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HB 2360

Directing the secretary for children and families to review and compare data for public assistance program eligibility.

2025-2026 Regular Session

HB 2360 requires Kansas to continuously match and review public-assistance data using state, federal, and commercial payroll sources to verify eligibility and flag changes.

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Bill Summary · HB 2360

Summary — HB 2360 (2025)

Title: Directing the secretary for children and families to review and compare data for public assistance program eligibility
Status: Hearing — Tue, Feb 11, 2025, 1:30 PM, Room 152-S
Introduced: Feb 3, 2025

Main purpose

HB 2360 directs the Kansas Secretary for Children and Families (DCF) and the Secretary of Health and Environment (KDHE) to enter into data‑matching agreements with commercial payroll data providers, state agencies, and federal sources to continuously review and verify eligibility for food assistance and other public assistance programs. The intent is to detect changes in circumstances (income, residency, death, incarceration, gambling winnings, etc.) that may affect program eligibility more quickly and to publicize aggregate fraud/noncompliance findings.

Key provisions

  • Require DCF and KDHE to enter agreements with commercial payroll data providers (as defined in the Fair Credit Reporting Act) to obtain near‑real time employment and income data, or to present alternatives to the Legislative Coordinating Council (LCC) for approval prior to Nov 1, 2025.
  • Require continuous collection/review of specified data about households enrolled in food assistance, child support, Medicaid, and other assistance programs from state and federal sources at prescribed frequencies:
    • Monthly: Office of Vital Statistics (death records); Department of Corrections (incarceration); EBT out‑of‑state transactions (residency); Kansas Lottery & Racing & Gaming Commission (gambling winnings ≥ $3,000).
    • Quarterly: Kansas Department of Labor (wage/ employment changes); Kansas Department of Revenue (tax records indicating income/wage/residency changes).
    • Semi‑monthly: Department of Labor (more frequent wage/employment/asset information).
    • Monthly review of federal sources: SSA (earnings, SSI, death, pensions), National Directory of New Hires and HHS child support data, HUD earnings/payment info, FBI fleeing felon records.
  • Allow, to the extent permitted by federal law, some data (e.g., lottery winnings) to be “deemed verified” upon receipt; if not, require referral for further investigation.
  • Require DCF to expand or build new technical interfaces with state/federal partners and commercial vendors to support continuous matching.
  • Require quarterly public posting (on the DCF website) of aggregate, non‑confidential information from fraud/noncompliance investigations, including: number of households investigated, prosecutions referred, improper payments, monies recovered, improper‑payment rates, and out‑of‑state EBT expenditures by state.
  • Effective upon publication in the statute book.

Who is affected

  • State agencies: DCF (primary implementer), KDHE, Kansas Department of Labor, Department of Revenue, Department of Corrections, Office of Vital Statistics, Kansas Lottery, Racing & Gaming Commission, and others required to share data.
  • Commercial payroll/payroll‑data vendors (e.g., existing Equifax contract) and employers/payroll providers supplying data.
  • Recipients of food assistance, Medicaid, child support services, and other public assistance programs (more frequent eligibility review; potential for faster case actions).
  • State budget/appropriations (see fiscal impacts).

Fiscal and operational impacts (from fiscal note)

  • DCF estimates increased expenditures of:
    • FY2026: $13.0 million total funds, including $11.3 million State General Fund (SGF).
    • FY2027 and ongoing: $12.6 million total funds, including $10.3 million SGF annually.
  • Contract/data costs: continued access to a commercial payroll data contract (currently with Equifax) has rising costs — projected increases would require:
    • Additional $2.1 million (all funds), including $820,018 SGF in FY2026 to maintain current contract.
    • Additional $3.1 million (all funds), including $1.4 million SGF in FY2027 and beyond.
  • Administrative impacts: expansion/creation of technical interfaces, increased staff tasks to process continuous matches, and costs tied to new agreements with KDOR and other agencies. Some existing data feeds already in use; others would be new or require increased frequency.

Procedural/timeline notes

  • Legislative Coordinating Council must receive presentations of data‑matching options and make approvals prior to Nov 1, 2025 if commercial options are used.
  • Hearing scheduled Feb 11, 2025 (House Committee on Welfare Reform).
  • Bill takes effect upon publication in the statute book.

Potential benefits and tradeoffs

  • Benefits: more timely detection of income/residency/death/incarceration/winnings changes — could reduce improper payments and fraud, improve program integrity, and speed case adjustments.
  • Tradeoffs/risks: substantial upfront and ongoing costs; greater administrative workload; privacy and data‑sharing considerations; reliance on commercial data vendors and potential contract cost volatility.

This summary draws on the bill text (introduced version) and the Division of the Budget fiscal note submitted Feb 19, 2025.

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

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