Budget & Taxes (Pensions)

SB 435 allows the Kansas Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) board to elect its own vice chairperson, replacing the prior process where the position was appointed by the governor or legislative leaders. It requires new employers joining the Kansas Police and Firemen's Retirement System (KP&F) to pay the full actuarial rate for both past and future pension service, ensuring the system remains financially stable. The bill also repeals existing rules that permitted state and local elected officials to work after retirement without reducing their pension benefits. These changes directly affect KPERS board members, new KP&F employers, and state/local elected officials.

SB 238 increases retirement benefits for certain Kansas public employees who retired before specific dates (ranging from 1% for those retiring on or before July 1, 2015, up to 5% for those retiring on or before July 1, 1999). It directly affects current KPERS retirees who were retired by those dates, as well as their beneficiaries and insured disability benefit recipients. The bill provides a cost-of-living adjustment capped at $100 per month, funded by a $136.4 million appropriation from the state general fund for fiscal year 2026. This adjustment applies to benefits paid after June 30, 2025, and becomes part of Kansas' retirement system law.

HB 2380 provides a $150 monthly increase to retirement benefits for Kansas retirees aged 85 or older who are already receiving payments from specific state retirement systems (KPERS, police/fire, school, or judges' systems) as of July 1, 2025. This applies to benefits accruing after June 30, 2025, and includes both retirees and their joint annuitants or beneficiaries. The bill directly affects eligible retirees in these systems who meet the age and payment criteria on the specified date. It modifies existing retirement benefit structures without changing contribution rates or eligibility rules.