Bills affecting Senior (65+, Medicare/SS) in Kansas — 2026 session

Providing that a person shall not lose eligibility for a homestead property tax refund claim or the selective assistance for effective senior relief (SAFESR) tax credit if the appraised valuation of the homestead subsequently exceeds $350,000 after qualifying in a previous tax year.

Excluding social security payments from household income and increasing the household income and appraised value thresholds for eligibility of seniors and disabled veterans related to increased property tax homestead claims.

Requiring the department of health and environment (KDHE) to seek federal approval for continuous medicaid eligibility for certain individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities receiving services through a home and community based services waiver, directing state agencies to report to certain legislative committees on Kansans losing public assistance program eligibility, requiring the Kansas department for children and families and KDHE to enter into data-matching agreements with state agencies to verify eligibility for food and medical assistance and KDHE to submit certain data to the centers for medicare and medicaid services, prohibiting certain public assistance waivers or exemptions without legislative approval and self-attestation for purposes of determining eligibility for public assistance, requiring quarterly eligibility redeterminations for medical assistance and providing exceptions for certain individuals, limiting retroactive enrollment in medical assistance, immediately terminating eligibility for medical assistance upon confirmation of death of the enrollee, increasing the age limit for able-bodied adults without certain dependents and prohibiting certain exemptions from work requirements under the food assistance program.

Enacting the Kansas municipal self-funded medical and prescription drug insurance pool act and establishing certain reserve, maximum exposure funding and reporting requirements for municipal self-funded medical and prescription drug insurance pools.

Permitting a pharmacist to initiate therapy for certain conditions consistent with the pharmacist's education, training and experience, adding pharmacists who initiate such therapy to the healthcare stabilization fund and allowing a pharmacist to dispense a one-time emergency refill of a noncontrolled prescription drug for up to a 90-day supply when no refills remain.

Requiring the Kansas department of wildlife and parks to offer discounted resident senior combination hunting and fishing passes to residents of this state who are 65 years of age or older and removing the expiration date for Kansas kids lifetime combination hunting and fishing licenses.

Establishing the Kansas empowerment savings program, authorizing certain employees to contribute to individual retirement accounts through an automatic payroll deduction and providing powers, duties, functions and responsibilities of the Kansas empowerment savings program board of trustees within the state treasurer's office concerning such program.

Providing membership in the KP&F retirement system for certain security officers of the department of corrections and allowing certain service credit purchases of previous KPERS security officer service for purposes of KP&F retirement benefits.

Providing a KPERS working after retirement exemption from the employer contribution rate for retirants who are employed as teachers by a school district in a position for which a certificate to teach is required.

Providing a income tax subtraction modification for amounts received as compensation for serving in the armed forces and providing that a person shall not lose eligibility for a homestead property tax refund claim or the selective assistance for effective senior relief (SAFESR) income tax credit if the appraised valuation of the homestead subsequently exceeds $350,000 after qualifying in a previous tax year.

Requiring the department of health and environment in coordination with the Kansas department for aging and disability services to seek federal approval to establish continuous medicaid eligibility for certain individuals with intellectual or developmental disabilities who are receiving services through a home and community based services waiver, requiring the secretary for children and families and the secretary of health and environment to enter into data-matching agreements with state agencies to verify eligibility for food and medical assistance, directing the department of health and environment to submit certain data to the centers for medicare and medicaid services, prohibiting certain public assistance program waivers or exemptions without legislative approval, prohibiting self-attestation for purposes of determining eligibility for public assistance programs, limiting retroactive enrollment in the medical assistance program, increasing the age limit for able-bodied adults without certain dependents and prohibiting certain exemptions from work requirements under the food assistance program.

Providing for an increased amount of income for eligibility of individuals for the selective assistance for effective senior relief income tax credit.

Authorizing retirement and disability benefits under KPERS, KP&F and the retirement system for judges to be paid on either a biweekly or monthly basis at the option of a member or recipient.

Creating the Kansas public employees retirement system cost-of-living adjustment commission, prescribing powers and duties of the commission and establishing procedures of the legislature relating to the annual cost-of-living adjustment rate recommended by the commission.

Increasing the personal needs allowance for residents receiving long-term care in a medicaid-approved nursing facility.

Raising the mandatory retirement age for magistrate judges regularly admitted to practice law who serve in counties with a population of 10,000 or fewer people.

Requiring the secretary of health and environment to request a waiver from the United States centers for medicare and medicaid services to end participation in certain expenditure authorities under the KanCare demonstration.

Enacting the prescription drug cost and affordability review act to establish the prescription drug pricing board and prescription drug affordability stakeholder council to review the cost of prescription medications and establish upper payment limits for certain prescription drugs.

Enacting the Kansas retirement investment and savings plan (KRISP) act and establishing terms, conditions, requirements, membership elections, accounts, benefits, contributions and distributions related to such plan.

Increasing the mandatory retirement age for certain judges, requiring more years of service prior to receiving a member contribution reduction and increasing the maximum retirement benefit.