Labor & Employment (Unemployment)

SB 512 revises Kansas' unemployment insurance rules by removing an eight-week requirement for temporary unemployment claims, eliminating an eight-week cap on such claims, and ending the secretary's authority to grant extensions. It excludes payments from compliant employer-sponsored unemployment benefit plans from being counted as "wages" for contribution calculations and removes a mechanism that previously allowed employers to avoid negative debt write-offs through voluntary contributions. The bill also prohibits charging employers in ready-mixed concrete and certain construction industries for benefit costs arising from temporary layoffs. These changes primarily affect employers (especially in specified industries) and unemployment claimants by simplifying eligibility rules and altering how employer contributions are determined.

HB 2764 prevents changes to Kansas unemployment benefits through budget bills or temporary funding measures without formal legislative review. It allows the secretary of labor to approve employer-funded supplemental unemployment benefit plans that don’t reduce state benefits, require federal compliance, and pay employees in regular installments. The bill updates eligibility rules for unemployment benefits, clarifies work requirements, and mandates electronic claim processing. It also requires annual reviews of how supplemental plans impact the state unemployment trust fund. These changes apply directly to employers offering supplemental plans and the state unemployment office administering benefits.