Committee accepts two bill introductions on nursing board rules and personal‑needs allowance

The Committee on House Health and Human Services accepted two bill introductions at the start of its hearing.

Representative Sandy Pickard introduced a bill read in the record as "r s 25 50" that would change statutes governing the Kansas State Board of Nursing. The bill as introduced would require senate confirmation of board members, void board actions related to nonpractice violations, permit late license renewals for practical and advanced‑practice registered nurses with fees for late renewal, limit unprofessional conduct to acts related to nursing practice, prohibit retaliatory action by the board with a private cause of action for violations, require refunds for duplicate payments, and amend several statutes. The committee chair accepted the bill as introduced.

Representative McDonald introduced a second bill read as "26 r s 2 8 3 1" to increase the personal needs allowance for residents in Medicare‑approved nursing facilities from $50 to $85; Representative McDonald said the bill would repeal an existing condition and the committee accepted the introduction.

Both introductions were taken as presented and no committee debate or roll‑call votes on the measures were recorded in the hearing transcript. Next procedural steps — referrals, hearings or bill numbers for committee files — were not specified in the oral record.