Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas House Bill HB2627

Introduced
2/2/26  
Refer
2/2/26  
Report Pass
2/16/26  
Engrossed
2/25/26  
Refer
2/26/26  

Caption

Expanding permissive preference in private employment to include current servicemembers and eligible spouses.

Impact

By allowing private employers to establish written policies that give hiring preference to veterans, servicemembers, and eligible spouses, HB2627 seeks to increase the employment rates among these groups in Kansas. The bill mandates that such employment policies must be applied consistently across all hiring decisions. This change highlights the state's commitment to recognizing the service of military personnel and facilitating their reintegration into civilian life. It reflects a broader effort to provide meaningful support to those who have served in the military, fostering an environment where their skills and experiences are valued in the workforce.

Summary

House Bill 2627 aims to expand employment preferences in private sector hiring for veterans by including current servicemembers and their eligible spouses. The bill amends K.S.A. 73-231 to formally define 'servicemember' and 'eligible spouse' and establishes a framework for private employers to adopt hiring policies that prioritize these groups. This move is intended to better support military families and provide them with enhanced job opportunities in a competitive job market.

Contention

While the bill is largely supported as a positive step for veterans and military families, there may be concerns about its implementation in the private sector. Critics could argue that preferential hiring practices might inadvertently lead to biases against other candidates, potentially complicating the hiring process. Additionally, employers must ensure that their policies adhere to existing employment laws, which might require training and adjustment in hiring practices. These aspects could lead to discussions about balancing merit-based hiring with the necessary support for servicemembers and veterans.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

KS HB2002

Expanding medical assistance eligibility and enacting the cutting healthcare costs for all Kansans act.

KS HB2003

Establishing the veterans' valor property tax relief act providing for an income tax credit or refund for eligible individuals, modifying the definition of household income and increasing the appraised value threshold for eligibility of seniors and disabled veterans related to increased property tax claims and citing the section as the homeowners' property tax freeze program, providing property tax exemptions for certain personal property including watercraft, marine equipment, off-road vehicles, motorized bicycles and certain trailers, excluding internal revenue code section 1031 exchange transactions as indicators of fair market value, providing for certain exclusions from the prohibition of paying taxes under protest after a valuation notice appeal and providing four prior years' values on the annual valuation notice.

KS SB2

Eliminating the income limit to qualify for the subtraction modification exempting social security benefits, increasing the income tax credit amount for household and dependent care expenses, establishing the veterans' valor property tax relief act providing for an income tax credit or refund for eligible individuals, citing the increased property tax homestead refund claim section as the homeowners' property tax freeze program, decreasing the normal privilege tax rate, increasing the extent of property tax exemption for residential property from the statewide school levy, decreasing the rate of ad valorem tax imposed by a school district; providing for certain transfers to the state school district finance fund, reducing the state rate of tax on sales of food and food ingredients and modifying the percent credited to the state highway fund from revenue collected.

KS SB1

Modifying income tax rates for individuals, exempting all social security benefits from Kansas income tax, increasing the Kansas standard deduction and the Kansas personal exemption, increasing the income tax credit amount for household and dependent care expenses, decreasing the privilege tax normal tax, excluding internal revenue code section 1031 exchange transactions as indicators of fair market value for property tax valuation purposes, increasing the extent of property tax exemption for residential property from the statewide school levy, providing for certain transfers to the state school district finance fund and abolishing the local ad valorem tax reduction fund and the county and city revenue sharing fund.

KS HB2001

Authorizing the secretary of commerce to enter into agreements with major professional sports franchises to establish STAR bond projects for a major professional sports complex, providing for additional revenue sources, expanding the powers and discretion of the secretary and making other changes to the STAR bonds financing act to facilitate such projects, limiting the secretary’s authority to approve such projects to one year unless extended by the legislative coordinating council, authorizing the Kansas development finance authority to issue STAR bonds for such projects, transferring funds under certain circumstances from the state gaming revenues fund to the attracting professional sports to Kansas fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, and, if approved by the legislative coordinating council, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026.

KS SB7

Authorizing federally licensed firearm dealers, in addition to county sheriffs, to receive applications for concealed carry licenses and forward such applications to the attorney general, prohibiting sheriffs from assessing any fee related to application services and allowing dealers to assess a fee related to application services not to exceed $20.

KS SB8

Exempting the sale of firearms, firearms accessories, ammunition, firearm safes and firearm safety devices from the retatilers' sales tax.

KS SB6

Providing a sales tax exemption for sales of electricity to residential premises by municipally owned or operated utilities.

KS SB5

Authorizing counties to impose an earnings tax.

KS HB2004

Authorizing counties to propose an earnings tax for ballot question.

Similar Bills

No similar bills found.