Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas Senate Bill SB387

Introduced
1/26/26  
Refer
1/26/26  
Report Pass
2/5/26  
Engrossed
2/13/26  
Refer
2/13/26  

Caption

Requiring school districts to verify the household gross earned income of each student who qualifies for free meals under the national school lunch program and requiring legislative authorization to receive special assistance payments under federal law.

Impact

By requiring school districts to verify household gross earned income, SB387 is expected to tighten the eligibility criteria for free meal programs, ensuring that only those who truly qualify benefitting from this vital resource. This requirement may lead to increased administrative responsibilities for school districts, necessitating new processes to collect and review income information. Thus, the bill could impact state laws related to education funding, food assistance programs, and administrative procedures in schools.

Summary

SB387 addresses the issue of verifying household income for students who qualify for free meals under the national school lunch program. The bill mandates that school districts must verify the gross earned income of each qualifying student to ensure compliance with federal regulations regarding the provision of free meals. The legislation aims to provide a framework for accurate assessment and transparent distribution of resources, which are essential for ensuring that eligible students receive the assistance they need.

Conclusion

Overall, SB387 seeks to improve the administration of meal assistance programs while ensuring that eligibility criteria are met. However, it may also contribute to a debate on the balance between compliance and accessibility for vulnerable populations in the state. As school districts prepare to implement these changes, attention to the administrative support and guidance provided will be crucial in addressing potential pitfalls associated with the bill.

Contention

Despite the aim of the bill to create a more accountable and equitable system, there may be concerns from parents and advocacy groups over privacy issues and the transparency of income verification processes. Critics might argue that this could place undue burden on families, especially those who are already facing financial difficulties. There may also be discussions surrounding what constitutes 'gross earned income' and whether the verification process may inadvertently exclude eligible families due to complexities in documentation.

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 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 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 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 HB2002

Expanding medical assistance eligibility and enacting the cutting healthcare costs for all Kansans act.

KS SB4

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

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 SB3

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

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.