After a short break, the Legislature resumed work on Wednesday this week. However, there was little action on bills under consideration, with the exception of a handful of committees. As has been the case for several weeks now, the impasse over Medicaid expansion and the constitutional amendment on abortion has left little room for movement on other issues.
Looking ahead, there is just under a month left until first adjournment on April 3. At that point, typically all bills must have had hearings and committee action in order to be eligible for final passage before the end of the session. However, if the Legislature’s core business (including passing a budget) is not complete by then, the veto session—which begins April 27—could stretch well into May.
Meanwhile, KMS continues to communicate with legislators about a number of bills that could affect the practice of medicine in our state. This includes expressing our support for Medicaid expansion (SB 252) as well as working with legislators to find a potential path for the bill responding to the Hilburn ruling (SB 350). We will continue toupdate you on developments.
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This week, there were a number of fatalities in western states from coronavirus (or COVID-19), following the first U.S. fatality on Feb. 29.
KDHE continues to report that there are no confirmed cases in Kansas and that officials are working to ensure that our state is ready if and when cases are confirmed. This week, KDHE officials indicated that COVID-19 tests can now be done in Topeka in about six hours—much quicker than the multiple days it previously took to get test results back from the CDC.
Find all KHDE coronavirus updates at: www.kdheks.gov/coronavirus.
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As always, we will keep you updated on these issues and others that could affect the practice of medicine in our state. If you have questions about this update or other legislative matters, please contact KMS Executive Director Rachelle Colombo:
