2026 Post Legislative Update
Barb Conant • May 1, 2026
KABC 2026 Legislative Wrap-Up
KABC worked during the 2026 session with lawmakers and policymakers to advance its legislative priorities. Our priorities focus on policies that directly affect the safety, well-being, and independence of older Kansans.
The following is an overview of legislation and funding passed by the legislature related to aging and long-term care. Because 2026 was the second year of the legislative biennium, all bills died at the end of the session and must be reintroduced for consideration in 2027.
Update on KABC Legislative Priorities:
- HCBS-FE wait list – Projected shortfalls in FY27 jeopardize access to critical in-home services.
- Status: The legislature added $39.5 million, including $15.0 million SGF, to cover the current HCBS Frail Elderly waiver services overages. The Kansas Department on Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) was directed to formally establish a waitlist for such waiver services.
- Personal Needs Allowance – Kansas nursing home residents are allowed to keep $62/month of their income, such as Social Security and retirement benefits. The PNA has not been increased for many years. Kansas lags behind three neighboring states and the national average of $70/month. KABC supports increasing the PNA and tying future adjustments to the COLA.
- Status: HB 2548 was introduced but never heard in committee. It proposed increasing the monthly amount nursing home residents are allowed to keep from the current $62 to $85.
- State Fire Marshall inspections – KABC opposed efforts to shift the fire safety inspection and enforcement authority from the State Fire Marshall to KDADS
- Status: No legislative action was taken. The nursing home associations and the State Fire Marshall were directed to explore policies that are considerate of residents’ needs while still complying with federal and state law.
- Nursing Facility Staffing Shortage – Facilities remain understaffed. Staffing ratio is the strongest indicator of the quality of care. Understaffing contributes to high antipsychotic use, more deficiencies, harm-level deficiencies, and immediate jeopardy deficiencies. Kansas continues to struggle in each area.
- Status: A bill, HB 2339, was introduced, which would have established scholarships for part-time nursing students, set minimum education levels for nursing instructors, and established an intergenerational childcare fund to support facilities that wanted to develop such employee benefits. The bill was heard, but no legislative action was taken.
- KDADS Survey capacity – Surveyor vacancies remain near 50%, with wages below market rates. Increasing pay and staffing would help restore timely oversight, enforcement, and confidence in the process.
- Status: No legislative action was taken to increase funding for nursing home inspectors.
- Community Care Coordination – Despite a $20M commitment, this service remains unimplemented. FE waiver recipients lack case management support to troubleshoot care and connect to needed resources.
- Status: Ongoing. Community Care Coordination has not yet been implemented. KABC continues to monitor implementation status.
Other legislation passed into law:
- Involuntary Discharge Consumer Protections – KABC worked with other stakeholders to strengthen data tracking the practices of involuntary discharges by assisted living facilities. The one-year budget proviso language gives detailed guidance to KDADS, who collects the data.
- Increasing Homes Plus Maximum – HB 2520 increases the maximum number of residents allowed in a Home Plus facility from 12 to 16.
- Dementia Training for Guardians – HB 2536 requires training for proposed guardians for adults who have a cognitive impairment or are diagnosed with a neurological condition. The training will be approved by the KDADS Secretary.
Appropriations:
- Adds $49.8 million, including $18.9 million SGF, for a Medicaid capacity payment for nursing facilities of $15 per resident per day.
- Adds $3.0 million SGF for Nutrition Services and adds language requiring expenditures to be distributed proportionally based on the number of meals provided plus the number of individuals on a waitlist for FY 2027. Add language specifying that no less than $5.7 million be disbursed directly to Meals on Wheels service providers.
Thank You for Making Our First-Ever Trivia Night a Success!
KABC Testifies before the Kansas Silver Haired Legislature Kansas Advocates for Better Care (KABC) is urging state leaders to provide additional funding to eliminate the waitlist for the Home and Community-Based Services (HCBS) Frail Elderly (FE) Waiver, which helps older Kansans access the services they need to remain in their homes and communities. In testimony submitted to the Kansas Silver Haired Legislature (KSHL) on October 6 th in Topeka, KABC Executive Director Dan Goodman emphasized the importance of preserving access to in-home care and preventing older adults from entering nursing facilities before they need that level of care. The FE waiver waitlist, implemented July 6, 2026, has already affected hundreds of older Kansans. Without additional funding, more people could face delays in receiving essential services, potentially accelerating health declines and increasing the likelihood of premature nursing home placement. KABC is recommending $31 million in additional funding for the FE waiver in fiscal year 2027 to address projected funding shortfalls and help eliminate the waitlist. Kansas Silver Haired Legislature Sets 2027 Priorities On October 7 and 8, 65 delegates representing regions across Kansas gathered on the floor of the Kansas House of Representatives in Topeka for the Kansas Silver Haired Legislature's annual session. During the session, delegates approved five resolutions outlining their legislative priorities for 2027. The resolutions focus on supporting older Kansans' independence, financial security, access to care and participation in civic life. The five priorities are: Fund senior transportation Protect in-home care Increase funding for the FE waiver to help older Kansans receive care in their homes and communities. KABC supports this priority and is urging the state to add $31 million in funding for fiscal year 2027 to eliminate the FE waiver waitlist. Strengthen Medicaid Raise the Personal Needs Allowance Increase the Personal Needs Allowance for nursing home residents who receive Medicaid Protect senior voting rights These priorities address interconnected challenges facing older Kansans, from accessing transportation and affordable care to maintaining independence and financial security. The Importance of Care at Home The FE waiver was established to help older Kansans access community-based services that allow them to remain in their homes for as long as possible, delaying or avoiding the need for more costly institutional care. These services can make a significant difference in an older adult's ability to maintain independence, health and quality of life. When needed support is unavailable, however, individuals and families may have fewer options for managing care at home. Kansas already faces challenges in this area. According to the United Health Foundation's America's Health Rankings, Kansas ranks 47th in the nation for placing low-care residents in nursing facilities. KABC is concerned that limiting access to home- and community-based services could contribute to further premature institutionalization. The Cost of Delayed Access The potential impact of the waitlist is significant. According to KABC's testimony, the state faces a projected $31 million shortfall for the FE waiver in fiscal year 2027, putting access to critical in-home services at risk. Historical data also illustrate the potential scope of the problem. In 2003, a similar FE waiver waitlist affected approximately 20% of eligible participants. The Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) reports that 9,306 Kansans are currently eligible for the waiver. Applying that historical 20% figure to today's eligible population suggests that approximately 1,861 older Kansans could be affected in fiscal year 2027. While this estimate is based on a historical comparison, it underscores the potential consequences of insufficient funding. Investing in Older Kansans The goal is to help older Kansans receive the services they need when they need them, rather than risk declining health or entering institutional care because community-based options are unavailable. As Dan Goodman emphasized in his testimony, investing in home- and community-based services offers an opportunity to support older adults' independence while potentially avoiding the greater costs associated with premature institutionalization. The Kansas Silver Haired Legislature's 2027 priorities provide a framework for addressing the needs of older Kansans across the state. KABC's support for increased FE waiver funding aligns with the Legislature's call to protect in-home care and ensure older adults have meaningful choices about where and how they receive care. KABC will continue advocating for policies and resources that protect older Kansans' access to quality long-term care, wherever they call home.