Kansas budget, debt, and interest

EO 26-05 rescinds EO 20-02 and establishes an Early Childhood Advisory Council chaired by the Office of Early Childhood director. It directs statewide needs assessment, funded-program coordination, participation and data recommendations, educator development, learning standards and a public statewide strategic plan. Paragraph 9 makes the council purely advisory with no administrative authority over public funding. The council coordinates advice concerning federally funded and state-funded programs, but has no administrative authority over public funding. It does not itself appropriate, administer or reallocate program money; eligible agency-member expenses use existing budgets. Issued July 1, 2026 and immediately effective until rescinded. The order permits consolidation of nonstatutory bodies, not abolition of statutory councils. It references the Office created under 2025 HB 2045; this order does not itself create that Office. The earlier order, referenced state and federal law, strategic-plan submission, appointments and subsequent implementation require independent review. The signed order establishes historical policy context. Advice, report deadlines, forecasts and authorizations do not establish implementation, delivered benefits, spending, jobs or a measured change in this chart. Later amendments and present operation require separate evidence.

Retained Kansas evidence context: health coverage, healthcare costs, access to care and public health · reviewed Kansas policy context · unemployment, jobs and workforce issues · reviewed Kansas policy context · schools, learning, college costs and educational attainment · reviewed Kansas policy context · budgets, government spending, deficits and public debt · reviewed Kansas policy context. This record’s connection to the topic does not establish an effect on the measured result.

it will not exercise any administrative authority over public funding

EO 26-04 establishes a task force to review a proposed fire prevention code, evaluate implementation and fiscal issues, and provide advisory findings to the State Fire Marshal. It also directs recommendations for a long-term code-review process to the governor and 2027 Legislature. The order itself does not adopt the proposed fire code. Fiscal issues are a required part of the proposed-code review. The order does not appropriate new funding or verify facility, agency or state-budget savings. Code-review recommendations were due August 15, 2026; administration, enforcement and training recommendations September 30; a final report and proposed legislation November 30. Issued June 29 and immediately effective until rescinded. Those deadlines do not prove recommendations were delivered or regulations adopted. The separately reviewed HB 2739 enrolled reference retains legislative ratification and a 120-day attorney-general review condition for submitted proposals; actual submission, review and ratification remain unverified. The signed order establishes historical policy context. Advice, report deadlines, forecasts and authorizations do not establish implementation, delivered benefits, spending, jobs or a measured change in this chart. Later amendments and present operation require separate evidence.

Retained Kansas evidence context: health coverage, healthcare costs, access to care and public health · reviewed Kansas policy context · schools, learning, college costs and educational attainment · reviewed Kansas policy context · budgets, government spending, deficits and public debt · reviewed Kansas policy context · housing, rent, homeownership and borrowing costs · reviewed Kansas policy context. This record’s connection to the topic does not establish an effect on the measured result.

policy, technical, operational, fiscal, and implementation issues

The fact measures residents under 65 without health insurance. Insurance eligibility, enrollment and premium assistance concern that population; provider payments or services for already-insured people alone do not establish a coverage change. This connection does not establish causation. Actions after the measurement period cannot explain the earlier observed value.

Retained Kansas evidence context: People under 65 without health insurance. This record’s connection to the topic does not establish an effect on the measured result.

Section 1. K.S.A. 38-2001 is hereby amended to read as follows: 38-2001. (a) The department of health and environment shall develop and submit a plan consistent with federal guidelines established under section 4901 of public law 105-33 (, 42 U.S.C. § 1397aa et seq. ;, title XXI). (b) The plan developed under subsection (a) shall be a capitated managed care plan covering Kansas children from zero to 19 years […] of age that: (1) Contains benefit levels at least equal to those for the early and periodic screening, diagnosis and treatment program; (2) provides for presumptive eligibility for children where applicable; (3) provides continuous eligibility for 12 months once a formal determination is made that a child is eligible subject to subsection (e); (4) has […] performance-based contracting with measurable outcomes indicating age appropriate utilization of plan services […] including, but not limited to, such measurable services as immunizations, vision, hearing and dental exams, emergency room utilization, annual physical exams and asthma; (5) shall use the same prior authorization standards and requirements as used for health care services under medicaid to further the goal of seamlessness of coverage between the two programs; (6) shall provide targeted low-income children, as defined under section 4901 of public law 105-33 ( , 42 U.S.C. § 1397aa , et seq. ), coverage subject to appropriations; and (7) shall provide coverage, subject to appropriation of funds and eligibility requirements, for children residing in a household having a gross household income […] at or under 250% of the […] federal poverty income guidelines;. The participants receiving coverage shall contribute to the payment for such coverage through a sliding-fee scale based upon ability to pay as established by rules and regulations of the secretary of health […] environment; and […] Rules and regulations adopted by the secretary shall establish a sliding-fee scale that charges per family; and (8) provides coverage to pregnant Kansas children provided that the secretary requests and receives verification of such pregnancy as allowed by the centers for medicaid and medicare services.

