[{"_1":2,"_88":-5,"_89":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6330205,"mediaKeyId","2314997-84b87f026f075f03fe062ff7e7912889","parentId",2314997,"title","Committee hears bill to extend whistleblower protections to city, county and school district employees","audioSeconds",1336,"startMs",1290935,"endMs",2627050,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2314997-84b87f026f075f03fe062ff7e7912889&start=1290&end=2627","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2314997-84b87f026f075f03fe062ff7e7912889/thumbnail_1290935.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6330205/Kansas/Committee-hears-bill-to-extend-whistleblower-protections-to-city-county-and-school-district-employees","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6330205-2dc6b150914c1705ba4fa1fd9f91052e/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147335&Signature=Wefv16of551lKjs33Z4y6qsWym-sajtNFSqkAV73vwNb7rK4IRfmbrQTqfNhKdZVEx53bLJJihiJEhLP3SYz9M~glVWrt3Wp12-w7xyvxtNFgpZG-yjZveW8FkPHnge2QTlC2fqkxWvzJ1PT9hVRaECRBvLm5BHkW3wHLkPFr4pCtvJh--CP1nddp2tCGSM~rnXeA8Pkpuhm22nQFEKIhU33~RlZiFh3~SJy4gJRJee1ln2o0jylpOc6x8zv5soZ~q5n8~dCGk4RKnnbehJPkFDuIKG-v6FFBAsXTLRXQNjECl5Irm016B8ugTUf-oncI49mK5inSWXQ2Rtb~MnZYA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Kansas Legislature","date","2025-02-14T00:00:00Z","article","The Committee on Local Government held a hearing on House Bill 2160, a proposal to extend whistleblower protections to municipal employees of cities, counties and unified school districts.

The reviser opened the hearing by summarizing the bill: “House Bill 21 60 would enact a Kansas municipal employee whistleblower act. There is currently a statute known as the Kansas whistleblower act that provides legal protections for state employees who report or disclose unlawful or dangerous actions by state agencies. Under both the current State Employee Act and under the proposed act under the bill, an employer would be prohibited from taking any disciplinary action against an employee for engaging in certain conduct such as reporting or disclosing these actions.” The reviser explained the bill would adopt several protections in the state act and add protections for disclosures of malfeasance, misappropriation of monies, and substantial dangers to public health and safety; it would allow aggrieved employees to seek relief in district court within 90 days.

Rep. Carrie Barth, the bill sponsor, told the committee she brought the bill after receiving reports she said showed local employees risked retaliation for reporting wrongdoing. “This bill is to help provide protections for them,” Barth said, describing instances she had been told about in counties and school districts and urging the committee to review the written testimony submitted with the bill.

Supporters who testified (in person and by WebEx) included individual citizens and local officials; some suggested adding conflicts‑of‑interest disclosures to the protected acts. Neutral witnesses representing municipal organizations generally said they supported extending whistleblower protections to municipal employees but offered technical suggestions to improve the bill. Spencer Duncan of the League of Kansas Municipalities urged the committee to add a clear statutory definition of “malfeasance” and “misappropriation,” to remove a redundant section (section 5), and to add an administrative appeal step referencing the existing statute 75‑29‑73 so affected employees could pursue an administrative remedy before filing a court action. Jay Hall of the Kansas Association of Counties made similar points and noted that conflicts of interest are already covered elsewhere in state law (cited in committee as 75 43 0 1 a).

The committee did not take a vote on the bill during the hearing. The chair closed the hearing and announced the committee would reconvene in a later meeting for further consideration.

