The Joint Committee on Home and Community Based Services is getting a new name after HB2025 passed in the Senate. It will be known as the Robert G. (Bob) Bethell Joint Committee on Home and Community Based Services and KanCare Oversight.

Bethell is a former House of Representatives member who passes away in a vehicle accident at the end of the 2012 legislative session. He was from Rice County.

The Bill also gives new allowances for the committee to make recommendations and introduce legislation as deemed necessary in performing its functions.

Majority Leader Terry Bruce (R-Hutchinson) released in a statement, “Bob Bethell was a great advocate for healthcare. The work and service he gave is irreplaceable. Naming the committee after him is a small, but appropriate way to honor the work he did for the people of Kansas.”

Senator LaTurner (R- Pittsburg) echoed the same sentiments in this statement, “It was a privilege to carry legislation that guarantees benefits to those who need them the most. It was an even greater privilege to carry legislation named after the man who dedicated his life fighting for their cause.”