SB 166 — Enacting the fostering competitive career opportunities act to remove postsecondary degree requirements from state employment considerations.

As Amended by Senate Committee Session of 2025 SENATE BILL No.

166 By Committee on Commerce 2-3 AN ACT concerning state employees;

enacting the fostering competitive career opportunitiesemployment act;considerations.g postsecondary degree requirements from state Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:

removingNew postsecondarySection degree1. (a) requirementsThe fromprovisions stateof employmentsections considerations;1 through 4, and amendments thereto, shall be known and may be cited as the fostering competitive career opportunities act.

amending K.S.A.

75-2929d and repealing the existing section.

6 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:

New Section 1. (a) The provisions of sections 1 through 5 4, and amendments thereto, shall be known and may be cited as the fostering competitive career opportunities act.

2. As used in sections 1 through 5 4, and amendments thereto:

(2) a decision to include the applicant on a list of applicants for SBconsideration 166—Am.by another member of the employer's team;

by SC 2 consideration by another member of the employer's team;

(c) StateSENATE employersBILL mayNo. require a postsecondary degree for a position if the state employer demonstrates that such degree is necessary for the position based on specific skills required for the position that can only be obtained through the attainment of a degree.

166—page 2 (c) State employers may require a postsecondary degree for a position if the state employer demonstrates that such degree is necessary for the position based on specific skills required for the position that can only be obtained through the attainment of a degree.

SB(4) seven 166—Am.years for a professional degree;

by SC 3 (4) seven years for a professional degree;

NewSENATE Sec.BILL No.

5. (a)166—page Any3 applicantSec. who receives an adverse hiring consideration and who reasonably believes such decision was based solely on the applicant's lack of a postsecondary degree may appeal such decision to the state civil service board.

Such appeals shall be submitted in such form and manner as prescribed by the state civil service board.

All appeals shall be considered in accordance with K.S.A.

75-2929a et seq., and amendments thereto.

(b) Any person may report to the state civil service board any job postings by a state employer that require a postsecondary degree but fail to include the information required under section 3(c), and amendments thereto.

(c) Upon a finding that a state employer has violated the provisions of section 3, and amendments thereto, the state civil service board shall require the state employer to reopen the process for the hiring consideration in question, require the state employer to modify the job posting, if necessary, and take such other corrective action as necessary to comply with the provisions of sections 1 through 5, and amendments thereto.

(d) All administrative proceedings pursuant to this section shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Kansas administrative procedure act and the Kansas judicial review act.

Sec.

6. K.S.A.

75-2929d is hereby amended to read as follows:

75- 2929d.

(a) The state civil service board shall hear appeals taken to it pursuant to:

(1) K.S.A.

75-2940, 75-2949 and 75-3747, and amendments thereto, concerning demotion, dismissal or suspension of a permanent employee in the classified service, or concerning refusal to examine an applicant or to certify a person as eligible for a job class, and;

(2) K.S.A.

75-2973, and amendments thereto, concerning disciplinary action in violation of that statute;

and (3) section 5, and amendments thereto, concerning violations of the SB 166—Am.

by SC 4 fostering competitive career opportunities act.

(b) When an appeal is taken to the board, the board shall establish a time and a place for the hearing which shall be held within 45 days after receipt of request for the appeal.

The board shall notify the person bringing the appeal and the appointing authority or other person whose action is being reviewed of the time and the place of the hearing at least 14 days prior to such hearing.

Each party at the hearing shall have the right to be represented by a person of the party's own choice.

Hearings shall be conducted in accordance with the provisions of the Kansas administrative procedure act.

For purposes of the administrative procedure act, the state civil service board shall be deemed the agency head.

The board may affirm, modify or reverse an agency action and order any other action it deems appropriate.