A panel of leading lawmakers on Monday approved seven special committees that will meet for 12 days before next year, including committees that will study medical marijuana, affordable housing and state employee pay.
The Legislative Coordinating Council also approved 38 meeting days for 12 standing joint committees that will meet before next year’s legislative session.
Six other meeting days combined were approved for the Senate Confirmation Oversight Committee (two), the Capitol Preservation Committee (one), the Health Care Stabilization Fund Oversight Committee (one) and a bus trip to various state properties (two).
Overall, there were 72 meeting days requested and 56 were approved. During 2023, there were 81 approved meetings days.
Here is the packet of letters seeking approval of the interim committees.
Here’s a look at what was approved Monday:
Special committees
Special committee on medical marijuana: Two days requested, two days approved. This won’t be the first time the Legislature has held interim hearings on this subject. The Legislature held three interim meetings on medical marijuana in 2022, and a year later a bill authorizing medical marijuana was tabled in a Senate committee. Another version of a medical marijuana bill was killed in a Senate committee in 2024. At one point, a sponsor of the medical marijuana bill from this year filed to run for the Senate but later withdrew. This committee was sought by Republican state Sen. Mike Fagg of El Dorado, chair of the Senate utilities committee. Medical marijuana has usually been run through the Federal and State Affairs Committee chaired by Sen. Mike Thompson of Shawnee, who has opposed legalization of the substance. The panel will study the impact of the federal government delisting marijuana and what that would mean for Kansas. It also will study states that have allowed medical access for veterans and end-of-life patients and the outcome for patients.
Special committee on available and affordable housing: Two days approved. Requested two. The committee will study and make recommendations about home ownership, with a focus on housing valued at under $200,000. The committee will look at the availability of housing in rural and urban parts of the state. The committee also will examine the relationship between affordable housing and economic development as well as rental housing issues such as evictions and potential amendments to the Residential Landlord and Tenant Act.
Special committee on centralized pooled collateral and Pooled Money Investment Board modernization: Two days approved, two days requested. The committee will study centralized pooled collateral for public funds and the Pooled Money Investment Board linked deposit modernization. The committee will study centralized pooled collateral for public funds and PMIB linked deposit loan modernization as well as the potential impacts of this investment in Kansas communities.
Special committee on foreign trade and regulatory sandboxes. Two days requested, two days approved. The committee will review Kansas trade with foreign countries, including specific trade agreements. It also will study the nature and operation of regulatory sandboxes and their advantages and disadvantages. Regulatory sandboxes ease government regulation for businesses to test innovative ideas and products. Lawmakers considered legislation for regulatory sandboxes last session, but it did not advance.
Special committee on sedation dentistry. Two days requested, one day approved. Sedation dentistry – some times called “sleep dentistry” – uses medication to help patients relax while undergoing dental work. The committee will study the availability of sedation dentistry to Medicaid beneficiaries and the hurdles to providing the service.
Special committee on state employee compensation. Two days requested, two days approved. The committee will review and make recommendations regarding state employee compensation. A comprehensive study is to be conducted of market pay and benefits of job classifications in both the public and private sectors, and the state Board of
Regents is to conduct a comprehensive study of market pay and benefits of professors and employees at both public and private postsecondary institutions.
Special committee on targeted case management: Requested one day, approved one day. Review changes to targeted case management within the intellectual and developmental disabilities service network. Republican Rep. Will Carpenter of El Dorado and Republican Sen. Chase Blasi of Wichita asked for the interim committee because they said Gov. Laura Kelly’s administration appears to be planning changes to targeted case management in response to pressure from the federal government. They said their constituents have raised “numerous concerns” about any changes.
Joint committees approved
Administrative Rules and Regulations: Approved six days, requested six days.
Child Welfare System Oversight: Approved four, requested five.
Corrections and Juvenile Justice Oversight: Approved three, requested three.
Fiduciary Financial Institutions Oversight: Approved one, requested one.
Robert G. Bethell KanCare Oversight: Approved four, requested six.
Information Technology: Approved four, requested six.
Kansas Security: Approved two, requested three.
Legislative Budget: Approved four, requested eight.
Pensions, Investments and Benefits: Approved one, requested two.
Special claims against the state: Approved four, requested four.
State Building Construction: Approved three, requested three.
