Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas Senate Bill SB257

Introduced
2/10/25  

Caption

Expanding medical assistance eligibility and enacting the healthcare access for working Kansans (HAWK) act.

Impact

One of the notable impacts of SB257 is its directive for the Secretary of Health and Environment to establish necessary rules and regulations to implement this expanded eligibility. Additionally, the bill requires that applicants must provide employment verification to ensure they meet the new eligibility criteria. Furthermore, it mandates the Secretary to submit various requests for plan amendments to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to facilitate the ongoing implementation of this act.

Summary

Senate Bill 257, known as the Healthcare Access for Working Kansans (HAWK) Act, aims to expand medical assistance eligibility in Kansas. The bill proposes that starting January 1, 2026, adults under 65 who are not pregnant and have incomes at or below 138% of the federal poverty level will qualify for medical assistance through Kansas's healthcare program. This initiative is presented as a move to enhance healthcare access for working individuals and families who currently find themselves outside the threshold for receiving benefits.

Contention

While the bill's proponents argue that extending medical assistance will significantly benefit low-income working individuals, the measure could face scrutiny regarding its long-term sustainability, particularly if federal financial assistance fluctuates. A key point of contention may arise if the federal medical assistance percentage drops below 90%, which would trigger a phase-out of coverage under this act. Moreover, the lack of abortion coverage under the HAWK Act unless mandated by federal law could also be a topic of debate among legislators and constituencies with differing views on reproductive rights.

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 SB8

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

KS SR1702

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

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 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 SB3

Clarifying the procedures and restrictions on accepting a nomination for an elected office.

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 SB6

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

KS SCR1602

Approving the creation of a port authority in Wyandotte County Kansas.

KS HB2004

Authorizing counties to propose an earnings tax for ballot question.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.