SESSION OF 2023
SUPPLEMENTAL NOTE ON SENATE SUBSTITUTE FOR
HOUSE BILL NO. 2060
As Recommended by Senate Committee on
Education
Brief*
Senate Sub. for HB 2060 would make technical changes
to law relating to the Drivers’ Training School License Act to
ensure community colleges and other institutions receive
payments from the State Safety Fund. The bill would also
authorize several items that qualified students must be
provided reasonable access to under the AO-K to Work
Program. In addition, the bill would amend law to include
individuals who receive a high school equivalency (HSE)
credential, or who are pursing an HSE credential, in the
calculation of and subsequent distribution of performance-
based payments for community colleges and technical
colleges.
Drivers’ Training School License Act
The bill would make technical changes to the Drivers’
Training School License Act to ensure that community
colleges, rather than students enrolled in community colleges,
receive payments from the State Safety Fund for the number
of students who have completed a driver training course
during the past school year.
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*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 AO-K to Work Program
Under current law, the State Board of Regents award an
HSE credential to qualified students who, among other
factors, successfully complete an approved AO-K career
pathway and receive the industry-recognized credential
appropriate to the completed pathway. Students are to be
provided reasonable access to all available student resources
of the adult education program, the participating technical or
community college, and the appropriate community partners.
The bill would add several items to the available student
resources that qualified students must be provided
reasonable access to, including books, tools, and personal
materials required to participate in an AO-K career pathway
program and industry examinations.
The bill would also provide for financial assistance for
books, tools, personal materials, and industry examinations.
The financial assistance provided would be the aggregate
amount of the cost of books, tools, personal materials, and
industry examinations for the AO-K career pathway program
in which the student is enrolled and receiving assistance,
minus the aggregate amount of all other aid awarded to the
student. The financial assistance would be subject to
appropriations, and the amount of financial assistance
provided for each student could not exceed $500.
High School Equivalency Credential
Under current law, the State Board of Regents
distributes incentive payments to each community college
and technical college for individuals who have received a
General Educational Development (GED) credential or who
are pursuing a GED while enrolled in an eligible career
technical education program.
The bill would require the State Board of Regents to
distribute incentive payments to community colleges and
2- 2060 technical colleges for individuals who have received a GED or
HSE credential or who are pursuing a GED or an HSE
credential while enrolled in an eligible career technical
education program.
[Note: According to the State Board of Regents, a GED
credential is issued after the successful completion of the
GED examination, a four-subject high school equivalency
test. A HSE credential is issued after successful completion of
the Kansas Pathway to Career High School Equivalency
program, which allows a student who is at least 21 years old
to work toward their high school completion as well as obtain
a college certificate or credential.]
Background
The Senate Committee on Education recommended a
substitute bill that included provisions originally contained in
SB 84 (providing for HSE credentials) and provisions relating
to the AO-K to Work Program and the Drivers’ Training
School License Act. The original provisions of HB 2060 were
removed from the bill. [Note: HB 2060, as passed by the
House, would have established the Special Education and
Related Services Funding Task Force.]
SB 84
The bill was introduced by the Senate Committee on
Education at the request of a representative of the State
Board of Regents.
Senate Committee on Education
In the Senate Committee hearing, a representative of
the State Board of Regents testified as a proponent of the
bill, stating that although the 2019 Legislature amended state
law to recognize the HSE credential option in addition to the
GED option, the legislation did not include the performance-
3- 2060 based incentives. According to the proponent, the bill to
amend the statute would maintain consistency and would
allow the State Board of Regents to include the HSE
credential when calculating institutions’ performance-based
incentive payments.
No other testimony was provided.
The Senate Committee removed the contents of HB
2060 and inserted the provisions of SB 84. The Senate
Committee further amended the bill by inserting provisions
regarding the AO-K to Work Program and the Drivers’
Training School License Act. The Senate Committee then
recommended a substitute bill.
Fiscal Information
SB 84
According to the fiscal note prepared by the Division of
the Budget on SB 84, as introduced, the State Board of
Regents indicates that enactment of the bill would have a
negligible fiscal effect for incentive payments made to
community colleges and technical colleges.
An updated fiscal note on the substitute bill was not
immediately available.
Any fiscal effect associated with the bill is not reflected
in The FY 2024 Governor’s Budget Report.
Postsecondary educational institutions; high school equivalency credentials; general
educational development; AO-K; driver training
4- 2060