Policy and advocacy

What we’re watching: March 2023 legislative update in Kansas, Missouri

April 2023

Health Forward is supporting and building inclusive, powerful, and healthy communities by prioritizing people who experience the greatest injustices in health outcomes. We are working to remove those injustices through our leadership, advocacy, and resources.

The key resources that guide our policy updates are available on our policy and advocacy page.

Spring break provided a small pause for lawmakers, advocates, and residents to assess where key legislation stood as sessions in Kansas and Missouri head toward the home stretch. Both legislatures are working on budgets, while also considering key policy changes that impact our communities of focus and service area. Let’s go through the state of play.

Kansas

People policy goal: People can easily access safe, quality, and affordable whole—person care.

Legislation	What it does	Status	Our stance
SB 6 is now in Senate Sub for HB 2390 – limiting the authority of public health officials to prevent the spread of infectious diseases.	This bill takes away the authority of statewide and local public health officials to do their job: prevent the spread of infectious diseases.	SB 6 Passed the Senate 22 – 18 on February 23. On March 22, the contents of SB 6 were inserted into HB 2390 and was subsequently passed out of the Senate 24-16 on March 29. It is headed to a conference committee.	We oppose this bill and will continue to advocate for these provisions to be taken out in conference committee.
SB 225 and HB 2415 – Expands KanCare	Provide quality, affordable health insurance coverage to 150,000 Kansans.	Introduced in Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare and House Appropriations.	We support these bills as currently written.
SB 57 would have eliminated the sales tax on food, diapers, and feminine hygiene products. However, House sub for SB 169 zeros out food sales tax in 2023.	SB 57 promoted healthy foods more accessible and affordable to all Kansans. H sub for SB 169, while including the 0% food sales tax for this year, also includes changes to the income tax rate.	SB 57 has only been introduced to the Assessment and Taxation Committee. H sub for SB 169 passed the House 94-30 and goes to the Senate.	Our support is for SB 57 – a clean reduction in the food sales tax and other products. We do not have a stance on H sub for SB 169.
Other Bills We’re Tracking: HB 2330 on increasing support for local health departments. SB 246 and HB 2337 which would help broaden telemedicine access in Kansas in a number of ways. SB 45 and HB 2050 which fix a glitch in the state children’s health insurance program. We support these bills.

Power policy goal: Participation in our democracy and policymaking process improves health outcomes.

Legislation	What it does	Status	Our stance
HB 2056 — Eliminates three—day grace period for advance mail—in ballots. SB 209 is a nearly identical bill.	Kansas currently has a three—day grace period for ballots to arrive to be counted following election day. This would remove that grace period, which would mean many people’s valid votes would not count.	HB 2056 passed out of the House 77 – 45 on Feb. 23. It remains in the Senate. SB 209 passed out on the same day 23-17 and has now passed out of the House 76-48 as of March 29. It is now set for a conference committee.	We oppose both pieces of legislation and provided written and oral testimony against HB 2056 which extends to SB 209 as well.
UPDATE: This bill is now House sub for SB 208, amend items related to the government ethics commission. SB 208 – Original bill was to add signage on ballot box returns and to close all boxes by 7pm on election day.	The House substitute bill now makes some changes to the government ethics commission in Kansas. The original bill amended on the floor of the Senate to ban ballot boxes entirely in Kansas.	House sub for SB 208 has passed both chambers and is now sent to the Governor for signing or veto.	We originally opposed this legislation, especially as amended. However, the changes to SB 208 to focus on the government ethics commission amendments makes our stance neutral.
UPDATE: This bill is now Senate sub for HB 2053, which creates for a presidential primary in 2024. HB 2053 in its first form would’ve given authority for the Secretary of State (SoS) to adopt rules and regulations for the use of remote ballot boxes.	This legislation now creates provisions for a presidential primary election in 2024, instead of caucuses.	It was amended on the Senate side on March 24 to take its current form and passed the full Senate on the 29th 28-12, and passed in the House on April 4.	We opposed the original bill and the amended version from the House was slightly better. In its current form, we are neutral.
Other Bills We’re Tracking: HB 2057 which caps ballot drop boxes based on population. We opposed this legislation.

