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HB 2370

Requiring additional licensing requirements for assisted living facilities with dementia care.

2025-2026 Regular Session

The bill creates a voluntary dementia care certification for assisted living facilities, requiring specific staffing, training, programming, and oversight to market memory care.

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Bill Summary · HB 2370

Summary — HB 2370 (2025): Assisted living facilities — dementia care certification (Kansas)

Status: Referred to House Committee on Health & Human Services (Introduced Feb 3, 2025)
Primary focus: Establishes an optional “assisted living facility with dementia care” certification and prescribes licensing, staffing, training, program and notice requirements for facilities that choose to hold that certification.

Purpose / intent

To create a voluntary, state-administered dementia care certification for assisted living facilities and to set minimum organizational, staffing, training, programming, oversight and transition requirements for facilities that advertise or provide specialized memory/dementia care.

Key provisions

  • Creates a new assisted living facility with dementia care certification administered by the Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS). Facilities that do not obtain certification are prohibited from advertising they offer specialized dementia care.
  • Certification criteria (non‑exhaustive): experience of facility leadership (assisted living director, managerial official, clinical nurse supervisor) with dementia/long‑term care and completion of a state‑approved dementia care certification program by leadership.
  • Staffing and care: certified facilities must maintain staffing levels sufficient to meet residents’ care needs, demonstrated via periodic quality‑of‑care assessments.
  • Mandatory training:
    • Before providing memory care, all employees and contracted staff working with memory care residents must complete a KDADS‑approved standardized dementia care training program (available online).
    • Required content includes: communication and interaction with people with dementia; psychological, social and physical needs; non‑pharmacological approaches; and safety measures.
    • The bill requires ongoing evidence‑based memory care training, but the text contains an inconsistency about frequency (it references both “annual” training and that KDADS will determine training biennially); KDADS rulemaking is needed to clarify.
  • Activity programming: certified facilities must provide an activities program tailored to dementia residents (individualized and a mix of group/one‑to‑one/self‑directed activities); activities can be provided by trained care staff.
  • KDADS authority: may impose additional requirements or enforcement actions after inspections or complaint investigations that document deficiencies; failure to meet individual resident needs is grounds for enforcement.
  • Labeling: the certification/name (“assisted living facility with dementia care”) will be reflected on the facility’s license and may be used in license descriptions only if certified.
  • Transition / voluntary relinquishment: certified facilities must give KDADS written notice at least 60 days before voluntarily relinquishing certification (30 days if fewer than 10 residents affected), provide resident and representative notice and submit a transition plan or general framework demonstrating how residents will be evaluated and relocated if needed; revise advertising and disclosures accordingly.
  • Timing: facilities that elect to apply for certification must comply with the section’s provisions within 12 months of enactment/publishing in the Kansas Register. The section supplements Article 9, Chapter 39, K.S.A.

Who is affected

  • Assisted living facilities in Kansas that offer or would like to advertise memory/dementia care — must apply for and meet certification requirements to market specialized services.
  • Facility leadership and direct care staff — new training, potential staffing and program responsibilities.
  • Residents receiving dementia care and their legal/designated representatives — affected by program standards and transition protections.
  • KDADS — additional regulatory, certification, inspection and enforcement responsibilities.

Fiscal and implementation impacts (KDADS estimate)

  • KDADS estimates one‑time costs (development of certification category and database updates) and ongoing oversight:
    • FY2026: approximately $1.2 million total (includes $500,000 one‑time, $100,000 ongoing oversight, and ~$695,300 for 7 new staff salaries/operating expenses).
    • FY2027: approximately $706,200 (continuing staff/operating costs; includes a ~2.5% salary increase adjustment).
    • KDADS requests 7.00 FTE to administer certification.
  • The fiscal note does not estimate costs to providers for additional staffing, training or program changes; those costs would fall to facilities choosing certification.

Rulemaking and timeline

  • KDADS must adopt rules and regulations to implement the certification, training standards and other program details.
  • Facilities choosing certification must meet requirements within 12 months of enactment/publishing; KDADS rulemaking will determine detailed implementation schedules and training frequency.

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

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