EO 26-02 continues temporary over-dimension permit-fee relief for participating wildfire response carriers while retaining permits, load limits, nighttime restrictions and applicable safety rules. The order temporarily waives over-dimension permit fees for participating relief carriers. It does not waive the permit itself or all regulations, and provides no verified revenue-loss or disaster-spending total. The separately issued March 2 order expires at 11:59 p.m. March 25, 2026 unless rescinded sooner. Its recital reports legislative extension of the disaster emergency to March 25, but the extension instrument is not yet independently reviewed. Neither transport order establishes relief continuing today. Issuance is verified policy context. A deadline, recommendation, forecast or authorization does not prove implementation, payments, benefits, jobs or a change in the chart. Later amendments and actual results require separate evidence.

Retained Kansas evidence context: budgets, government spending, deficits and public debt · reviewed Kansas policy context · GDP, economic growth and production · reviewed Kansas policy context. This record’s connection to the topic does not establish an effect on the measured result.

fees associated with these permits are temporarily waived

EO 26-01 temporarily waives certain permit fees for participating wildfire relief carriers bringing hay and fencing supplies to affected ranches, while retaining permit requirements, load limits, nighttime restrictions and other applicable safety rules. The order temporarily waives over-dimension permit fees for participating relief carriers. It does not waive the permit itself or all regulations, and provides no verified revenue-loss or disaster-spending total. The order takes effect February 23 and expires at 11:59 p.m. March 1, 2026 unless rescinded sooner. Its hours-of-service recital contains a printed February 15, 2025 reference amid 2026 dates; this review does not correct that text or independently verify federal hours-of-service relief. EO 26-02 is a separately dated March 2 order. Issuance is verified policy context. A deadline, recommendation, forecast or authorization does not prove implementation, payments, benefits, jobs or a change in the chart. Later amendments and actual results require separate evidence.

Retained Kansas evidence context: budgets, government spending, deficits and public debt · reviewed Kansas policy context · GDP, economic growth and production · reviewed Kansas policy context. This record’s connection to the topic does not establish an effect on the measured result.

fees associated with these permits are temporarily waived

These describe the original enacted law provisions selected for this topic. Later amendments and current implementation require separate evidence.

• Section 6: Capacity pilots may receive funding subject to appropriations and alternative safety terms. Licenses cannot endanger children. Pilot duration and extension conditions do not prove a pilot actually operated.
• Section 8: Creates the Office and governor-appointed director, with Senate confirmation subject to statutory exceptions, budget duties and staggered 2025/2026 organizational dates. DCF authority under 75-3084 through 75-3089 is preserved.
• Section 9: Agency coordination, appropriated program awards, outcome measures and annual reporting are required. The January 20, 2026 report deadline does not prove submission or outcomes.
• Section 10: Transfers licensing, subsidy, Head Start, maternal/child-health, home-visitation and parent-education functions. Federal/state appropriations constrain transfer. The director cannot prescribe educational outcomes/curriculum for persons or entities licensed under this act and cannot administer named preschool statutes.
• Section 11: Director appoints Office personnel under civil-service law. Existing accrued and vested employee rights are protected; no inferred layoffs or savings.
• Section 12: Establishes licensure/finance, home-visitation and Cabinet deputies, and a provider ombudsman. Existing Cabinet remains statutory; subsidy agreements and appropriations remain conditional.
• Section 13: Rules continue until lawfully revised; funds transfer for original appropriated purposes. Existing court/criminal proceedings survive reorganization. Classified status, retirement, leave and continuous service are protected; payroll and later layoffs follow stated rules.
• Section 14: Public funds cannot reimburse unfilled slots, but temporarily absent children expected to resume care are excepted. Federal requirements and appropriations apply.
• Section 18: The 2026 day-care framework specifies no annual day-care fee, referral fees capped at 150 dollars, late/amendment fees and a restricted licensing fund. Fees immediately before July 1, 2026 continue until replacement rules; this clause is distinct from the deleted carryover in section 43.
• Section 27: Specified convictions, registry findings and other conditions disqualify workers; fingerprint processing has a restricted fund and notice/due-process provisions. Preserve printed cross-reference anomalies in(a)(3)/(j) and 72-4215 in(f)(2); do not silently repair the source. Existing extraordinary/grandfather educational exceptions apply.
• Section 30: Public identities and specified government/emergency/closed legislative disclosures have distinct limits. The open-records exemption expires July 1, 2031 unless reenacted.
• Section 31: Civil fines may be assessed up to 500 dollars for each qualifying violation, including each continuing day, after notice/hearing; receipts go to the general fund. No actual assessments or receipts are established.
• Section 32: Youth programs must satisfy applicable fire and local building rules. Limited environmental deficiencies cannot deny licensing only under all stated conditions. Subsidy-barrier review/pilots do not prove grants. A school already subject to annual fire inspection need not undergo an additional program inspection.
• Section 37: Cabinet grows from 15 to 18 members, with 7 nonvoting agency officials and 11 voting public/legislative members. Voting members select the chair and serve at appointing-authority pleasure. Historic four-year term/abolition language is struck. The Cabinet remains statutory within the Office.
• Section 38: Places the accountability fund in the Office and adds director advice/appropriation conditions. The higher-education research, evaluation and legislative-audit provisions remain operative; they are not deleted wholesale.
• Section 39: Adds the Office to licensing reciprocity from July 1, 2026 and removes obsolete 2025 portal dates. Existing military-spouse fee protections and reciprocity qualifications largely continue; do not present them all as new benefits. The source reports bodies 1–22 while listing 23.
• Section 43: Removes the 75-dollar-plus-child-count annual fee for other facilities, preserving stated 150-dollar categories, foster-home exemption and late/amendment fees. The old until-replacement-rules fee-carryover sentence is struck. This historical 2025 provision must not be conflated with new section 18. Restricted fund/nonoffset protections remain.
• Section 46: Updates offense/employee references and fingerprint processes while retaining the then-existing conditional juvenile foster-home exception. That exception is later replaced in 2026; this ledger does not claim the 2025 wording is current. Transitional educational-qualification language expires June 30, 2026.
• Section 50: From July 1, 2026 director approval replaces State Board approval of school-district program grant applications/reports; local development/cooperation authority remains.
• Section 51: State Board adopts rules in consultation with DCF and director; director evaluates grants using stated criteria. Do not claim every State Board role disappears.
• Section 52: Deletes historical 1990/1991 district-count limits, preserves appropriation/actual-expense cap and proportional proration, assigns director reporting, records grants in district budgets and adds biannual equity review. No actual award or spending follows from eligibility alone.

