MESSAGES FROM THE GOVERNOR

Senate Substitute for House Bill No. 2004

An Act concerning public assistance; requiring the secretary for children and families and the secretary of health and environment to execute a memorandum of understanding or other written data-sharing instrument upon written request of the United States department of agriculture or the United States department of health and human services; requiring such secretaries to comply with written data requests from such federal agencies made pursuant to such memorandum of understanding or written data-sharing instrument; amending K.S.A. 39-760 and repealing the existing section.

Message to the Legislature of the State of Kansas

Due to the sensitive, personal information the Department for Children and Families (DCF) and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) maintain on Kansans who participate in programs like SNAP, there are strict data privacy protections regarding which entities have access to this data already embedded in federal law. This bill puts DCF and KDHE in the untenable position of violating state or federal law, thus open to lawsuits.

Therefore, pursuant to Article 2, Section 14(a) of the Constitution of the State of Kansas, I hereby veto Senate Substitute for House Bill 2004.

Laura Kelly, Governor

Dated April 8, 2026.