Chair Erickson continued the hearing on SB 363 to hear opponent testimony.

Oral opponents:

Sean Gatewood, testified in opposition to the bill on behalf of KanCare Advocates Network. (Attachment 1) This bill will hurt providers. It cuts retroactive coverage from three months to two, making it harder for hospitals, long term care facilities and (Home and Community-Based Services) HCBS providers to count on reimbursement for services they have already provided.

Kylee Childs, Director of Government Affairs, Leading Age Kansas provided opponent testimony. (Attachment 2) This bill's new requirements threaten seniors' access to necessary medical supports, place untenable demands on families and representatives, and strain providers, creating barriers without improving program integrity.

Heather Braum, Senior Policy Advisor, Kansas Action for Children, provided opponent testimony. (Attachment 3) This bill would burden families, overwhelm agencies, exorbitantly increase state costs, and reduce access to essential support programs for the Kansans who need them most - particularly children, low-income families, and people with disabilities.

Dr. Molly Krager, on behalf of the American Academy of Pediatrics testified in opposition to the bill. (Attachment 4) SB 363 would move Kansas in the wrong direction. The bill adds layers of red tape and rigid requirements that will result in eligible children losing health coverage and food assistance, not in better stewardship of taxpayer dollars.

April Holman, Executive Director, Alliance for a Healthy Kansas, provided opponent testimony. (Attachment 6) This bill violates federal rules. It would require eligibility checks every three months instead of once a year. Federal law requires 12 months of continuous coverage for groups like children and pregnant women, so this provision would not comply with federal requirements.

Melissa Sabin, on behalf of Little Lobbyists Kansas, provided opponent testimony. (Attachment 7) This bill does not help eligible Kansans access food or health care. It does not reduce waste or fraud. It does not align with federal law or administrative reality. Instead, it buries agencies in bureaucracy, increases state spending, and creates predictable barriers that will cause eligible children and families to lose critical supports.

Elizabeth Keever, Chief Resource Officer, Harvesters, testified as an opponent. (Attachment 8) This bill would make it harder for low income Kansans to access the food and health care they need to survive and thrive. It increases state costs, adds unnecessary bureaucracy, and puts families and out economy at risk without improving efficiency or outcomes.

Megan Word, Government Relations Director, Nebraska and Kansas American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), testified as an opponent. (Attachment 9) This bill creates administrative burdens that will make accessing cancer care much harder for low-income Kansans fighting this disease.

Reverend Dr. Jessica Williams, on behalf of InterFaith Action, provided opponent testimony. (Attachment 10) This bill represents a direct assault on the poor and working class by weaponizing bureaucracy to dismantle the very safety nets - like Medicaid and SNAP - that fulfill our moral obligation to care for our neighbors.

Mike Burgess, Director of Policy & Outreach, Disability Rights Center of Kansas (DRC), testified in opposition to the bill. (Attachment 11) The DRC is opposed to SB 363. This bill will create paperwork traps that remove access to health care, food, and vital HCBS waiver services for eligible Kansans.

Haley Kottler, Campaign Director, Kansas Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, provided opponent testimony. (Attachment 12) Administrative burdens will lead to decreased program accuracy, efficiency, and integrity, which will harm our must vulnerable neighbors. There will be more hungry Kansans every day under the provisions of this bill.

Karla Hagemeister, Executive Director, Flint Hills Breadbasket, testified in opposition to the bill. (Attachment 13) The creation of a data matching system has the potential to create more hardship and error. In a more perfect world, state systems that communicate with each other could be beneficial.

Written only testimony in opposition to the bill:

Kristy Baughman, Executive Director, United Community Services of Johnson County (Attachment 14)

Nathan Madden, Director of Health Policy, REACH Healthcare Foundation (Attachment 15)

Lenet Compton, Self (Leawood) (Attachment 16)

Meghan Shreve, Executive Director, InterHab (Attachment 17)

Kari Rinker, on behalf of the American Heart Association (Attachment 18)

Cathy Matlack, Self (Johnson County) (Attachment 19)

Melinda Lewis, Self (Prairie Village) (Attachment 20)

Lou Ann Kibbe, Systems Advocate & Policy Analyst, Southeast Kansas Independent Living Resource Center Inc. (Attachment 21)

Cassandra Woolworth, Self (Olathe) (Attachment 22)

Erin Woods, Self (Attachment 23)

Pempho Moyo, Policy Coordinator, Thrive Allen County (Attachment 24)

Nina Fricke, Self (Overland Park) (Attachment 25)

Gali Cozadd, CEO, Kansas Children's Service League (Attachment 26)

Leslie D Mark, Self (Mission Hills) (Attachment 27)

Karole Bradford, Chief Executive Officer, Kansas City Medical Society Foundation (Attachment 28)

William L Featherston, Self (Overland Park) (Attachment 29)

Jamie Mast, Self (Shawnee) (Attachment 30)

Jonathan Smith, Executive Director, Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health (Attachment 31)

Colleen Cunningham, Self (Overland Park) (Attachment 32)

Tara Mays, VP of State Government Relations, Kansas Hospital Association (Attachment 33)

David Jordan, President and CEO, United Methodist Health Ministry Fund (Attachment 34)

Emily Meissen-Sebelius, Self (Prairie Village) (Attachment 35)

Dalton Black, Executive Director, United Way of Harvey & Marion Counties (Attachment 36)

Paula Neth, President and CEO, Futures First (Attachment 37)

Amy Hill, Self (Olathe) (Attachment 38)

Erica Andrade, President, El Centro (Attachment 39)

Michelle McCormick, Executive Director, Kansas Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence (Attachment 40)

Leroy Burton, Speaker of the House, Kansas Silver Haired Legislature (Attachment 5)

Chair Erickson closed the hearing on SB 363.

The next meeting is February 12, 2026. The meeting adjourned at 10:24 am.