What we’re watching: May state legislative update

Health Forward supports and builds 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. 

Legislative sessions in Kansas and Missouri have concluded. While we fought for many of the outcomes to be different than they ended up, we’re grateful for the wins, the lessons, and for the solidarity and partnership of allies and organizations in both states. We remain steadfast in our advocacy and will remain present during the legislative offseason when we’ll be connecting with policy partners, policymakers, and others to keep moving our agendas in Kansas and Missouri forward to meet the outcomes in Health Forward’s purpose plan.  

Kansas – A couple developments since the session ended on April 11

Kansas

Topline takeaways:

• Senate Bill 4, which eliminates the three-day grace period to return mail-in ballots after election day, became law after the Governor veto was overridden before the April break. Voting rights advocacy organizations have filed a lawsuit challenging the bill’s constitutionality. For context, had Senate Bill 4 been law in the 2024 election, over two thousand legitimately cast votes would have been invalidated.
• The legislature House Bill 2289, which reduces and then sunsets the state affordable housing tax credit, to Governor Kelly just before session ended. Governor Kelly signed the bill into law. Housing advocates across Kansas worked hard to prevent a full repeal of the tax credit, which was the original intent of House Bill 2119, the vehicle for most of the session that dealt with affordable housing tax credit. 
• Interim committees – special legislative committees outside of session used to learn more about a variety of topics – are already under way. We are keeping a close eye on those focused on housing and Medicaid, as well as the Senate ‘Committee on Government Efficiency’, as they are likely to cover topics relevant to our policy priorities. 

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

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

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. 

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

Please see our final Kansas Bill Tracker for the session. 

Missouri – Session officially concluded Friday, May 16 at 6pm

Topline takeaways:

• While session technically ended on Friday, May 16th, all business ground to a halt on May 14th after Senate leadership chose to pursue to “PQ” – moving to the previous question – in a move to shut down debate on House Bill 567 (repealing paid sick leave and cost of living adjustments to minimum wage increase) and House Joint Resolution 73 (putting reproductive rights back on the ballot). An overwhelming majority of voters approved paid sick leave and a minimum wage increase through initiative petition and reproductive rights through state constitutional amendment this past November. These moves led to protests at the state capitol and unrest among voting rights advocates across the state. It is anticipated that reproductive rights will again be voted on in November of 2026.

• Anti-diversity, equity, and inclusion bills House Bill 742 and Senate Bill 272, which ban all state spending on DEI programs and allows businesses to sue one another over DEI ‘practices’, respectively, both died with the end of session. That said, Governor Kehoe’s executive order (Executive Order 25-18) which mirrors HB 742, remains in effect and we will continue to monitor what programs are specifically impacted.

• As is common when session wraps, some bills we supported were rolled into bills with components we did not support. An example of this is the combination of House Bills 594 and 508, which now both includes cuts to capital gains taxes and the property tax circuit breaker for seniors and people living with disabilities and diapers and feminine hygiene products sales tax exemption. The cost of the capital gains cut will only benefit wealthy individuals at the expense of the state budget and could jeopardize funding for Missouri’s Medicaid program. 

People policy goal: People can easily access safe, quality, and affordable whole—person care.Power policy goal: Participation in our democracy and policymaking process improves health outcomes.

Power Policy Goal: Participation in our democracy and policymaking process improves health outcomes. 

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. 

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