Senate committee advances bill tightening municipal employee reporting rules, adds appeal process

A Senate committee on an unspecified date voted to pass House Bill 2,160 as amended, adopting changes that narrow some reporting protections for municipal employees, add an administrative-appeal path where local procedures exist and include language intended to shield legislators from liability for information they receive under the bill.

The amendment adopted by the committee adds two main provisions: it excludes protection for disclosures an employee knows to be false or that are made recklessly as to the truth, and it allows municipalities that already have an administrative disciplinary appeal process to use that process — with the option to later seek review under the Kansas Judicial Review Act. "This amendment just adds 2 provisions to the bill," said Charles, describing the changes, including the good-faith and corrupt-motive language and the administrative-appeal paragraph.

Why it matters: supporters said the changes respond to municipal concerns about how whistleblower-type reports are handled…