Gov. Laura Kelly signed HB 2045 on April 24, 2025. The law creates the Kansas Office of Early Childhood and changes child-care staffing, licensing, safety, fees and program administration. Its general effective date is July 1, 2025, with many transfers and replacement licensing provisions beginning July 1, 2026. The director oversees Office budget/purchasing functions, submits annual appropriation requests and spends through appropriation acts and approved warrants. Program administration and pilot funding remain subject to federal/state appropriations. Transferred balances must serve their original appropriated purposes; reorganization does not establish savings or a new unrestricted spending authorization. Section 43 removes the old 75-dollar-plus-child-count annual fee for facilities outside the stated 150-dollar categories and preserves the foster-home fee exemption. Its old until-replacement-rules carryover sentence is deleted. Separately, the new day-care framework in section 18 specifies no annual day-care fee but continues fees in effect immediately before July 1, 2026 until replacement rules. Late fees are 75 dollars or the renewal fee, whichever is greater; amendment fees are capped at 35 dollars. Actual current charges require rule/agency verification. The licensing and fingerprinting funds have specified purposes and appropriation controls. The licensing-fund provisions prevent diversion/reversion and substitution for other agency/local funding. The accountability fund and Cabinet grant processes have their own appropriation/audit requirements. Civil fines may be assessed up to 500 dollars for each qualifying violation, with daily continuing violations treated separately and collected receipts credited to the general fund; no actual collections are established. Subject to federal requirements and appropriations, reimbursements cannot cover unfilled child-care slots, except temporary absences where the child intends to resume care. Parent-education grants have appropriation, actual-expense and proration limits. The act does not change income-tax brackets, establish debt relief or demonstrate a measured state deficit effect. This entry describes the original enacted law and its conditions. Some safeguards are continued or transferred rather than first created by this act. Later amendments, current rules, individual eligibility, actual grants, expenditures and outcomes need separate evidence. The governor reported the Office opening and program consolidation on July 1, 2026; that report does not establish every legal transition, deadline or service outcome. The chart does not isolate the law’s effect on state readings.

Retained Kansas evidence context: health coverage, healthcare costs, access to care and public health · reviewed Kansas policy context · unemployment, jobs and workforce issues · reviewed Kansas policy context · schools, learning, college costs and educational attainment · reviewed Kansas policy context · budgets, government spending, deficits and public debt · reviewed Kansas policy context · crime, victimization, policing and criminal justice · reviewed Kansas policy context. This record’s connection to the topic does not establish an effect on the measured result.

shall be used for the purpose for which the appropriation was originally made