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KansasHB 21602025–2026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET

Enacting the municipal employee whistleblower act to provide statutory protections for municipal employees who report or disclose unlawful or dangerous conduct.

Sponsored By: Sponsor information unavailable

Signed by Governor

local government

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.

Sue or appeal retaliation within 90 days

If your municipality has an administrative appeals process and you are eligible, you must file there within 90 days. That body can change or reverse the discipline and order relief. Any party can appeal that decision to court under the Kansas judicial review act. If no such process exists or you are not eligible for it, you can sue in court within 90 days. You can ask for money damages and other relief. The court may award the winning party costs, including reasonable attorney and witness fees.

Whistleblower protections for local workers

The law bans retaliation against municipal employees for certain disclosures. You are protected if you talk with a legislator or an auditing agency, report violations of law or ordinances, disclose malfeasance or misuse of municipal money, or warn about a specific danger to public health or safety. You are also protected if you do not tell your supervisor before reporting. Discipline covered by the law includes firing, demotion, transfer, reassignment, suspension, reprimand, warnings about firing, and withholding work.

Who is covered and where to report

The law covers counties, cities, and unified school districts and their offices and agencies. You can take concerns to legislators and to named oversight bodies, including the legislative post auditor, post audit staff, contracted audit firms, state or federal audit agencies, and the inspector general. It defines reportable wrongdoing as unlawful acts by municipal officials or employees (malfeasance) and unauthorized or unlawful spending or transfers of municipal money (misappropriation). Each municipality must post these whistleblower rights where employees will see them. It also clarifies that legislators keep existing protections from liability and have no legal duty to act on your report.

Limits on notice, leave, and disclosures

A supervisor can require you to tell them about requests for information or your planned testimony. You must follow normal leave rules to leave work unless a legislator, a legislative committee, or an auditing agency asks you to appear. You can be disciplined if you knowingly share false information, act with reckless disregard or a corrupt motive, or reveal information that is confidential, privileged, or exempt from the Open Records Act.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsors

There is no primary sponsor on record.

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 323 • No: 0

House vote • 4/23/2026

Yea: 122 Nay: 0

Yes: 122 • No: 0

House vote • 4/23/2026

Yea: 40 Nay: 0

Yes: 40 • No: 0

House vote • 4/23/2026

Yea: 40 Nay: 0

Yes: 40 • No: 0

House vote • 4/23/2026

Yea: 121 Nay: 0

Yes: 121 • No: 0

Actions Timeline

  1. Reengrossed on Saturday, March 29, 2025

    4/10/2025House

  2. Enrolled and presented to Governor on Tuesday, April 1, 2025

    4/10/2025House

  3. Approved by Governor on Monday, April 7, 2025

    4/10/2025House

  4. Conference committee report now available

    3/26/2025Senate

  5. Conference Committee Report was adopted; Yea: 40 Nay: 0

    3/26/2025Senate

  6. Conference Committee Report was adopted; Yea: 122 Nay: 0

    3/26/2025House

  7. Nonconcurred with amendments; Conference Committee requested; appointed Representative Bergquist , Representative Blex and Representative Featherston as conferees

    3/24/2025House

  8. Motion to accede adopted; Senator Bowers, Senator Ryckman and Senator Faust Goudeau appointed as conferees

    3/24/2025Senate

  9. Committee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted

    3/20/2025Senate

  10. Committee of the Whole - Motion to Amend - Offered by Senator Clifford

    3/20/2025Senate

  11. Committee of the Whole - Amendment by Senator Clifford was adopted

    3/20/2025Senate

  12. Committee of the Whole - Be passed as further amended

    3/20/2025Senate

  13. Emergency Final Action - Passed as amended; Yea: 40 Nay: 0

    3/20/2025Senate

  14. Committee Report recommending bill be passed as amended by Committee on Local Government, Transparency and Ethics

    3/17/2025Senate

  15. Hearing: Wednesday, March 5, 2025, 9:30 AM Room 142-S

    3/5/2025Senate

  16. Referred to Committee on Local Government, Transparency and Ethics

    2/26/2025Senate

  17. Received and Introduced

    2/25/2025Senate

  18. Final Action - Passed as amended; Yea: 121 Nay: 0

    2/20/2025House

  19. Engrossed on Thursday, February 20, 2025

    2/20/2025House

  20. Committee of the Whole - Committee Report be adopted

    2/19/2025House

  21. Committee of the Whole - Be passed as amended

    2/19/2025House

  22. Committee Report recommending bill be passed as amended by Committee on Local Government

    2/18/2025House

  23. Hearing: Friday, February 14, 2025, 9:00 AM Room 281-N

    2/14/2025House

  24. Hearing: Wednesday, February 12, 2025, 9:00 AM Room 281-N - CANCELED

    2/12/2025House

  25. Introduced

    1/30/2025House

Bill Text

  • As Amended by House Committee

    PDF

  • As Amended by Senate Committee

    PDF

  • As Amended by Senate Committee of the Whole

    PDF

  • As introduced

    PDF

  • Enrolled

    PDF

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