Gov. Kelly signs education, suicide coercion and other bills

TOPEKA (KSNT) – Gov. Laura Kelly signed seven bills on Wednesday including SB 438 which establishes the Kansas Blueprint for Literacy.

Under the bill, the Kansas Board of Regents will receive $10 million in additional funding to implement Kansas Blueprint for Literacy. Kansas Blueprint for Literacy will provide teachers with resources for retraining in the science of reading, structured literacy and literacy screening and assessment tools.

“The Kansas Blueprint for Literacy is an innovative piece of legislation that will transform how we prepare educators to teach reading and better equip our students with the literacy tools they need to succeed,” Kelly said. “This bill places Kansas at the forefront of nationwide efforts to reform reading instruction and expands on the progress we have been making to prioritize literacy throughout a child’s academic journey.”

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The bill will see the collaboration from state universities to operate six Centers for Excellence in Reading. According to a press release from the Office of the Governor, the centers will provide assessment of reading difficulties, train in-service and pre-service educators with the use of simulation labs and support instructional coaches.

“As parents, we want the very best for our children and this bill ensures they get it,” said Melanie Haas, Chair, Kansas State Board of Education. “By aligning the efforts of K-12 and higher education to train our educators in the science of reading, we intend to end the literacy divide for our students once and for all.”

Kelly also signed the following bills:

Senate Substitute for House Bill 2144: Makes encouraging individuals to attempt suicide a criminal offense. The bill also creates organized retail crime and authorizes the attorney general to prosecute certain crimes.

Senate Bill 333: Enacts Kathy’s Bill, creating an employment preference for people with disabilities for state employment. It also extends the state use law committee to July 1, 2029.

Senate Bill 410: Makes changes to the SALT Parity Act so business owners avoid being double taxed on income under certain circumstances. It also provides property tax exemptions for certain new electric generation facilities. It also makes several changes to the law regarding revenue-neutral rate processes.

House Bill 2501: Requires that railroads in Kansas store train cars a minimum of 250 feet away from certain railroad crossings.

Substitute for House Bill 2570: The bill updates employment security law and extends provisions to modernize Kansas’ unemployment insurance software.

House Bill 2760: Renames the Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs Office to the Kansas Office of Veterans Services and updates the statute to reflect that name change. The bill also updates grant requirements for the Veterans Claims Assistance Program.

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