Kansas Senate Bill SB218

Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/5/25
• Refer: 2/6/25

Caption

Increasing the Kansas minimum wage of employees.

Summary

SB 218 would raise Kansas’s state minimum wage above the current $7.25 per hour rate and create a schedule for future increases. Beginning January 1, 2026, the minimum wage would increase to $15 per hour, and starting January 1, 2027, it would be adjusted annually based on the Midwest Consumer Price Index for urban consumers, rounded to the nearest five cents. The bill also updates related definitions in Kansas wage law and revises the treatment of tipped employees. For tipped workers, the bill would allow employers to continue using a tip credit, but the direct cash wage would increase from the current $2.13 per hour to at least 50% of the state minimum wage starting in 2026. Employers would still be required to ensure that a tipped employee’s combined cash wage and tips meet the applicable minimum wage. The bill repeals and replaces the existing minimum wage statutes in K.S.A. 44-1202 and 44-1203. The bill’s impact would be significant for Kansas employers not covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, especially restaurants, hospitality businesses, and other low-wage employers that rely on the state minimum wage framework. It would also affect workers currently paid at or near the minimum wage, including tipped employees, by increasing base pay and tying future increases to inflation. Because the bill expressly excludes employers and employees covered by the federal FLSA, its practical reach is limited to those outside federal coverage under Kansas law. The general sentiment reflected in the available voting history appears unfavorable to the bill’s advancement. A Senate motion to withdraw the bill from committee failed on a 9-29 vote, indicating that a substantial majority opposed moving it forward at that stage. No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded discussion to show support or opposition arguments in detail, but the vote suggests the proposal faced significant resistance. The main point of contention is the size and timing of the wage increase. Supporters would likely view the bill as a needed raise for low-wage workers and a way to keep wages aligned with inflation, while opponents likely object to the jump to $15 per hour and the automatic annual indexing mechanism, especially for small businesses and employers in labor-intensive industries. The tipped-wage changes may also be controversial because they alter the current subminimum wage structure for service workers.

Impact

The bill would amend Kansas’s minimum wage statutes, K.S.A. 44-1202 and 44-1203, to establish a new state minimum wage schedule, increase the tipped minimum wage, and add annual inflation indexing after 2026. It would repeal the existing sections and replace them with updated wage rules applicable to employers and employees not covered by the federal Fair Labor Standards Act, with the greatest practical effect on low-wage sectors such as food service, retail, and hospitality.

Sentiment

The available legislative history suggests the bill was not broadly supported at the point reflected in the record. A motion to withdraw the bill from committee failed by a wide margin, indicating substantial opposition in the Senate. Because no committee transcript is available, the record does not show detailed debate, but the vote outcome points to a generally negative or skeptical sentiment among lawmakers at that stage.

Contention

The central controversy is whether Kansas should raise the minimum wage from $7.25 to $15 per hour and then index it to inflation automatically. Opponents are likely concerned about labor costs, business impacts, and the effect on small employers, while supporters would emphasize worker pay and cost-of-living adjustments. The bill’s treatment of tipped employees is another likely point of dispute, since it changes the cash wage floor for service workers and preserves a tip-credit system that can be contentious in minimum wage debates.