SESSION OF 2022
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON SUBSTITUTE FOR HOUSE
BILL NO. 2466
As Amended by Senate Committee on
Education

Brief*
Sub. for HB 2466, as amended, would create the
Promoting Advancement in Computing Knowledge Act (PACK
Act), the Computer Science Pre-service Educator Program,
and authorize the State Board of Education to provide grants
to high-quality professional learning providers.

PACK Act
The PACK Act would require, beginning in the 2023-
2024 school year, each secondary school operated by a
school district to offer at least one computer science course,
or submit to the State Board of Education (State Board) a
plan describing how the district intends to offer a computer
science course and in which school year such course will be
offered. The bill would require such course to:
● Be high quality;
● Meet or exceed the Kansas Model Standards for
Computer Science as established by the State
Board; and
● Be made available in a traditional classroom
setting, a blended learning environment, or an
online-based or other technology-based format that
____________________
*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
 is tailored to meet the needs of each high school
and participating student.
The bill would require the State Board, on or before
January 15, 2023, and each January 15 thereafter, to prepare
and submit a report to the Governor and Legislature on the
progress of the PACK Act. Such report would be required to
include, but not be limited to, the following information for the
immediately preceding school year:
● Number of secondary schools that offered one or
more computer science courses;
● Number of high-quality, professional learning
providers that received grants from the State Board
under the bill;
● Number of teachers prepared by high-quality
professional learning providers;
● Number of teachers teaching computer science
courses compared to number of teachers prepared
by learning providers; and
● Number of students reached by high-quality
learning providers.
● The bill would sunset the reporting requirements on
July 1, 2025.
Computer Science Pre-service Educator Program
The Computer Science Pre-service Educator Program
(Program) would authorize the Kansas Board of Regents
(KBOR) to provide scholarships, not to exceed $1,000, to pre-
service teachers working towards a degree in elementary or
secondary education and to licensed teachers who complete
one course in computer science while enrolled in a state
educational institution, community college, or certain not-for-
profit institution of postsecondary education. The bill would
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require the KBOR to prioritize for receipt of scholarships
those candidates from underrepresented groups and those
candidates who agree to teach computer science in rural
schools and in schools with higher percentages of students
from underrepresented groups. The bill would authorize the
KBOR to coordinate with postsecondary educational
institutions to develop pathways in computer science
education for pre-service teachers to obtain a certification to
teach computer science. The bill would require the KBOR to
adopt rules and regulations necessary to implement the
Program, including requirements for scholarship eligibility and
applications.

State Board of Education Grants
The bill would also authorize the State Board, subject to
appropriations, to award grants to high-quality professional
learning providers to develop and implement professional
development programs for teachers to teach computer
science courses. The bill would require such learning
providers to submit an application to the State Board for
receipt of a grant. If a grant is received, the learning provider
would be required to use it for one of the following purposes:
● Providing high-quality professional learning;
● Credentialing for computer science teachers;
● Supporting computer science professional learning;
● Creating resources to support implementation of
the bill;
● Student recruitment; and
● Development of teacher preparation programs.
The bill would require any such learning provider that
receives a grant to provide an annual report to the State

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Board to include certain information. The bill would require
the State Board to prioritize for the receipt of grants:
● School districts that work in partnership with
providers of high-quality professional learning;
● Proposals that describe strategies to enroll female
students, students from marginalized racial and
ethnic groups underrepresented in computer
science, students eligible for free and reduced-
price meals, students with disabilities, and students
who are English language learners; and
● Proposals from rural or urban areas that
experience difficulties providing computer science
offerings.
Background
HB 2466 was introduced by Representative Huebert.
House Committee on Education
In the House Committee hearing on HB 2466,
Representative Huebert and representatives of CODE.org,
Cornerstone Data, FlagshipKansas.Tech, the Kansas
Association of Community Colleges, the KBOR, and Kansas
State University testified as proponents. Proponents
generally discussed the need for Kansas students to be
prepared for a workforce that requires computer science skills
and the need for Kansas teachers to provide students with
such skills. Proponents provided information on jobs within
the technology sector that are available for Kansas
graduates.
Representatives of the Kansas National Education
Association, the Kansas State Department of Education, and
the United School Administrators of Kansas testified as
opponents. Opponents generally stated concerns with
provisions in the bill requiring students to pass a computer
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science course as a requirement for graduation from high
school.
Representatives of the Independent College Association
and the Kansas Association of School Boards provided
neutral testimony.
Written-only proponent testimony was provided by the
Kansas Chamber, Wichita Regional Chamber of Commerce,
and Wichita State University. Written-only opponent testimony
was provided by a representative of the Kansas School
Superintendents Association. Written-only neutral testimony
was provided by representatives of the Kansas Parent
Teacher Association and Game On for Kansas Schools.
The House Committee amended the bill to:
● Remove provisions requiring students to earn one
unit of credit in an approved high school computer
science course for graduation from high school;
● Remove provisions appropriating $1.0 million
dollars from the State General Fund to the Kansas
State Department of Education for grants to
professional learning providers;
● Remove provisions appropriating $1.0 million
dollars from the State General Fund to the KBOR
for scholarships for teachers;
● Require the State Board to prepare and submit
reports to the Governor and Legislature regarding
progress of the PACK Act;
● Establish the Computer Science Pre-service
Teacher Educator Program (Program);
● Make licensed teachers eligible for the receipt of
scholarships under the Program; and
● Make eligible for the receipt of scholarships under
the Program those pre-service or licensed teachers
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 enrolled in certain not-for-profit institutions of
higher education.
The House Committee recommended a substitute bill be
passed.
Senate Committee on Education
In the Senate Committee hearing, proponent testimony
was provided by Representative Huebert and a
representative of the Kansas Association of School Boards.
Proponents generally discussed the need for Kansas
students to be prepared for a workforce that requires
computer science skills and the need for Kansas teachers to
provide students with such skills. Written-only proponent
testimony was provided by representatives of the Code.org
Advocacy Coalition, FlagshipKansas.Tech, Kansas Chamber
of Commerce, Kansas Independent College Association,
Kansas State Board of Education, and Wichita Regional
Chamber of Commerce.
Opponent testimony was provided by a representative
of the Kansas National Education Association. The opponent
generally stated the cause of opposition was the reporting
requirement, which is the purview of the State Board rather
than the Legislature.
The Senate Committee amended the bill to make the
required course offerings applicable to all secondary schools
rather than solely high schools.
Fiscal Information
No updated fiscal note on the substitute bill was
available at the time of Senate Committee action.
Promoting Advancement in Computing Knowledge Act; Computer Science Pre-
service Educator Program; education; computer science; State Board of Education;
Kansas Board of Regents


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Statutes affected:
Enrolled: 72-6332