# Kansas HB 2485: Authorizing the chief executive officer of the board of regents to negotiate and settle repayment obligations arising under financial aid programs administered by the board, providing requirements for agreements between postsecondary educational institutions and school districts for postsecondary courses taught in secondary schools, directing the governor to approve short-term workforce training programs for Pell grant eligibility, modifying requirements under the every child can read act and prohibiting Kansas promise scholarship awards for remedial hours. Kansas HB 2485, Authorizing the chief executive officer of the board of regents to negotiate and settle repayment obligations arising under financial aid programs administered by the board, providing requirements for agreements between postsecondary educational institutions and school districts for postsecondary courses taught in secondary schools, directing the governor to approve short-term workforce training programs for Pell grant eligibility, modifying requirements under the every child can read act and prohibiting Kansas promise scholarship awards for remedial hours., is a 2025–2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Committee on Education; status signed, last action 2026-04-09 (Engrossed on Tuesday, March 31, 2026); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-17). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KS-HB2485-2025-2026 - As of: 2026-10-17 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Kansas HB 2485 - State: Kansas - Session: 2025–2026 Regular Session - Title: Authorizing the chief executive officer of the board of regents to negotiate and settle repayment obligations arising under financial aid programs administered by the board, providing requirements for agreements between postsecondary educational institutions and school districts for postsecondary courses taught in secondary schools, directing the governor to approve short-term workforce training programs for Pell grant eligibility, modifying requirements under the every child can read act and prohibiting Kansas promise scholarship awards for remedial hours. - Status: signed - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2026-01-21 - Last action: 2026-04-09, Engrossed on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 - Sponsor: Committee on Education - Cosponsors: 0 - Subjects: senate committee on education, house committee on education - Touches household money: yes - Roll calls: 8 (620 yes, 32 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 12 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - More reading help for elementary students: benefit, high. Starting in 2027–2028, districts must create reading plans with parents for K–3 students rated high risk on fall screening. Plans must include at least 90 minutes of targeted reading help each week, diagnostic testing, and progress checks. Help continues until the student reaches grade level, and t… - Free student tests and technical-degree credit: benefit, medium. Starting July 1, 2026, the state must offer free, optional ACT and required WorkKeys career-readiness tests to grades 11–12. The ACT is limited to one administration, and ninth graders receive a free, optional pre-ACT. Colleges must count platinum, gold, or silver WorkKeys credentials toward techni… - Pell grant path for workforce students: benefit, medium. Starting July 1, 2026, the governor must approve workforce training programs meeting federal workforce Pell grant requirements. The governor consults the state workforce development board, which must create application and appeal processes. The board must coordinate approvals, prevent duplicate fun… - Lower reading training burdens for educators: benefit, low. State education boards must make literacy training and credential courses available at low or no cost to Kansas-licensed, practicing teachers. Ongoing low- or no-cost learning also covers reading specialists, special education teachers, aides, school psychologists, and school leaders. Courses must… - State can settle student aid debts: benefit, low. Starting July 1, 2026, the Kansas Board of Regents chief executive can negotiate and settle covered student aid repayment debts. This covers Article 32 scholarships, grants, other student aid, and agreements made through those programs. Settlements are discretionary: the law guarantees neither a se… - Schools must use science-based reading methods: benefit, low. The State Board of Education must require structured literacy based on the science of reading and ban discredited teaching methods. Districts cannot use materials based mainly on three-cueing, including MVS, or visual memory to teach word recognition. Starting in 2027–2028, districts must use one s… - State boards take charge of reading goals: benefit, low. The law removes the literacy advisory committee's former responsibility for teacher-credential and student-achievement targets. It assigns literacy goals to the Board of Regents and State Board of Education instead. The 2030 goal is for all Kansas special education, English-language learner, and el… - Aid repayment debts block further funding: cost, high. Starting July 1, 2026, people owing covered Kansas student aid repayments cannot receive more aid from Article 32 programs. The bar covers scholarships, grants, and other student aid under those programs. It applies while a person has a repayment obligation under a covered program or an agreement m… - Promise scholarships cannot pay remedial costs: cost, medium. Starting July 1, 2026, Kansas Promise Scholarship awards cannot pay for remedial courses. The ban also covers remedial hours included in a corequisite course taken alongside college-level work. Students must use another funding source to cover those remedial costs. - Teachers face required reading practice hours: cost, low. Applicants for pre-K–8 general or special education teaching licenses must complete at least 45 hours of literacy practice in schools. The practice covers reading assessment, lesson planning, and evidence-based teaching. Reading specialists must also complete at least 45 hours