determining financial hardship and the transparency of these decisions during public meetings could become contentious topics among stakeholders invested in public education and child welfare.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

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 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 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 SB6

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

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 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 SR1703

Recognizing November 14, 2024, as Ruby Bridges Walk to School Day.

KS SB4

Requiring all advance voting ballots be returned by 7:00 p.m. on election day.

KS HR6002

Providing for assignment of seats in the House of Representatives for the 2024 special session of the Legislature.

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