Each year, KABC determines what our Public Policy priorities will be, prior to the Kansas legislative session.  The priority list for 2020 includes Legislation introduced in KS 2019 and pending action in 2020:

1. Electronic Monitoring HB 2229. Introduced by KABC in 2019 to undo language included in the 2018 law which prevents the use of a recording which has been edited/altered (advertently or inadvertently) for the pursuit of elder justice in ANY administrative, civil, or criminal action.

2. Background Checks & Provisional Employment for long-term care workers HB 2343. Introduced by KABC in 2019 to remove language included in a 2018 law which allowed a LTC provider to hire a person and let them work for up to 60 days without a cleared background check. The provisional employee could have full access to frail elders and other vulnerable persons as well as to their belongings creating tremendous risk for elders. The 2018 law also protects the employer from any financial liability should a “provisional employee” harm an elder; does not require the employer to notify the elder about any provisional worker or identify any workers in a facility who are working without a cleared background check. A glaring loophole in a law to protect vulnerable elders.

3. Written Informed Consent for Anti-Psychotic Medications HB 2344. Introduced by KABC in 2019 as a means to certify protection of an elder’s right to be fully informed and are able to exercise their right to choose to use or refuse any medical care or treatment recommended by a prescriber. Anti-psychotic drugs are not approved for use with elders or to treat dementia. In fact these drugs double an elder’s risk of death within 12 weeks of use, increase their risk for stroke, falls, confusion, and serious infection. In many cases the drugs are used to illegally chemically restrain an older adult. The bill applies to residents in adult care homes.

4. KABC opposes HB 2404 Senior Task Force. The long-term care industry introduced this bill to look at nursing homes – likely reimbursement, but the task force is overwhelmingly made up of facility providers. KABC is advocating for parity of representation between providers and consumers, and equal representation of home-based care providers along with facility providers. Older adults want to live and age at home, as the task force is defined in the legislation introduced it will maintain the status quo of access to facilities but not grow the network of home based care services needed so older Kansans can remain at home.

To read more about potential new legislation, you can read the entire priorities document here: 2020 Public Policy Priorities KABC 12-12-2019