using assessment tool… - Stronger reading standards for teacher colleges: cost, low. Teacher-preparation programs must show candidates can assess reading, interpret data, and use literacy screening. State institutions must show their programs use only science-of-reading and evidence-based practices. Colleges and the Board of Regents jointly oversee literacy courses, including expli… - Set pay for dual-credit school teachers: mixed, high. Starting July 1, 2026, new or renegotiated agreements set pay for district employees teaching college courses in secondary schools. In 2026–2027, colleges must pay districts $600 per credit hour as teacher salary supplements, covering up to 10 hours per semester. Pay may be prorated when fewer than… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Committee on Education ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2026-04-23 | House | Yea: 25 Nay: 15 | pass | 25 | 15 | | | 2026-04-23 | House | Yea: 123 Nay: 0 | pass | 123 | 0 | | | 2026-04-23 | House | Yea: 39 Nay: 0 | pass | 39 | 0 | | | 2026-04-23 | House | Yea: 123 Nay: 1 | pass | 123 | 1 | | | 2026-03-27 | House | Conference Committee Report was adopted | pass | 123 | 0 | | | 2026-03-27 | Senate | Conference Committee Report was adopted | pass | 39 | 0 | | | 2026-03-19 | Senate | Emergency Final Action - Passed as amended | pass | 25 | 15 | | | 2026-02-18 | House | Final Action - Passed | pass | 123 | 1 | | ## Actions (23) - 2026-04-09: Engrossed on Tuesday, March 31, 2026 (House) - 2026-04-09: Enrolled and presented to Governor on Friday, April 3, 2026 (House) - 2026-04-09: Approved by Governor on Thursday, April 9, 2026 (House) - 2026-03-27: Conference committee report now available (Senate) - 2026-03-27: Conference Committee Report was adopted; Yea 39, Nay 0, Absent 1 (Senate) - 2026-03-27: Conference Committee Report was adopted; Yea 123, Nay 0, Absent 2 (House) - 2026-03-24: Motion to accede adopted; Sen. Renee Erickson, Sen. Adam Thomas and Sen. Dinah Sykes appointed as conferees (Senate) - 2026-03-23: Nonconcurred with amendments; Conference Committee requested; appointed Rep. Susan Estes, Rep. Kyle McNorton and Rep. Jerry Stogsdill (House) - 2026-03-19: Committee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted (Senate) - 2026-03-19: Committee of the Whole - Be passed as amended (Senate) - 2026-03-19: Emergency Final Action - Passed as amended; Yea 25, Nay 15 (Senate) - 2026-03-18: Committee of the Whole - Passed over and retain a place on the calendar (Senate) - 2026-03-17: Committee Report recommending bill be passed as amended by Senate Committee on Education (Senate) - 2026-03-12: Hearing: Thursday, March 12, 2026, 1:30 PM — Room 144-S (Senate) - 2026-02-19: Referred to Senate Committee on Education (Senate) - 2026-02-18: Final Action - Passed; Yea 123, Nay 1, Absent 1 (House) - 2026-02-18: Received and Introduced (Senate) - 2026-02-17: Committee of the Whole - Be passed (House) - 2026-02-06: Committee Report recommending bill be passed by House Committee on Education (House) - 2026-02-04: Hearing: Wednesday, February 4, 2026, 1:30 PM — Room 218-N (House) - 2026-01-29: Hearing: Thursday, January 29, 2026, 1:30 PM — Room 218-N (House) - 2026-01-21: Introduced (House) - 2026-01-21: Referred to House Committee on Education (House) ## Bill text - As Amended by Senate Committee: [PDF](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/hb2485_01_0000.pdf) - As Introduced: [PDF](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/hb_2485/hb2485_00_0000.pdf) - Enrolled: [PDF](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/hb_2485/hb2485_enrolled.pdf) ## Related bills - SB 430: Adding mitragynine to schedule I of the uniform controlled substances act and reconciling multiple amendments to certain statutes in the Kansas criminal code. (signed) - SB 82: Providing tax credits for expenditures for lockable gun and ammunition storage and the retail sale of higher ethanol blends of fuel, discontinuing the tax cred… (signed) - SB 300: Providing for the apportionment of business income by manufacturers of alcoholic liquor depending on whether the taxpayer is a qualifying Kansas investor or a… (signed) - HB 2029: Reconciling multiple amendments to certain statutes. (signed) - HB 2018: Senate Substitute for HB 2018 by Committee on Federal and State Affairs - Creating the crime of interference with the conduct of a religious assembly, providin… (became law) - HB 2036: Providing a Kansas income tax subtraction modification for certain amounts received as compensation for members of the armed forces. (failed) ## Sources - [As Amended by Senate Committee (PDF)](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/hb2485_01_0000.pdf) - [As Introduced (PDF)](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/hb_2485/hb2485_00_0000.pdf) - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/bills/download/?apn=b2025_26/year2/ready_for_publication/hb_2485/hb2485_enrolled.pdf) ## Related - [SB 430: Adding mitragynine to schedule I of the uniform controlled substances act and r…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KS-SB430-2025-2026) - [SB 82: Providing tax credits for expenditures for lockable gun and ammunition storage…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KS-SB82-2025-2026) - [SB 300: Providing for the apportionment of business income by manufacturers of alcoholi…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KS-SB300-2025-2026) - [HB 2029: Reconciling multiple amendments to certain statutes.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KS-HB2029-2025-2026) - [HB 2018: Senate Substitute for HB 2018 by Committee on Federal and State Affairs - Creat…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KS-HB2018-2025-2026) - [HB 2036: Providing a Kansas income tax subtraction modification for certain amounts rece…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KS-HB2036-2025-2026) - [Kansas bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/kansas/bills) - [Kansas state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/kansas) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/KS-HB2485-2025-2026 (as of 2026-10-17).