Kansas Senate Bill SB251

Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Filed/Introduced: 8/8/26
• Introduced: 2/7/25
• Refer: 2/10/25

Caption

Requiring the department of health and environment to submit an annual report to the legislature concerning the newborn screening program.

Summary

SB 251 requires the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to provide an annual report to legislative health committees on the state’s newborn screening program, beginning April 1, 2026. The report must be prepared with input from newborn screening staff, the Kansas newborn screening advisory council, and disability and rare disease advocacy organizations. The required report must describe the disorders currently screened, identify new disorders under consideration or recommended for inclusion, and state the funding needed to add any new screenings. It must also list disorders considered but not recommended in the prior 12 months, explain why certain disorders were not reevaluated, and disclose any delays in evaluating, adding, or reevaluating disorders and the reasons for those delays.

Impact

The bill does not change which conditions are currently screened, but it creates a new ongoing reporting duty for the Department of Health and Environment and formalizes legislative oversight of the newborn screening program. It would affect the department, the legislature’s public health committees, the newborn screening advisory council, and disability and rare disease advocacy groups by requiring coordinated input and regular disclosure of program decisions, funding needs, and timeline issues.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and available context, the measure appears to be a routine oversight and transparency bill with no recorded opposition or vote history in the provided materials. Its structure suggests a generally neutral or supportive posture toward improving communication between the department, advocates, and lawmakers about newborn screening decisions.

Contention

No committee testimony, votes, or recorded amendments were provided, so there is no documented contention in the available materials. Potential points of interest implied by the bill include how quickly new disorders are evaluated, whether the department has sufficient funding to add screenings, and how much weight should be given to advocacy organizations in the reporting process.