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Minutes for SB387 - Committee on Government Efficiency
Short Title
Requiring school districts to verify the household gross earned income of each student who qualifies for free meals under the national school lunch program and requiring legislative authorization to receive special assistance payments under federal law.
Minutes Content for Thu, Jan 29, 2026
Chair Erickson opened the hearing on SB 387.
Staff provided an overview of the bill. (Attachment 3)
Proponents:
Senator Doug Shane testified in support of the bill. (Attachment 1) The National School Lunch Program has been a vital tool in ensuring children do not go hungry while at school. This bill does not seek to reduce access to free and reduced lunches for qualifying families. Rather, it is to help ensure fiscal sustainability and to eliminate waste.
Paige Terryberry, Visiting Fellow, Foundation for Government Accountability, provided proponent testimony in support of the bill on Webex. (Attachment 2) Taxpayers spent $67 million in just one year on meals for students without a true need. This is a huge problem because every dollar spent on someone who isn’t eligible is money that is not available for the truly needy. But, it’s one that this bill would solve through simple program integrity.
Written only testimony in support of the bill:
Tanner Tempel, Deputy State Director, Americans for Prosperity (Attachment 4)
Neutral:
Dr. Frank Harwood, Deputy Commissioner, Kansas State Department of Education, provided neutral testimony. (Attachment 5) Verification is only required when eligibility is determined through the application process, not through direct certification conducted with an Assistance Program or with agencies or officials who documented Other Source Categorical Eligibility. Sponsors are limited to using verification data provided by the family.
Opponents:
Jim Karleskint, Director of Legislative Services, United School Administrators (USA), opposed the bill on behalf of the USA. (Attachment 6) The bottom line is federal law sets the eligibility and income verification on framework for the National Lunch Program. State requirements that conflict with these federal standards are in violation of USDA rules.
Vicki Schumacher, Finance and Technical Supervisor, Wichita Public Schools, testified in opposition to the bill on Webex. (Attachment 7) Program integrity within the National School Lunch Program, as well as appropriate State At-Risk funding, is a shared priority. We respectfully oppose requiring school districts to verify the household gross earned income of every student approved for free meals.
Haley Kottler, Campaign Director, Kansas Appleseed Center for Law and Justice, testified on Webex in opposition to the bill on behalf of Kansas Appleseed. (Attachment 8) Kansas Appleseed strongly opposes this bill because it would create new barriers to school meals and would make it harder for schools to keep kids fed.
Shannon Kimball, Government Relations Specialist, Kansas Association of School Boards, provided opponent testimony stating the bill may conflict with the National School Lunch Act and USDA Regulations. (Attachment 9) While states may add oversight to federal school meal programs, any added requirements cannot conflict with federal law or USDA rules. The proposed income-verification system raises several concerns.
Kari Rinker, Government Relations Lead, American Heart Association, opposed the bill. (Attachment 10) Adding a legislative approval requirement does not enhance fiscal responsibility or program integrity. Instead, it slows access to meals and introduces additional state level administrative costs without delivering improved oversight or savings.
Rabbi Moti Rieber, Executive Director, Kansas Interfaith Action, provided testimony in opposition to the bill. (Attachment 11) Nearly one in five Kansas children are food insecure, and this number goes up in our poorer counties, both rural and urban. Placing additional political barriers between children and food is deeply concerning.
Written only testimony in opposition to the bill:
Jennifer Jordan, Engagement Manager, Flint Hills Breadbasket (Attachment 12)
Pempho Moyo, Thrive Allen County and Thrive Kansas (Attachment 13)
Jayme Morris-Hardeman, President, Manhattan/Ogden Board of Education (Attachment 14)
Laura Fails, Food Services Director, USD 320 Wamego (Attachment 15)
Ruchithri Favreau, Director of Nutritional Services, Kansas City Kansas Public Schools (Attachment 16)
Dustin Hare, Economic Security Policy Advisor, Kansas Action for Children (Attachment 17)
Tom Buller, Executive Director, Kansas Rural Center (Attachment 18)
Marilyn Logan, Self (Iola) (Attachment 19)
Ngoc Vuong, Self (Wichita) (Attachment 20)
Alexis Bylander, Director of Child Nutrition Programs and Policy, Food Research and Action Center (Attachment 21)
Elizabeth Keever, Chief Resource Officer, Community Food Network (Attachment 22)
Dr. Amber Wheeler, SuperIntendent, Humbolt USD 258 (Attachment 23)
Jamie Mast, Self (De Soto) (Attachment 24)
Connie Fitzpatrick, Food Systems Specialist, Douglas County (Attachment 25)
Jonathan Smith, Executive Director, Douglas County Public Health (Attachment 26)
Shelby Ostrom, Chair, Executive Director, Douglas County Food Policy Council (Attachment 27)
Kristy Baughman, Executive Director, United Community Services of Johnson County (Attachment 28)
Emily Lysen & Jessica Cooney, LiveWell Douglas County's Healthy Foods for all (Attachment 29)
Michael Schumacher, SuperIntendent, Shawnee Mission School District (Attachment 30)
Dr. Brent Yeager, Superintendent, Olathe Public Schools (Attachment 31)
Brien Darby, Executive Director, Cultivate KC (Attachment 32)
Miranda Miller-Klugesherz, Executive Director, Kansas Food Action Network (Attachment 33)
Shelley Rich, Facilitator, Health and Wellness Coaltion of Wichita (Attachment 34)
Ashley Hernandez, Organizing & Policy Coordinator, Sisters of Charity of Leavenworth Office of Justice, Peace and Integrity creation (Attachment 35)
Dr. Anna Stublefield, Superintendent, KCK Public Schools (Attachment 36)
Jessica Younker, Director of Food Service, & Chris Hipp, Assistant Superintendent, USD 489 (Attachment 37)
Kara Bunce, Self (Reno County) (Attachment 38)
Vickie James, Coordinator, Food and Farm Council of Riley County (Attachment 39)
Jessica Lehnherr, President, United Way of Kaw Valley (Attachment 40)
Timothy Graham, Director of Legislative Affairs and Government Relations, Kansas National Education Association (Attachment 41)
Melinda Lewis, Self (Prairie Village) (Attachment 42)
Diosselyn Tot, Operations and Development Manager, Kansas Latino Community Network (Attachment 43)
Katie Warren, President, AFT-Kansas (Attachment 44)
Chair Erickson closed the hearing on SB 387.
The next meeting is February 3, 2026. The meeting adjourned at 10:23 am.
