MESSAGES FROM THE GOVERNOR

Senate Bill No. 334

An Act concerning nursing workforce development; providing education levels for instructors at nursing schools as a requirement for state approval; amending K.S.A. 65-1119 and repealing the existing section.

Message to the Legislature of the State of Kansas

I understand the urgent need to address the workforce shortage in skilled nursing and to have a sufficient number of educators to prepare future nurses. However, I have concerns that the lowered educational requirements for educators in Senate Bill 334 would result in a decreased level of rigorous academic training that would leave prospective nurses unprepared to deliver the standard of care Kansans trust nursing professionals to provide. Nurses are on the frontlines of caring for Kansans in medical situations ranging from simple preventive care to emergency trauma response, and we should honor the responsibility of these roles by ensuring they receive the highest quality education possible.

For these reasons, I am letting Senate Bill 334 become law without my signature.

Laura Kelly, Governor

Dated April 3, 2026.