Chairperson Smith opened the hearing for SB368.

Mr. Siebers provided an overview for SB368 that enacts the Health Care Sharing Ministries Tax Deduction Act that provides an income tax subtraction modification for certain qualified health care sharing expenses paid by a qualified individual and certain qualified health care shares received by a qualified individual beginning with tax year. 2027. (Attachment 7)

Mr. Siebers stood for questions from Committee members.

Proponents: 

Joel Noble, Director of Public Policy, Samaritan Ministries, testified via Webex as a proponent for SB368 noting it has served its members for over thirty years which includes 1,500 households in Kansas.  SB368 will allow health care sharing ministry members to deduct both the shares they send to other members and the administrative fees on their Kansas state tax returns.  In order to be fiscally conservative, SB368 was amended to limit those deductions to $5,000 per individual and $10,000 per couple filing jointly. (Attachment 8)

Mr. Noble stood for questions from Committee members.

Proponent written only testimony for SB368 was submitted by the following.

Chuck Weber, Kansas Catholic Conference, (Attachment 9)

Senator Peck, District 15, (Attachment 10 )

Brittany Jones, Kansas Family Voice, (Attachment 11)

Tanner Tempel, Americans for Prosperity, (Attachment 12)

Rebekah Schwarz, Kansas resident, (Attachment 13)

Opponent:

Renee Dietchman, Kansas resident, testified via Webex as an opponent to SB368 providing her personal experience with health care sharing ministries noting healthcare ministry plans are not transparent, reliable or affordable.  (Attachment 14)

Ms. Dietchman stood for questions from Committee members.

Megan Word, American Cancer Society, Cancer Action Network testified as an opponent for SB368.  (Attachment 15)

Ms. Word stood for questions from Committee members.

There being no further conferees, Chairperson Smith closed the hearing for SB368.