Kansas reins in nursing board’s disciplinary overreach
April 08, 2026
Topeka, Kansas; April 8, 2026: Yesterday, Kansas Governor Laura Kelly signed into law a crucial reform to the Kansas State Board of Nursing’s disciplinary procedures by ending a decades-long practice of citing nurses for “unprofessional conduct” over honest administrative mistakes. House Bill 2528 redefines “unprofessional conduct” as actions actually related to the practice of nursing — those that pose real threats to patient safety, rather than mere clerical errors.
“Kansas just drew a line that every state should draw. Licensing boards exist to protect the public, not to destroy careers over paperwork errors,” said Emily Amin, State Policy counsel with Pacific Legal Foundation. “Nurses who dedicate their lives to caring for patients deserve better than a government bureaucracy that treats a missed deadline the same as putting patients’ safety at risk.”
Under HB 2528, nurses harmed by the Board’s overreach will have their records cleared, restoring their job prospects in the midst of a nursing shortage. The bill also modernizes the license renewal process by requiring notices before and after the renewal deadline and establishing clear reinstatement pathways for nurses whose licenses lapse due to clerical errors.
Pacific Legal Foundation client Amy Siple, a Kansas nurse practitioner with over 30 years of experience, worked closely with PLF to advance this legislation. Siple was investigated by the Board and threatened with an “unprofessional conduct” note on her record after her license inadvertently lapsed while she was caring for her husband during his cancer treatment. Her case, Amy Siple v. Kansas Board of Nursing, is pending in Kansas district court.
PLF continues fighting for nurses’ occupational freedom across the country.
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About Pacific Legal Foundation
Pacific Legal Foundation is a national nonprofit law firm that defends Americans threatened by government overreach and abuse. Since our founding in 1973, we challenge the government when it violates individual liberty and constitutional rights. With active cases in 34 states plus Washington, D.C., PLF represents clients in state and federal courts, with 18 wins of 20 cases litigated at the U.S. Supreme Court.