Place policy goal: Our communities are healthy place where people fully participate in the digital economy and build wealth through safe, quality, and affordable housing and homeownership.

Legislation	What it does	Status	Our stance
HB 2430 – requirements for the use of funds allocated to agencies to support unhoused people.	This bill would criminalize public camping for people experiencing homelessness in Kansas. Moreover, it would strip state dollars from jurisdictions who are determined to be ‘out of compliance’ with the law.	This bill was introduced on Feb. 20 and had a hearing on March 2. No action has been taken since then.	We are opposed to this bill. It criminalizes being homeless and makes it more difficult for people experiencing homelessness to enter transitional or permanent housing. Missouri passed a similar law last year, which not only is proving confusing to enforce, but counterproductive to the goal of ending homelessness.

Platform policy goal: Community health is influenced by systems, policies, and stories that promote racial equity and economic inclusion.

Legislation	What it does	Status	Our stance
HB 2044 and SB 36 — Adds hair texture and protective hair styles to the Kansas Act against Discrimination	These bills would make it unlawful to discriminate against someone based on their hairstyle typically associated with race, including braids, locs, and twists. It would ensure that people with afro—textured hair are not discriminated against based on their choice of hair style.	HB 2044 had a hearing on Feb. 16. No action has been taken since then.	Health Forward supports these bills as currently written. It ensures that people wearing natural or protective hair styles do not face discrimination, which disproportionately impacts Black women in the workplace. It aligns with our stance that racial equity should be pursued in all policies.
HB 2376 – makes restrictive covenants, including those by race, void and unenforceable.	This bill nullifies restrictive covenants – which in the past were used for redlining and segregating neighborhoods by race – are now null and void.	HB 2376 passed out of the House 121-0 on Feb 23 and is now on the Senate side with no hearing scheduled.	The bill, as currently stands, receives our support. Health Forward supports any efforts that dismantle the legacy of codified and systemic racism in this county.

These highlighted bills are ones we are keeping a focus on, but to see a full list of the bills we’re tracking in Kansas.

Missouri

People policy goal: People can easily access safe, quality, and affordable whole—person care.

Legislation	What it does	Status	Our stance
SJR 4 — Puts on the ballot an initiative to subject Medicaid expansion to the annual appropriations process and to add work requirements. *An identical bill on the House side – HJR 63 – was introduced recently and we are monitoring that as well.	This would put an initiative on a statewide ballot to put voter—approved Medicaid expansion to an annual appropriations process where it could be de—funded. It also adds work requirements.	It passed out of the Senate Health and Welfare committee on Feb. 8. It is not currently on the Senate Calendar.	We are opposed to this legislation and provided opposition testimony. Furthermore, we stand against any work requirement provisions for access to safety net services as they are of racist origins.
SB 45/90 — modifies provisions to MOHealthNet services for pregnant and postpartum women. HB 354 on the house side is an identical bill.	Extends postpartum Medicaid coverage to new mothers and their babies from 60 days to one full year.	SB 45/90 has been passed out of the Senate side and has a hearing on April 4 in the House. HB 354 has had a hearing and passed out of its committee on March 29.	We support HB 354 as it doesn’t include the problematic language of SB 45/90 about abortions – which is not germane to this legislation – was inserted. Other problematic provisions may lead to the federal government not approving the implementation of this language. We support a clean bill without the harmful provisions included.
SB 82 — modifies provisions for public assistance (TANF, SNAP, and low—income housing assistance) – The House filed a companion bill (HB 719).	This bill addresses the “cliff effect” whereby benefits to programs like TANF, SNAP, and housing assistance are entirely cut off once a person’s income rises to a level that is not financially sustainable. This bill introduces ‘transitional benefits’ based on a sliding scale relative to income rather than a single cutoff threshold.	SB 82 passed the Senate 30-3 on Feb. 23. The House will hear the bill on April 4. HB 719 passed out of its committee on March 20 and is on the informal House calendar for perfection.	We support this legislation and provided affirmative testimony. We will advocate for the passage of either bill into law.
SB 313 – creates a restaurant meals program for SNAP beneficiaries.	This legislation would let certain food assistance recipients, such as the elderly or disabled, use their benefits for prepared food, something that seven other states have done.	It passed out of its committee on March 22.	We support this legislation and provided testimony in support. We also supported identical legislation that made it through the Senate but not the House in 2022.

