Committee Minutes — SB363
Thu, Mar 12, 2026

Chairman Awerkamp opened the hearing on SB363.

Revisor Jenna Moyer briefed the Committee on the bill (Attachment 1). She explained that the bill makes several adjustments to public assistance eligibility requirements. She introduced four new sections that specify reporting and verification requirements for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) and the Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF).

Scott Centorino, Visiting Fellow, FGA Action, testified as a proponent for the bill (Attachment 2). He said the bill mirrors federal law and demonstrates financial integrity. It will reduce error rates and will result in lower costs. Noting that other states already have similar requirements, he said by focusing on the issues of self attestation the bill will provide financial and moral integrity.

Mr. Centorino responded to member questions:

  • The system of cross-checks for data provides the basis for verification.
  • These service programs are targeted at a limited population, so it is important to identify those who are legitimately eligible.
  • A member expressed a desire to verify that the projected cost of implementing the bill will cost less than the intended savings.

Dr. Carla Whiteside-Hicks, Director of Economic and Employment Services, Kansas Department for Children and Families (DCF), testified as an opponent to the bill (Attachment 3). She traced the fiscal impact of the bill on staff requirement, commenting that with the agency's current staff vacancy rate, implementing the bill will require the addition of 96 positions and add an estimated $8.3 million to the budget by 2027. She noted the challenges of interface with other agencies and explained the compliance complexities for quarterly verification. Dr. Whiteside-Hicks said that many of the self-attestation changes in the bill were already standard procedures in meeting the SNAP (Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program) requirements, but the follow-up requirements for the average monthly caseload of 100,000 adults will require additional staff time. Responding to a question, she replied that there is nothing in the bill that would reduce the error rate.

Christine Osterlund, Deputy Secretary for Agency Integration and Medicaid Director, KDHE, spoke as neutral on the bill (Attachment 4). She stated that the requirements for data matching with other agencies, the prohibition of self-attestation, and the change to quarterly eligibility re-determination will increase costs, risk noncompliance with federal law, and increase error rates. She provided data showing the fiscal impact of the bill regarding staffing, the data-matching process with other state agencies, and the reporting requirements to CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services). Ms. Osterlund noted especially the impact of quarterly re-determination requirement and the prohibition of self-attestation with the approximately 40,000 Medicaid recipients.

Kylee Childs, Director of Government Affairs, LeadingAge Kansas, submitted written-only neutral testimony on the bill (Attachment 5).

The following individuals all testified in opposition to SB363:

Sean Gatewood, Co-Administrator, KanCare Advocates Network, testified that the bill will make it more difficult for those on the Kansas Medicaid program KanCare to access health care; it will increase health-care risks for those on disability, and certain provisions violate current federal law. He noted that quarterly re-determination will increase the error rate, and he listed potential negative impacts on Medicaid recipients (Attachment 6).

Kyle Kessler, Executive Director, Association of Community Mental Health Centers of Kansas, cited three areas of concern that will negatively impact those dealing with mental illness: the quarterly re-determination will add unnecessary complexity to their lives, the quarterly frequency will increase data errors, and the independent verification for housing will add an onerous burden to those already dealing with instability (Attachment 7).

Amy Campbell, Kansas Mental Health Coalition, said that the bill adds strict barriers to Medicaid eligibility, barriers that will result in vulnerable Kansans losing eligibility even though they are qualified (Attachment 8).

April Holman, Executive Director, Alliance for a Healthy Kansas, reviewed negative issues of the bill: it will harm vulnerable Kansas, will cost more in administrative costs, and violates current federal rules (Attachment 9).

Elizabeth Keever, Chief Resource Officer, Harvesters Community Food Network, stated that the bill goes beyond the federal H.R. 1 and introduces costly, unpredictable, and unnecessary changes that will cause low-income Kansans to lose access to food and health care:

  • It increases state spending without improving outcomes;
  • It does nothing to connect more low income Kansans with food or health care; and
  • It does not actually address fraud or waste (Attachment 10).

Rev. Dr. Annie Ricker, Pastor, Shawnee Heights and Berryton United Methodist Churches, Kansas Interfaith Action, cited Jesus' teaching and the moral imperative to care for those in need. She said this bill creates serious roadblocks for accessing aid for those in need, and it diminishes the social safety net by complicating pathways to services (Attachment 11).

