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Session of 2026
SENATE BILL No. 500
By Committee on Ways and Means
2-9
AN ACT concerning retirement and pensions; relating to the Kansas public
employees retirement system and systems thereunder; creating the
Kansas public employees retirement system cost-of-living adjustment
commission; prescribing the powers and duties of the commission;
establishing procedures of the legislature for the review and
consideration of cost-of-living adjustments by the commission.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. (a) There is created the Kansas public employees
retirement system cost-of-living adjustment commission consisting of 13
voting members and two nonvoting ex officio members as follows:
(1) One member appointed by the governor;
(2) one member appointed by the speaker of the house of
representatives;
(3) one member appointed by the president of the senate;
(4) one member appointed by the majority leader of the house of
representatives. Such member appointed by the majority leader shall be a
member of the house of representatives committee on appropriations;
(5) one member appointed by the majority leader of the senate. Such
member appointed by the majority leader shall be a member of the senate
committee on ways and means;
(6) one member appointed by the minority leader of the house of
representatives;
(7) one member appointed by the minority leader of the senate;
(8) six members appointed by the board of trustees. One such
member shall represent the Kansas police and firemen's retirement system;
one such member shall represent state correctional officers; one such
member shall represent the retirement system for judges; one such member
shall represent state employees; one such member shall represent school
district employees; and one such member shall represent local government
employees. The members representing state, school district and local
employees shall include representation from members of both the plan
established pursuant to K.S.A. 74-4901 et seq., and amendments thereto,
and the Kansas public employees retirement system act of 2009; and
(9) the executive director of the Kansas public employees retirement
system and the state treasurer shall serve as nonvoting ex officio members.
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(b) The initial member appointed by the speaker shall be appointed
prior to August 1, 2026. All other initial members shall be appointed prior
to September 1, 2026.
(c) No person shall be appointed to the commission who is a current
registered lobbyist.
(d) The member appointed by the speaker shall serve as the first
chairperson of the commission. The member appointed by the president
shall serve as the first vice chairperson of the commission. Thereafter, the
next chairperson to be appointed prior to August 1, 2029, shall be
appointed by the president and the next vice chairperson to be appointed
prior to September 1, 2029, shall be appointed by the speaker. The
authority to appoint the chairperson and vice chairperson for future
commissions shall alternate between the speaker and the president in
similar manner as for the original appointments. Vacancies shall be filled
in the same manner as for the original appointments.
(e) Any member of the commission shall be eligible for
reappointment.
(f) The term of each appointment to the commission shall end upon
the completion of the responsibilities of the commission pursuant to
subsections (h) and (i).
(g) The commission shall meet upon call of the chairperson or upon
request made by a quorum of the voting membership of the commission.
The commission shall meet at least one time during the calendar year
when appointed. A majority of the voting members of the commission
shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of any business of the
commission. Any action taken by the commission shall be by majority
vote of the voting members present.
(h) The Kansas public employees retirement system cost-of-living
adjustment commission shall:
(1) Make a comprehensive study of the retirement benefits of the
retirants of the retirement system. Such study shall include at minimum
one day of public hearings; and
(2) recommend to the legislature the annual cost-of-living adjustment
rate for current and future retirants of the retirement system to be effective
as provided in subsection (i).
(i) In 2026, the Kansas public employees retirement system cost-of-
living adjustment commission shall recommend to the legislature the cost-
of-living adjustment rate for retirants of the retirement system during the
four-year period that commences on January 1, 2028. Such cost-of-living
adjustment rate recommended by the commission shall be submitted to the
legislature on or before December 1, 2026. Such cost-of-living adjustment
rate recommended by the commission shall be the cost-of-living
adjustment rate for all active and future retirants if prior to 30 days after
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the commencement of the legislative session next occurring after
submission of such recommended rate, legislation establishing such
recommended cost-of-living adjustment rate is passed by the legislature
and enacted into law. If the legislature does not take action to pass such
legislation, the legislature may adopt a concurrent resolution to require the
commission to meet again to set another cost-of-living adjustment rate to
be submitted to the legislature prior to the end of the current legislative
session. The legislature may approve such cost-of-living adjustment rate
by the passage of a bill prior to adjournment sine die of such legislative
session. In the event that a bill approving such cost-of-living adjustment
rate is not passed by the legislature and enacted into law, the cost-of-living
adjustment rate, if any, prevailing at the time of the previous session shall
remain in effect.
(j) (1) New members of the commission shall be appointed in 2029
and every four years thereafter. The member designated as chairperson of
the commission pursuant to subsection (d) shall be appointed prior to
August 1 of such year. All other members of the commission shall be
appointed prior to September 1 of such year.
(2) Commissions appointed in 2029 and thereafter may meet on call
of the chairperson or upon the request of a quorum of the commission's
voting membership during the calendar year, when appointed, or the
following calendar year. The commission shall recommend the cost-of-
living adjustment rate for retirants and beneficiaries to be effective during
the four-year period that commences on January 1 of the next occurring
calendar year. The commission shall submit such cost-of-living adjustment
rate to the legislature on or before December 1 of the calendar year
following the commission's appointment.
(3) The legislature may take such actions as provided in subsection (i)
during the legislative session next occurring after the submission of such
cost-of-living adjustment rate as provided in paragraph (2).
(k) Members of the commission shall receive compensation,
subsistence allowances, mileage and expenses as provided in K.S.A. 75-
3223, and amendments thereto, when attending meetings of the
commission.
(l) As used in this section:
(1) "Insured disability benefit recipient" means any person receiving
an insured disability benefit under K.S.A. 74-4927, and amendments
thereto;
(2) "retirant" means any:
(A) Person who is a member or special member of the retirement
system pursuant to the provisions of K.S.A. 74-4901 et seq., and
amendments thereto, and who is retired;
(B) person who is a joint annuitant or beneficiary of any member
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described in subparagraph (A); and
(C) insured disability benefit recipient; and
(3) "retirement system" means the Kansas public employees
retirement system, the Kansas police and firemen's retirement system, the
state school retirement system and the retirement system for judges.
(m) The provisions of this section shall be a part of and supplemental
to the provisions of K.S.A. 74-4901 et seq., and amendments thereto.
Sec. 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
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