KansasHB 22372025–2026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET

Authorizing hiring, recruitment and retention bonuses in state agencies' employee award and recognition program, increasing the limitation on such award or bonus to $10,000, eliminating the secretary of administration's authority to adopt rules and regulations and requiring such secretary to submit an annual report to certain legislative committees concerning such awards and bonuses.

Sponsored By: Committee on Appropriations

Signed by Governor

senate committee on ways and meanshouse committee on appropriations

Personalized for You

How does this bill affect your finances?

Personalize government policy and PRIA will tell you what this bill means for your household, plus every other piece of legislation we track. PRIA reads each provision against your financial profile to show you exactly what matters to your wallet.

Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

2 provisions identified: 0 benefits, 0 costs, 2 mixed.

Bigger state employee awards need approval

Kansas raises the total award cap per employee from $3,500 to $10,000 each fiscal year, excluding separate cost-reduction suggestion awards. Agencies can offer hiring, recruitment, and retention bonuses through their award programs, but payments are not guaranteed. Appointed employees may now receive monetary awards; elected officials remain excluded. Agencies need governor approval before paying monetary awards totaling over $3,500 to classified employees or unclassified employees covered by salary-approval rules. Separate cost-reduction suggestion awards are exempt from that approval requirement.

State employee award oversight changes

The administration secretary reviews award programs for executive agencies and appointed state councils and commissions to prevent abuse and support fair decisions. The secretary no longer has authority to issue program rules. Kansas also drops its requirement that awards meet federal discretionary-bonus standards; this does not itself determine wages or overtime pay. Agencies giving monetary awards must report award counts and dollar totals by category to the secretary each year by August 1. The secretary reports those figures to the House Appropriations and Senate Ways and Means committees when each regular legislative session starts.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • Committee on Appropriations

    Affiliation unavailable

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 302 • No: 24

House vote • 4/23/2026

Yea: 29 Nay: 11

Yes: 29 • No: 11

House vote • 4/23/2026

Yea: 122 Nay: 1

Yes: 122 • No: 1

Senate vote • 3/19/2026

Final Action - Passed

Yes: 29 • No: 11

House vote • 3/19/2025

Emergency Final Action - Passed

Yes: 122 • No: 1

Actions Timeline

  1. Approved by Governor on Monday, April 6, 2026

    4/6/2026House
  2. Enrolled and presented to Governor on Friday, March 27, 2026

    3/26/2026House
  3. Final Action - Passed; Yea 29, Nay 11

    3/19/2026Senate
  4. Committee of the Whole - Be passed

    3/18/2026Senate
  5. Committee Report recommending bill be passed by Senate Committee on Ways and Means

    3/10/2026Senate
  6. Hearing: Thursday, March 5, 2026, 10:30 AM — Room 548-S

    3/5/2026Senate
  7. Referred to Senate Committee on Ways and Means

    3/21/2025Senate
  8. Received and Introduced

    3/20/2025Senate
  9. Committee of the Whole - Be passed

    3/19/2025House
  10. Motion to advance to Emergency Final Action adopted

    3/19/2025House
  11. Emergency Final Action - Passed; Yea 122, Nay 1, Absent 2

    3/19/2025House
  12. Committee Report recommending bill be passed by House Committee on Appropriations

    3/13/2025House
  13. Hearing: Thursday, February 27, 2025, 9:00 AM — Room 112-N

    2/27/2025House
  14. Introduced

    2/4/2025House
  15. Referred to House Committee on Appropriations

    2/4/2025House

Bill Text

Related Bills

Back to State Legislation