SESSION OF 2021
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON HOUSE BILL NO. 2371
As Amended by House Committee on Children
and Seniors

Brief*
HB 2371, as amended, would amend a statute
governing eligibility for Temporary Assistance for Needy
Families (TANF), food assistance, and child care subsidies.
The bill would remove provisions disqualifying
individuals from receiving a child care subsidy or participating
in the food assistance program due to non-cooperation with
child support services.
In a provision requiring the Secretary for Children and
Families to adopt rules and regulations used in determining
and maintaining eligibility for non-TANF child care, requiring
that all included adults shall be employed a minimum of 20
hours per week or more as defined by the Secretary or meet
certain exemptions, the bill would add exemptions for:
● Adults enrolled in a public or nonpublic elementary
or secondary school, making progress toward
graduation, for up to 48 months; and
● Adults enrolled in a postsecondary educational
institution for at least six credit hours that are
required to obtain a degree or certificate, for up to
72 months.
The bill would remove provisions requiring the
Department for Children and Families (DCF) to provide child
care for the pursuit of any degree or certification under certain
____________________
*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
conditions, subject to a lifetime maximum of 24 months per
adult, requiring students to be employed for a minimum of 15
hours per week, and not allowing child care in a two-parent
adult household if both parents are adults and attending a
formal education or training program at the same time.

Background
The bill was introduced by the House Committee on
Children and Seniors at the request of Representative
Concannon on behalf of Kansas Action for Children.
House Committee on Children and Seniors
In the House Committee hearing on February 22,
2021, representatives of ChildCare Aware of Kansas, DCF,
Kansas Action for Children, Kansas Appleseed, and Kansas
Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence; an
associate professor at The Ohio State University, College of
Social Work; and a private citizen testified as proponents of
the bill, stating the bill would increase access to the child care
and food assistance programs, which would remove
educational barriers and enhance economic opportunity.
Written-only proponent testimony was submitted by
representatives of Aligned, Association of Kansas Food
Banks, Coffeyville Public Schools, Community Health Center
of Southeast Kansas, Crawford County Mental Health, The
Family Conservancy, Family Crisis Services, The Family
Resource Center, Finney County Economic Development
Corporation, Googols of Learning Child Development Center,
Health Forward Foundation, Hilltop Child Development
Center, Kansas Association for the Education of Young
Children, Kansas Children’s Service League, Kansas Head
State Association, Kansas Parents as Teachers, Kansas
Public Health Association, March of Dimes, Northrock, Inc.,
Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault,
Montgomery County Action Council, Nurture KC, Safehouse

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Crisis Center, Inc., and United Way: Success by 6; a family
response advocate; and two private citizens.
A representative of Opportunity Solutions Project
testified as an opponent of the bill, stating current law allows
exemptions to the eligibility requirements for good cause, and
removing child support cooperation requirements would
reduce collection of rightfully-due child support.
On February 25, 2021, the House Committee amended
the bill to add progress, degree, and minimum credit hour
requirements and maximum benefit periods to the
educational exemptions created by the bill and to change the
term “private” to “nonpublic.”
Fiscal Information
According to the fiscal note prepared by the Division
of Budget on the bill as introduced, DCF indicates the bill
would increase the caseload for child care assistance. The
agency estimates the caseload for child care assistance
could increase an average of 130 cases per month for FY
2022, which would require additional expenditures of
$1,382,298 from federal funds. The agency estimates cases
would increase to an average of 370 cases per month in FY
2023, resulting in additional costs of $4,129,985 in FY 2023
from federal funds. The estimates assume 24 months of child
case assistance would be provided from the removal of the
work requirement for adults in school. The agency estimates
the caseload would level off in FY 2024 at an average
increase of 480 cases per month.
The agency indicates it would also need to add 15.00
FTE human services positions at a cost of $863,027 from all
funding sources in FY 2022, including $388,276 from the
State General Fund. Additionally, the bill would change
eligibility requirements that could require information
technology changes. The agency estimates these one-time
costs could be $1.0 million from all funding sources in FY
2022, including $435,540, from the State General Fund.
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 Any fiscal effect associated with the bill is not reflected
in The FY 2022 Governor’s Budget Report.
Eligibility for public benefits; food assistance; child support; 20-hour-per-week work
requirement; exemptions


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Statutes affected:
As introduced: 39-709, 21-5701
As Amended by House Committee: 39-709, 21-5701