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Minutes for HB2365 - Committee on Public Health and Welfare
Short Title
Establishing the south central regional mental health hospital.
Minutes Content for Wed, Mar 12, 2025
Chairperson Gossage opened the hearing on HB2365. Jenna Moyer, Assistant Revisor, Kansas Office of Revisor of Statutes (ROS) presented the Revisor's Memorandum brief. (Attachment 14)
Oral Proponents
Scott Brunner, Deputy Secretary, Hospitals and Facilities, Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) spoke in support of HB2365. This bill creates a new state agency designated as the South Central Regional Mental Health Hospital, under the jurisdiction of the Secretary of KDADS. It would serve the South Central counties in Kansas, cooperating with the existing state hospitals at Osawatomie and Larned. The 2018 Mental Health Task Force recommended expanding bed capacity and KDADS requested funding in the FY2023 budget to build the regional state hospital. (Attachment 15)
Amy Campbell, Kansas Mental Health Coalition (KMHC), also spoke in favor of the bill, telling members that this facility is desperately needed to increase hospital capacity in Kansas. KMHC also supports initiatives to boost workforce and to stabilize existing programs in the area, through added funding, if necessary. They continue to support ongoing improvements, training, and incentives for the hospital employees who continue to care for those in crisis who need hospitalization. (Attachment 16)
Chairperson Gossage asked for questions for the Proponents. There were none. The Chairperson pointed attention to the written-only testimony from Sheriff Jeff Easter, Kansas Sheriff's Association Chairperson. (Attachment 17)
The Chairperson closed the hearing on HB2365.