Power policy goal: Participation in our democracy and policymaking process improves health outcomes.

Legislation	What it does	Status	Our stance
HJR 43 — Modifies the threshold for passage of citizen initiative petitions. *Please note there are numerous bills on this issue. This one has moved the furthest recently.	This bill would increase the threshold for passing a citizen initiative petition from the current simple majority (50% + 1 vote) to a supermajority 60%.	After moving quickly through the House in early February, it was filibustered on March 29 and ‘laid over’ for a future date.	We oppose this legislation and delivered oral testimony against it during the committee hearing on Jan. 24th.
SB 210 – To ‘cure’ absentee ballots if the statement has not been completed.	Under current law, absentee ballots missing information are automatically thrown out. This bill would give elections officials the chance to ‘cure’ the ballot by reaching out to the voter to complete it before election day.	It passed out of the Senate elections committee on April 3.	We support this legislation and provided oral testimony in support.
Other Bills We’re Tracking: HB 780 requiring initiative petition signature gatherers to be registered MO voters (HFF opposes).

Place policy goal: Our communities are healthy place where people fully participate in the digital economy and build wealth through safe, quality, and affordable housing and homeownership.

Legislation	What it does	Status	Our stance
Broadband — HB 461 — Establishing Broadband Development Council to collect data, report on, and provide recommendations to the Legislature.	See brief description in the Legislation column.	HB 461 passed out of the House on March 9 and has been read into the Senate.	We are observing this bill and may provide testimony at the appropriate time depending on if these or other bills advance or hinder digital equity.
Housing – SB 222 – Which bans localities (cities, counties, etc.) from having moratoria on evictions. (SB 239 is a similar bill)	See brief description in the Legislation column.	SB 222 passed out of the Senate on March 30 and has been referred to the House Special Committee on Small Business.	We are opposed to this legislation.
Other Bills We’re Tracking: SB 71 — Authorizing electrical corporations to provide broadband.

Platform policy goal: Community health is influenced by systems, policies, and stories that promote racial equity and economic inclusion.

Legislation	What it does	Status	Our stance
SB 410 and HB 489 — Establishes the “Do No Harm” act regarding diversity, equity, and inclusion in institutions receiving state health care dollars.	This bill would prohibit institutions educating medical professionals and whom receive state funding from including any curriculum on diversity, equity, or inclusion (DEI) or risks losing that funding.	SB 410 had a hearing on March 28 and HB 489 passed out of committee on the same day.	Health Forward is adamantly opposed to these bills and we provided oral testimony against both the House and Senate versions. This legislation would irreparably harm our ability to recruit and retain a diverse and culturally responsive health care workforce.
SB 579 and SB 595— Modfying the Pregnancy—Associated Mortality Review (PAMR) Board	These bills would put emphasis on the PAMR board and includes provisions to ensure that data are disaggregated by race, ethnicity, language, and other dimensions.	These bills have been read into the Senate Health and Welfare Committee.	Health Forward supports this bill as currently written. This bill would provide the data necessary to help make decisions to reduce racial disparities in maternal mortality.
Other Bills We’re Tracking: CROWN Act bills (HBs 326, 361, and 930): These bills would add protective hairstyles and hair texture to anti-discrimination claims (HFF supports). They have all passed out of their committees.

These bills highlighted are ones we are keeping a focus on, but to see a full list of the bills we’re tracking in Missouri.

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What we’re watching: March 2023 legislative update in Kansas, Missouri

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Missouri

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What we’re watching: March 2023 legislative update in Kansas, Missouri

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