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02/08/02 - Legislative Update

KCDC Legislative Update
February 8, 2002
Volume 1, Issue 4

The following items come from the House and Senate Agendas as found on www.kslegislature.org. The agendas for the coming week are always published on Thursdays, but can change daily, so check the Web site often. The changes from one day to the next will always be in italics, but only on the first day they are changed. All phone numbers are in the 785 area code. For updated legislative information you can call the State Library at 785-296-2149 or the legislative hotline at 800-432-3924.

HOUSE AGENDA

Appropriations
Nikki Feuerborn, Sec - Ph 291-3446
9:00 - 11:00 a.m. Room 514-S
Tuesday, February 12
Overview of the FY 2002 Governor's Budget Report (statutorily required budget) - Staff

Thursday, February 14
Social Services Budget Committee Report on:
Kansas Department of Health and Environment
Tax, Judicial, and Transportation Budget Committee Report on:
Kansas Guardianship Program

Health and Human Services
June Evans, Sec. - Ph 296-7692
1:30 - 3:30 p.m. Room 210 Memorial Hall
Monday, February 11
Hearing and final action on:
HB 2715 - Assistance animals for handicapped and disabled persons

Social Services Budget Committee
Lynn Workman, Sec. - Ph 296-7649
3:30 -5:30 p.m. Room 514-S
Monday, February 11
Possible Committee Action on: Department of Health and Environment
Tuesday, February 12
Staff and Agency Presentation: Parsons State Hospital & Training Center,
Kansas Neurological Institute, Larned State Hospital, Osawatomie State
Hospital and Rainbow Mental Health Facility
Wednesday, February 13
Continuation of: Parsons State Hospital & Training Center, Kansas
Neurological Institute, Larned State Hospital, Osawatomie State Hospital and Rainbow
Mental Health Facility

SENATE AGENDA

Ways and Means
10:30 a.m. Mary Shaw, Sec.-296-3775 123-S
Monday, February 11
Subcommittee reports on:
Larned State Hospital, Osawatomie State Hospital, Rainbow Mental Health
Facility, Parsons State Hospital, Kansas Neurological Institute
Wednesday, February 13
Introduction of bills
Subcommittee report on:
Department of Education

Ways and Means Subcommittee on Other Education
5:00 p.m. Judy Swanson, Sec.-296-7369 235-N
Wednesday, February 13
Staff briefing and agency presentations and possible deliberations on:
School for the Blind
School for the Deaf
Thursday, February 14
Continuation of staff briefing and agency presentations and possible deliberations on:
School for the Blind
School for the Deaf

Ways and Means Subcommittee on SRS Department
On adjournment Janet Martinek, Sec.-296-7378 123-S
Monday, February 11
Hearings on:
SRS issues, including Caseload eligibility
Tuesday, February 12
Hearings and deliberations
Wednesday, February 13
Deliberations
Thursday, February 14
Deliberations (if needed)

Education
1:30 p.m. Judy Steinlicht, Sec.-296-7389 123-S
Tuesday, February 12
Hearing on:
SB 483--School finance; reimbursement of special education and related
services

KCDC BILL TRACKING

Full text of bills and their current status can be viewed at www.kslegislature.org/bills/index.cgi.
Bills marked with an asterisk (*) are explained in more detail below the table.
Bill Number Introduced By Description Status 1st Chamber
Status 2nd Chamber
*SB 319 Federal & State Affairs Enacting the Kansas Freedom of Choice in
Long-term Care, Service and Support Act. In Public Health and Welfare

*SCR 1614 Ways and Means Concurrent Resolution encouraging decreased
dependence on public moneys to finance long-term care and education
concerning long-term care insurance. Adopted by the Senate 40/0 on 2/6/02
Received by the House 2/7/02
*HB 2020 Federal & State Affairs Handicapped accessibility standards;
certain dwellings. Passed House 3/27/01 In Federal & State Affairs
*HB 2265 Flaharty, Barnes, Crow, Keuther, Loganbill, Toelkes, D.,
Wilson Sales tax exemption for hearing aids. Taxation Committee recommends bill be passed as amended.
*HB 2617 Spec Comm on Financial Institutions/Insurance Joint
committee on oversight of the department of social and rehabilitation
services, creation. In Appropriations
*HB 2662 Transportation Fees for accessible parking placard
eliminated Referred to Transportation
*HB 2715 Health & Human Services Assistance dogs and animals for
disabled persons Referred to Health & Human Services
HCR 5033 Education Resolution urging President and Congress of
United States to increase funding for special education. 
On General Orders

Explanation of Bills

SB 319 - This bill would require that:

(a) any person eligible for admission to a nursing facility, adult care home, intermediate care facility, nursing home for the mentally ill or state institution for the mentally ill or any other publicly-funded institution be afforded the choice to receive appropriate services in home and community in the most integrated setting which is appropriate for the needs of such person.

