SESSION OF 2023
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON HOUSE BILL NO. 2338
As Amended by Senate Committee on Public
Health and Welfare

Brief*
HB 2338, as amended, would designate Sickle Cell
Disease Awareness Week as the third full week of September
and encourage Kansans to observe the week to raise
awareness of sickle cell disease and efforts to improve
treatment options for patients.
The bill would state sickle cell disease is a genetic
disease in which a person’s body produces abnormally
shaped red blood cells that resemble a crescent and do not
last as long as normal, round red blood cells, leading to
anemia.

Background
The bill was introduced by the House Committee on
Health and Human Services at the request of Representative
Clifford on behalf of Vertex Pharmaceuticals.

House Committee on Health and Human Services
In the House Committee on Health and Human Services
hearing on February 20, 2023, proponent testimony was
provided by a representative of the Uriel E. Owens Sickle Cell
Disease Association of the Midwest who described the
disease and how this bill would assist those who have this
disease. A representative of the Kansas Department of Health
____________________
*Supplemental notes are prepared by the Legislative Research
Department and do not express legislative intent. The supplemental
note and fiscal note for this bill may be accessed on the Internet at
http://www.kslegislature.org
and Environment (KDHE), Bureau of Family Health, provided
written-only proponent testimony.
No other testimony was provided.

Senate Committee on Public Health and Welfare
In the Senate Committee hearing on March 14, 2023,
proponent testimony was heard from a representative of the
Uriel E. Owens Sickle Cell Disease Association of the
Midwest who testified that this bill would provide awareness
of the disease to the public and trait carriers.
Written-only proponent testimony was received from a
representative of KDHE.
No other testimony was provided.
The Senate Committee amended the bill to:
● Remove the requirement for an annual review of
the topic by the advisory council established by the
Secretary of Health and Environment (Secretary) to
advise KDHE on newborn screening guidelines;
● Remove the requirement the advisory council,
during one regularly scheduled meeting each
calendar year, devote time to:
○ Discuss and evaluate the adequacy of
available covered medications, treatments,
and services to meet the needs of those
individuals with a sickle cell disease
diagnosis;
○ Review treatment information on late-stage
studies from peer-reviewed medical literature;
and
○ Review the importance of health care provider
education on the disproportionate impact of
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 sickle cell disease on specific minority
populations; and

● Remove the authorization for KDHE, under the
guidance of any appropriate advisory council as
directed by the Secretary, to develop a publicly
available report from the advisory council meetings
and activities; and
● Remove the authorization for KDHE to request
expert testimony or input in the development of the
report and any report and solicited testimony or
input to be compiled and published on KDHE’s
website.
Fiscal Information
According to the fiscal note prepared by the Division of
the Budget on the bill, as introduced, KDHE indicates any
costs associated with the activities outlined in the bill would
be absorbed within existing program functions and resources.
Any fiscal effect associated with enactment of the bill is
not reflected in The FY 2024 Governor’s Budget Report.
Sickle Cell Disease; anemia; Sickle Cell Awareness Week; Kansas Department of
Health and Environment


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