Brief⁽¹⁾

H.B. 2989, as amended, would give an adult care facility with less than 60 beds the option to convert a portion of the facility to residential health care beds. Under the provisions of the bill, a facility would have the option of licensing not less than 10 percent of their total bed count within a contiguous portion of the facility as residential health care beds. Current law requires that all adult care facilities requesting licensure for a portion of their beds as residential health care beds set aside at least one wing of the facility for such use. H.B. 2989 would allow small facilities to receive licensure for some of their beds as residential health care beds without using an entire wing for that type of bed.

Background

Conferees appearing in support of the bill included the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the Kansas Association of Homes and Services for the Aging, the Kansas Department on Aging, and others. The House Committee amended the bill to strike language allowing licensure for less than six individuals and replace it with language allowing licensure for no less than 10 percent of the total bed count.

The fiscal note on H.B. 2989 for the Kansas Department on Aging indicates that the bill would make it easier for adult care homes to set aside residential health care beds. Adult care homes are reimbursed at a lower level for residential health care beds than for nursing home beds. If more residential health care beds were available, less use may be made of costlier nursing home beds. The fiscal note for the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, which is responsible for the licensure of adult care homes, indicated that the bill would not increase the cost of adult care home licensure.

1. *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.ink.org/public/legislative/fulltext-bill.html.