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Minutes for HB2069 - Committee on Health and Human Services
Short Title
Enacting the school psychologist licensure compact to provide interstate practice privileges for school psychologists.
Minutes Content for Wed, Feb 5, 2025
Carly Choi, Revisor of Statutes, provided an overview of HB2069 (Attachment 8).
Michelle Richart, Midwest Region Liaison, Defense State Liaison Office, U.S. Dept. of Defense, provided an overview of the Department of Defense's efforts to work with state leaders to harmonize state and federal law and regulations (Attachment 9). The Department has advocated for improved licensure and career portability for military service members and their spouses for several years. Military spouses are disproportionately affected by state-specific professional licensing requirements that can causes delay and gaps in employment. Military spouses experience unemployment at significantly higher rates than their civilian peers. Moving state to state, obtaining licenses in order to obtain employment is important. Compacts will serve to relieve one of the many stressors of a military move and support military families' financial and personal well-being.
Lt. Col. Keith Marshall, Adjutant General's Department, U.S. Air Force, provided testimony in support of HB2069 (Attachment 10). This bill is a priority of the Department of Defense. Military spouses face significant employment challenges with an unemployment rate consistently around 21%. These compacts play a vital role in supporting military families by easing the transition for spouses and professionals who require state-specific licenses to work. these agreements streamline the process of transferring professional licenses across state lines. The compacts provide greater job stability and allow maintaining employment without lengthy re-certifications and additional coursework.
William Wilk, on behalf of the Kansas Chamber, provided testimony in support of HB2069 (Attachment 11). Kansas has a significant need for school psychologists. Kansas ranks 23rd nationally with a state average of 1:1,069 students. The recommended ratio is 1:500 students. The compact is a necessary step to increase access to school psychologists for Kansas students and fast track the licensing process for military spouses moving into the state.
Mr. Wilk responded to questions from the committee.
Amy Drinnon, Past President and Western Region Director for the Kansas Association of School Psychologist (KASP), provided testimony in support of HB2069 (Attachment 12). School psychologists are uniquely trained to help children and youth succeed academically, behaviorally, and emotionally in collaboration with families and school staff by creating a learning environment environment that allows students to thrive. Based on current statistics, we need to double the number of school psychologists working in our state. The compact will streamline the systems of licensure mobility while upholding a high standard of school psychology practice. This bill would target recruitment efforts to fill the gaps in the school psychology workforce. It also benefits military families and enables its members to easily continue their careers. A data sheet was provided in Ms. Drinnon's testimony (Attachment 13).
Ms. Drinnon responded to questions from the committee.
Allyson Baloga, Private Citizen, provided testimony in support of HB2069 (Attachment 14). As a wife of a career military husband, Ms. Baloga has experienced firsthand how moving can effect my ability to maintain professional continuity across states due to permanent change of station. Currently Ms. Baloga will have to apply for credentialing in each state they move to. With the national shortage of school psychologists, this compact would significantly contribute to reducing the burden military spouses have in obtaining credentialing. This bill also has the potential to further support military children.
The following provided written only proponent testimony:
Katrina Abraham, Government Affairs, The Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce (Attachment 15)
Leah Fliter, Associate Executive Director of Advocacy, Kansas Association of School Boards (Attachment 16)
Brittany Vigilius, President, Kansas Association of School Psychologists (Attachment 17)
The hearing was closed.
