Capitol Comments Articles
House Joint Committee Continues Discussions on Unemployment Compensation

Unemployment (Feb. 5, 2024) – Today, the House and Senate Commerce Committees met jointly to continue the committee discussions on unemployment compensation. The committee is continuing hearings on House Bill 2570, related to changes in unemployment compensation. Kansas Department of Labor Secretary Amber Schultz gave an overview of the provisions in the bill that the department supports including:

  • Benefit year starting on Sunday
  • Changing benefit charge notice to quarterly instead of annually
  • Removing language stating an employer is not charged if benefits are under $100
  • State Unemployment Tax Act Amendments
    • Eliminating mid-year combination of tax rates when a business acquires another business
  • Extending the voluntary contribution deadline from 30 days to 90 days
  • Removing all instances of 2008 recession-response language from the 2011 Senate Bill 77
  • Changing the threshold for online filing opt-out from 50 employees to 25

Secretary Schultz also provided an overview of provisions of the legislation that the department has concerns with including:

  • Ghosting provision – Establishing procedures to allow employers to report applicants for failing to attend a job application without notice
    • Believing the agency already adequately fulfills the requirements of work-search audits
    • If the committee keeps the provision, it requests an implementation of Jan 1, 2026, to give enough time to set up the process
  • Board of Review Qualifications
    • The provision is restrictive and wouldn't allow the agency to select the best candidate
  • Changing the timing of creating and publishing the contribution rate tables
    • Doesn't allow the agency time to accomplish the task
  • Eliminating state benefits if federal benefits issued are equal or more
    • This places a costly burden on the state
    • The problem should be fixed federally
  • Current and Additional Reporting
    • Alternatively proposes only releasing this raw data to chairs of Commerce Committees
  • Temporary Unemployment Parameters
    • Creates an overly complicated system
    • Proposes an eight-week period and removing the term "benefit year" from parameters
  • Changing of "or" to "and" for MRP exemptions
    • Requires all parameters to be satisfied, won't work as intended

The committee will meet again separately tomorrow.