What we’re watching: 2026 end of session state legislative update

Health Forward continues to closely monitor state policy developments that impact the communities we serve.

As the Kansas veto session ended last month and Missouri legislators concluded the legislative session on May 15th, we have some end-of-session legislative updates to share. We hope this serves as a useful resource for advocacy partners as we continue our work toward building inclusive, powerful, and healthy communities.

Missouri

With the conclusion of the 103rd General Assembly, 100 pieces of legislation are now on Governor Kehoe’s desk to sign or veto, as legislators are back in their districts before the September veto session. This session, Health Forward submitted written testimony on thirteen unique Missouri bills this session and testified multiple times on many of those. We encountered a number of challenges this session, but we also had some positive developments.

One of the Governor’s major priorities this session was House Joint Resolution 173, which would eliminate the state income tax and replace it with a higher sales tax, resulting in higher costs for health related goods and services from toothpaste to cancer care. Since the end of session, the Governor has confirmed that the constitutional amendment to repeal the state income tax will appear on the August 4 primary election ballot. As we have noted previously, this amendment would have significant implications for the health and financial well-being of Missourians by shifting more of the tax burden onto the products and services people rely on every day.

On a positive note, House Joint Resolution 154, a constitutional amendment that would impose Medicaid work requirements beyond current federal standards, died in the Senate. Additionally, proposed anti-initiative petition bills were not passed this session, and a bill that would have hindered the ability of citizens to participate in the democratic process failed to pass. House Bill 3146 would have prevented courts from rewriting misleading ballot language, House Bill 2124 would have imposed significant restrictions on petition circulators, and Senate Bill 986 would have expanded the Secretary of State’s subpoena power and would have required documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote.

For more updates on the pieces of legislation we have been tracking in Missouri, including the “Food as Medicine Act” and the “Born Alive” anti-abortion bill, watch the full legislative update video.

Kansas

In Kansas, the Veto Session ended on April 11th, with 250 bills becoming law over the course of the session. Governor Kelly successfully vetoed 19 bills, and the legislature overrode her veto on 34 other bills. The session ended with a number of bad bills on voter registration, free speech, and restrictions on public assistance passing through the legislature.

Senate Bill 2731 was significantly slimmed down from its original form (Senate Bill 363), but it still creates restrictive elements of House Resolution 1 into Kansas law, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program work requirements. The law also requires the Departments for Children and Families and Health & Environment to enter into data-matching agreements with state agencies, putting Kansans’ data privacy in danger. Health Forward submitted testimony in opposition to this bill on two separate occasions, but the legislature overrode the Governor’s veto and the bill became law.​

Health Forward provided testimony on 11 unique bills in Kansas and three outcomes are worth celebrating:

House Bill 2357 was signed into law, allowing for the expungement of court records after three years in proceedings, and ensuring that people who have corrected past legal infractions are not locked out of housing. House Bill 2647 was signed into law, establishing a statewide system for fiber optic transmission, and providing more Kansans with access to the digital economy and telehealth. Senate Bill 254 unfairly targeted undocumented students and would have led to more gaps in our health care workforce—this bill was vetoed by Governor Kelly.