Ending: Committee members asked clarifying questions of the reviser and thanked witnesses; no formal action was taken at this session.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Committee on Local Government 02/14/2025","oneSentenceSummary","House Bill 2160 would create a municipal employee whistleblower act protecting county, city and unified school district employees who report wrongdoing. The committee heard testimony from the bill sponsor, proponents, and municipal associations offering technical amendments.","taxTitle","Committee on Local Government, Standing, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Committees, Legislative, Kansas","taxId",19122,"location","Kansas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6330210,"Committee advances HB 2099 after amendments limiting interior rental inspections to Topeka and HUD‑subsidized units",1224,42805,1267525,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2314997-84b87f026f075f03fe062ff7e7912889&start=42&end=1267","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2314997-84b87f026f075f03fe062ff7e7912889/thumbnail_42805.jpg","/articles/6330210/Kansas/Committee-advances-HB-2099-after-amendments-limiting-interior-rental-inspections-to-Topeka-and-HUDsubsidized-units","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6330210-d99fcf807c0b5764636466e397cd651f/orig.mp4?Expires=1771147335&Signature=U1fNrOLcn3El56h6aAGdYuqaN0aLfordhriyfJAsODnpayZT~GlFNXnbMNmp3WKFGDSqe2DwYcYDXZS8HlWPoPIE6b650IYeiMVcJUOz1c1qSPODlXXTmL5SjfVuagof952bCqwLR7dSF4U00Xl2W80-QHrhWCKEYKbkuJ2n7cjLlZ1IItuSWDhB8kMDM0WhEj-NgBRK-Goa0uh27aEKOhyjBOcDqGi-1m32mUt7hA3coba2GBNq-Gr3imuGrRK95lzcknqtSUmGwd5z9IWewCmhKF7-Vc2shF3vGx2RLJWgEyYNPsFjK-pk3h7mlNKGHcGcowpgiWZ~w2zEyicbcw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Committee on Local Government voted to advance House Bill 2099 on a motion to pass the bill out favorably as amended.

House Bill 2099 would carve an exception into current law that prohibits cities and counties from conducting interior inspections of residential rental property. As amended in committee, the exception would apply only to the City of Topeka, would apply to properties whose owners receive direct federal rental assistance from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and the committee added a five‑year sunset to the provision so the policy can be reassessed.

The bill’s reviser described the proposal to the committee: “House Bill 2,099 is the bill that amends a statute. The statute currently prohibits city or counties from conducting inspections on the interior of rental property of residential property. The bill would make an exception that would allow a city or county to do periodic property inspections of the interior of residential housing property in cases where the owner of the property is receiving the governmental rental subsidies.” The reviser also summarized procedural safeguards the bill would require, saying, “The City or County must provide reasonable notice prior to the inspection. They may require the landlord to perform random inspections if there's been a code violation complaint. If the tenant objects to an inspection, then the city of county would be required to go get a search warrant in order to conduct the inspection.”

Committee members debated whether it was appropriate for the state to single out one city. “I always get concerned when we start having individual cities or counties or entities referenced in state statute rather than maybe something that applies to everybody,” Representative Pisney said during discussion of an amendment narrowing the bill to Topeka. In response, other members said the narrower approach matched the bill sponsor’s intent and avoided imposing a uniform requirement on all municipalities. One member suggested allowing cities to opt in rather than imposing a new statewide duty.

Several amendments were adopted before the final passage. The committee first adopted a “balloon” amendment that limited the inspection exception to the City of Topeka and defined “direct public financial assistance” as governmental payments that subsidize tenant rent. Later, a separate amendment proposed by a committee member narrowed that definition further to refer specifically to direct HUD assistance; the reviser advised the committee that the two amendments could be coordinated so the definition would read as HUD‑provided direct public financial assistance in the adopted language. The committee then adopted an amendment inserting a five‑year sunset so the provision would expire unless renewed.

Committee members also pressed staff on whether the HUD limitation would affect local governments’ existing contractual inspection authority. The reviser answered that local inspection requirements that are conditions of receipt of local government subsidies are contractual matters between the city and the property owner and that limiting the statutory exception to HUD assistance would not prevent cities from conditioning local subsidies on inspections.

After adopting the amendments, a member moved that the committee “pass the bill out favorably as amended.” The chair called the voice vote; the motion carried and the bill will be sent on for further consideration.

Ending: The committee moved on after the passage and scheduled further work on other bills and routine business.","The Committee on Local Government voted to advance House Bill 2099, which creates an exception allowing interior inspections of subsidized rental housing, after amendments narrowing the scope to the City of Topeka, tying coverage to direct HUD rental assistance, and adding a five‑year sunset.","actionData","errors"]

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Committee hears bill to extend whistleblower protections to city, county and school district employees

Committee advances HB 2099 after amendments limiting interior rental inspections to Topeka and HUD‑subsidized units