(b) Cost effectiveness shall be maintained by ensuring that home and community services for persons with disabilities, in the aggregate, shall cost less than if those same persons were served in a publicly-funded institution.

(c) Nothing in this section shall be construed to mean that a person will be forced into a home and community program if that person chooses to enter or remain in a publicly-funded institution.

HB 2020 - This bill would require basic accessibility for single-family, duplex and triplex dwellings receiving financial assistance from the State, including federal funds administered through the State, for new construction. It does not apply to individual owner/occupants of homes, housing projects assisted solely by local city or county resources or private properties that accept tenant-based Section 8 rental vouchers/certificates, but no other type of federal assistance. Basic accessibility, sometimes referred to as "visit-ability", provides the most essential features that persons with mobility impairments need to enter homes and have some degree of access to the rooms and bathrooms. The act would require five such features in covered dwellings:
1) One accessible entrance
2) All interior doorways wide enough for wheelchair passage
3) An accessible route through the main floor
4) Reinforcement of specified bathroom walls to allow for future installation of grab bars
5) Light switches, electrical outlets and other environmental controls in accessible locations 

HB 2265 - Would create a sales tax exemption for hearing aids and replacement parts, including batteries, sold by a person licensed in the practice of dispensing and fitting hearing aids. Currently these items are exempt only when the purchaser has a prescription from a doctor.

HB 2617 - Establishes a joint committee for legislative oversight of the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (SRS) that would expire on January 8, 2007. Among other things, this committee would review and monitor the cost factors of medical assistance and other assistance programs and services of the department.

HB 2662 - This bill would remove the mandatory fees currently being charged for accessible parking placards.

HB 2663 - This bill is being removed from bill tracking because it doesn't have anything to do with disability.

HB 2715 - Provides definitions for guide dog, service dog, hearing assistance dog, therapeutic support dog, assistance animal and professional therapy dog. It specifies that, "The presence of an animal for comfort, protection or personal defense does not qualify an animal as being trained to mitigate an individual's disability and therefore does not qualify the animal as an assistance animal or dog covered under the provisions of this act." The bill also provides for a penalty and restitution for causing interference, injury or death of the above-named animals. This also includes interference, injury or death caused by a dog belonging to that person. It specifies that persons using these animals may not be charged an extra fee for rental or purchase and use of residential housing. 

HCR 5033 - Urges the President and the Congress of the United States to increase funding for special education from an average federal share of 15 percent nationwide to the 40 percent level authorized by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Legislative Font Legend is available at www.kslegislature.org/cgi-bin/fonts.cgi. This legend explains the different font faces used throughout bills as they go through the legislative process.

House and Senate committee schedules can be viewed at
www.kslegislature.org/cgi-bin/committees/index.cgi

Don't know who your legislator is? You can find out online by going to
skyways2.lib.ks.us/ksleg

Missed the Governor's State of the State address? You can read it on the Governor's Web site located at www.accesskansas.org/governor/state/stotst02.html.

If you're interested in reading the Governor's Budget, here's where you can find it da.state.ks.us/budget/gbr.htm.

Wondering what's going on in Kansas regarding redistricting? Want to look at Census 2000 data, but don't know where to find it? There's even a nice 2071 page document you can download that will tell you just about anything you'd want to know about Kansas population data. Take a look at skyways.lib.ks.us/ksleg/KLRD/Redistrct/redistr.htm.

The Update will be published in electronic format every Thursday during the Legislative Session. Please forward your copy to anyone who might be interested. The Update is also available in print or alternative format upon request.

To subscribe to the KCDC listserv that publishes this Legislative Update send e-mail to listserv@kcdcinfo.org with only the following in the body of the message. Please do not include a signature block or file. SUBscribe legislation Your Name (substitute your first and last name)


Published by:
Kansas Commission on Disability Concerns
1430 SW Topeka Blvd
Topeka KS 66612

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