Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas House Bill HB2482

Introduced
1/21/26  
Refer
1/21/26  
Report Pass
2/16/26  
Engrossed
2/25/26  
Refer
2/26/26  
Report Pass
3/13/26  
Enrolled
4/9/26  

Caption

Removing the requirement that the state board of education use a certain exam provider to deliver certain college entrance and career readiness exams and requiring the board to provide for such exams using any provider.

Impact

The passage of HB 2482 is anticipated to broaden the scope of educational assessment options available to students in Kansas. By permitting the use of multiple exam providers, the state board of education can potentially select assessments that align more closely with the curriculum and student needs. Furthermore, this bill allows for an overhaul in how achievement data is reported, requiring annual accountability reports that include detailed performance metrics and historical data comparisons on student subgroup achievements. This could lead to improved tracking of educational outcomes and interventions across diverse student populations.

Summary

House Bill 2482 aims to reform the administration of college entrance and career readiness assessments in Kansas by removing the mandate for the state board of education to utilize a specific testing provider. Instead, it allows the board the flexibility to choose any provider to deliver these assessments. This legislative change reflects a broader trend towards customization in education, enabling the state to adapt assessment types and methodologies to better suit testing requirements and potentially improve student readiness for college and careers. The amendments apply to existing legislation, specifically K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 72-5178 and 72-5179, which govern how performance accountability and achievement reports are compiled.

Sentiment

The general sentiment surrounding HB 2482 has been positive, particularly among proponents of educational reform who argue that it empowers the state board with necessary flexibility. Many educators and administrators view it as a step towards improving education quality and enhancing students' college readiness. However, there remains concern among some stakeholders that loosening restrictions on testing providers may result in inconsistencies in assessment quality and fairness. This dual sentiment highlights the ongoing debate over standardization versus customization in educational assessments.

Contention

While supporters highlight the potential benefits of increased choice in assessment solutions, opponents express apprehension regarding oversight and standardization. Critics warn that without a consistent framework for testing assessments, disparities in educational quality could arise, particularly affecting underserved student populations. The bill's departure from mandated testing providers could lead to a patchwork of assessment quality that may challenge equitable education access. This contention reflects a significant issue in education policy: balancing innovation and accountability with fairness and equality.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

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 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 SB6

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

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 SR1702

A resolution honoring the life, career and trailblazing achievements of Kansas icon Ed Dwight.

KS HCR5002

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

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 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.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.