Kansas
Kansas licenses several kinds of 'adult care homes'. A boarding care home operates 24/7 for no more than 10 unrelated individuals. A home plus is a residence for a small number of unrelated individuals who need personal care and possibly supervised nursing care. Assisted living and residential health care facilities serve six or more. HB 2520 (signed April 6, 2026) raised the home plus cap from 12 to 16, and homes caring for more than 12 residents need written plans showing they can serve the larger group safely.
License categories
Boarding care homeHome plusAssisted living facilityResidential health care facility
Key laws
K.S.A. 39-923
Adult Care Home Licensure Act; definitions — official text
2026 Kan. Sess. Laws ch. 50 (HB 2520)
Increasing home plus capacity from 12 to 16 residents — official text
K.A.R. Agency 26, Articles 39-43
Adult care home regulations (Art. 41 assisted living/residential health care; Art. 42 homes plus) — official text
Key requirements
- License required as an adult care home; boarding care homes are capped at 10 residents and home plus at 16 (formerly 12)
- Under HB 2520, home plus facilities with more than 8 residents must adjust staffing to residents' needs, and staff providing dementia care need annual training
- Home plus rules require a licensed nurse to provide or coordinate health services in the negotiated service agreement, plus new-employee orientation and regular in-service training (K.A.R. Art. 42)
- Since the SFY 2025 budget proviso, assisted living, residential health care, home plus and boarding care homes must report each involuntary transfer or discharge to KDADS within 60 days
Sources
- https://www.kslegislature.gov/b2025_26/laws/039_000_0000_chapter/039_009_0000_article/039_009_0023_section/039_009_0023_k/
- https://kslegislature.gov/li/b2025_26/measures/documents/hb2520_01_0000.pdf
- https://sos.ks.gov/publications/sessionlaws/2026/Chapter-50-HB-2520.html
- https://klrd.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/Agency-26-KDADS.pdf
- https://www.kdads.ks.gov/licensing-policy/legislative-policy-updates
- https://www.kdads.ks.gov/licensing-policy/adult-care-home-licensure-and-certification-information
- https://www.kdads.ks.gov/partners-providers/adult-care-homes-sccc
- https://www.ombudsman.ks.gov/