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HB 2034

Authorizing school districts to employ chaplains or accept such persons as volunteers.

2025-2026 Regular Session Introduced by Bill Rhiley

School districts may hire or accept volunteer chaplains to provide student support and programs, with background checks and no teacher-licensure requirement.

Died in Committee
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Bill Summary · HB 2034

Summary — HB 2034 (Kansas): Authorizing school districts to employ or accept chaplains as volunteers

Status: Enacted — Signed by the Governor (July 1, 2025).
Introduced: January 23, 2025.
Primary sponsor (Kansas): Representative Rhiley.

Purpose / Intent

Allow local school boards to provide students with access to chaplains who deliver support, services, and programs. The bill creates an explicit option for districts to hire chaplains as employees or accept them as volunteers, with certain background and eligibility safeguards.

Key provisions

  • Authorization: The board of education of a school district may employ a chaplain or accept a chaplain as a volunteer to provide student support, services, and programs as directed by the board, superintendent, or a delegated administrator.
  • Licensing: A chaplain employed or volunteering under this statute is not required to hold any teacher license issued by the State Board of Education.
  • Background checks: Chaplains must undergo the same criminal history records check required by the local board for all other district employees.
  • Sex-offender bar: No person convicted of, or adjudicated for, an offense requiring registration under the Kansas Offender Registration Act (K.S.A. 22-4901 et seq.) may be employed or accepted as a volunteer chaplain.
  • Effective date: The act takes effect and is in force following its publication in the statute book (per the bill text).

Fiscal impact

  • State: The Kansas Department of Education reported no fiscal effect at the state level.
  • Local districts: The Kansas Association of School Boards indicated any costs (salaries, benefits, background check fees, supervision, program costs) would be borne by the districts that choose to employ or accept volunteer chaplains.

Who is affected

  • School districts and local boards of education (authority and potential fiscal responsibility).
  • Students (access to chaplain-provided support/services).
  • Chaplains (not required to hold teacher licensure; subject to criminal background check).
  • District HR and compliance processes (to implement background checks and ensure statutory exclusions).

Legislative/timeline notes

  • Filed/introduced January 2025; considered in committee (public hearing recorded April 9, 2025).
  • Passed by the Legislature and transmitted to the Governor; signed into law July 1, 2025.
  • Fiscal Note prepared January 30, 2025 by the Division of the Budget (notes no state fiscal effect; local costs borne by participating districts).

Note: The provided packet included unrelated HB 2034 texts from other states; the summary above reflects the Kansas bill authorizing school-district chaplains.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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