Kansas Senate Bill SB428

Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/29/26
• Refer: 1/30/26

Caption

Requiring the secretary for children and families and the secretary of health and environment to execute a memorandum of understanding, data use agreement or other written data-sharing instrument upon written request of the United States department of agriculture or the United States department of health and human services and comply with data requests from such federal agencies.

Summary

SB 428 would require the Kansas secretary for children and families and the secretary of health and environment to enter into a memorandum of understanding, data use agreement, or other written data-sharing instrument when requested in writing by the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Once such an agreement is in place, each secretary would be required to comply with written federal data requests and provide the requested information within 30 days. The bill is framed as an amendment to the state’s public assistance fraud-reporting statute, K.S.A. 39-760, which already requires the state to maintain and publicize a toll-free system for reporting suspected welfare abuse and health care provider fraud. In practical terms, the bill would expand the state’s obligations to share public assistance and medical assistance-related information with federal agencies. It would affect the Department for Children and Families and the Department of Health and Environment, and could involve data connected to welfare programs, medical assistance, and fraud detection or program integrity efforts. The bill repeals and replaces the existing version of K.S.A. 39-760, but leaves the broader fraud-reporting system intact while adding the federal data-sharing requirements. The available record does not include committee testimony or recorded votes, so there is no direct evidence of support or opposition from the legislative process. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to be a government-efficiency and program-integrity proposal, with an emphasis on cooperation with federal agencies and timely data exchange. The absence of discussion transcripts makes it difficult to identify any formal sentiment beyond the bill’s apparent administrative and enforcement focus. Potential points of contention would likely center on privacy, data security, administrative burden, and the scope of state-federal information sharing. Supporters would likely view the bill as improving coordination with USDA and HHS and helping detect fraud or verify eligibility in public assistance programs. Critics might be concerned about the mandatory nature of the data-sharing agreements, the 30-day response deadline, and whether the bill could require disclosure of sensitive recipient information beyond what state agencies currently provide.

Impact

The bill amends K.S.A. 39-760, the statute governing reporting of suspected abuse or fraud in state welfare and medical assistance programs, by adding mandatory federal data-sharing duties for the secretary for children and families and the secretary of health and environment. It requires those agencies to execute written data-sharing instruments upon request from USDA or HHS and to comply with resulting written data requests within 30 days. The bill therefore expands state-law obligations for these agencies and may affect how Kansas administers public assistance and medical assistance data, including records used for fraud detection, eligibility verification, and federal oversight.

Sentiment

No committee transcripts or votes were provided, so there is no recorded legislative debate to measure directly. The bill’s caption and text suggest a generally pro-administration, pro-efficiency posture focused on cooperation with federal agencies and program integrity. On its face, the measure appears likely to attract support from lawmakers favoring fraud prevention and streamlined intergovernmental data exchange, while also inviting scrutiny from those concerned about privacy and state control over sensitive data.

Contention

The main likely points of contention are privacy, confidentiality, and the extent of compelled cooperation with federal agencies. Opponents may question whether the bill gives USDA and HHS too much access to state-held information or creates risks for recipients of public assistance and medical assistance. Supporters are likely to emphasize fraud prevention, eligibility verification, and administrative efficiency. Because no hearing transcript or vote record is available, these positions are inferred from the bill’s structure rather than documented debate.