Haley Kottler, Senior Campaign Director, Kansas Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, focused on the barriers to SNAP that harm those struggling to make ends meet. She gave a personal example of how in the past these services helped her and that the bill's prohibitions and data-matching requirement will have deleterious effects on needy Kansans (Attachment 12).

Heather Braum, Senior Policy Advisor, Kansas Action for Children, commented that the bill makes it more difficult for Kansas families to access food, health care, and child care assistance. She expressed three primary concerns: the quarterly re-determination section is not allowed under CMS rules; prohibiting self-attestation creates undue documentation burdens for families, and codifying federal requirements under state law if unnecessary and short sighted (Attachment 13).

Karla Hagemeister, Executive Director, Flint Hills, Breadbasket, explained that agencies like hers are already working to implement the complexities of federal H.R. 1; the addition of data matching and other layers of SB363 will create conflicting policies, add confusion, and increase errors (Attachment 14).

Kari Rinker, American Heart Association, commented that continuous eligibility currently provided to promote continuity of coverage and a level quality of care is being threatened by this bill; she recounted the story of her 16-year-old son as an illustration (Attachment 15).

Leroy Burton, Speaker, Kansas Silver Haired Legislature, noting that 8.5% of Kansas seniors live below the poverty line, stated the bill will cause direct harm to seniors with disabilities, will increase uncompensated care for Kansas hospitals and clinics, and will create costly administrative burdens without improving government efficiency (Attachment 16).

Sara Prem, Advocacy Director, Kansas, American Lung Association, stating that Medicaid is a critical source of coverage for low-income individuals and families, said the bill will jeopardize coverage for this population and will create an enormous administrative burden. The quarterly verifying for eligibility will impose burdensome paperwork on recipients and in some cases could delay crucial treatment for an individual's survival (Attachment 17).

Mike Burgess, Disability Rights Center of Kansas, offered two recommendations to improve the bill: remove Medicaid from the quarterly re-determination process, and request an interim task force to improve the bill (Attachment 18).

Conferees responded to member questions:

  • Ms. Hagemeister recounted the sequence of a person applying for SNAP - a 32-page application with verification following.
  • Ms. Keever replied that most SNAP recipients are children and seniors.

The following written-only testimony was submitted in opposition to the bill:

  • Kristy Baughman, Executive Director, United Community Services of Johnson County (Attachment 19);
  • Erica Bates, Minds Matter (Attachment 20);
  • Dana Bacon, Senior Director of State Affairs, American Cancer Association, American Heart Association, American Lung Association, Blood Cancer United, Susan G. Komen (Attachment 21);
  • Nathan Madden, Director of Health Policy, Reach Healthcare Foundation (Attachment 22);
  • Lou Ann Kibbee, Systems Advocate and Policy Analyst, Southeast Kansas Independent Living Resource Center (Attachment 23);
  • Jeanmarie Epperly, Medicare/Medicaid recipient, Citizen, Wichita (Attachment 24);
  • Meagan Word, Government Relations Director, Kansas-Nebraska, American Cancer Society (Attachment 25);
  • Karole Bradford, Chief Executive Officer, Kansas City Medical Society Foundation (Attachment 26);
  • David Jordon, President and CEO, United Methodist Health Ministry Fund (Attachment 27);
  • Emily Meissen-Sebelius, Citizen (Attachment 28);
  • Pempho Moyo, Policy, Coordinator, Thrive Allen County/Thrive Kansas (Attachment 29);
  • Jamie Mast, parent (Attachment 30);
  • Paula Neth, President and CEO, Futures First (Attachment 31);
  • Jonathan Smith, Executive Director, Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health (Attachment 32);
  • Joseph Jackson, Brain Injury Survivor, Kansas Brain Injury Advisory Board Member (Attachment 33);
  • Judy Davis-Cole, Citizen (Attachment 34);
  • Michelle McCormick, Executive Director, Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence (Attachment 35);
  • Gregory Crane, MD, President, Kansas Society of Clinical Oncology (Attachment 36);
  • Gail Cozadd, CEO, Kansas Children's Service League (Attachment 37);
  • Michele Ediger, Citizen, Walton (Attachment 38);
  • Emma Shankland, Impact Strategist - Policy, Health Forward Foundation (Attachment 39);
  • Sean Kirk, Citizen (Attachment 40);
  • Melissa Sabin, Mother, Shawnee (Attachment 41).

The Chair closed the hearing on SB363.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:12 p.m. The next meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, March 17, 2026.