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Kansas bill would let retired public school employees return within 45 days under CAPERS assessment change
Summary
A House committee heard testimony on HB 2411, which would reduce the waiting period to 45 days for certified or licensed public school retirees to return to work without changing KPERS service credits; sponsors also proposed raising the dollar cap subject to employer assessment from $40,000 to $60,000.
A House committee heard from school leaders, the Kansas NEA and retirement-system staff on HB 2411, a bill that would change CAPERS return-to-work rules so certain retired public school employees can return to paid work after 45 days without accruing additional participating service credits.
Representative Kevin Schwertviger, the bill sponsor, told the Committee he brought the measure to address staffing shortages. “I come to you today because we have a shortage in teachers in Kansas,” he said, and proposed a balloon amendment to raise the dollar amount subject to the statutory employer contribution rate from $40,000 to $60,000 so districts can better recruit experienced teachers back into classrooms.
The bill’s technical witness, Alan Conroy of CAPERS, described the change as primarily behavioral. “This bill would change that to 45 days, for a certified or licensed as a person by the State Board of Education,” he told the committee, noting actuaries treat any change cautiously because it could affect members’ retirement timing. Conroy also clarified that once someone is retired they do not earn additional participating service credits if they return to work.
Tim Graham, director of government relations for Kansas NEA, and Shannon Kimball of the Kansas Association of School Boards urged the committee to advance the bill as a targeted recruitment tool. Graham said statewide reported teacher vacancies rose from about 1,600 in 2022 to nearly 2,000 in 2024 and that HB 2411 is “1 more tool in the toolbox” to help districts recruit experienced teachers.
Committee members asked about scope and limits. A reviser indicated the current draft applies to Kansas public school districts as defined in statute and not to higher-education institutions unless the bill is amended; the sponsor said he supports including community colleges. Members also pressed on short-term substitute work, and Conroy said the returning position must be a bona fide position rather than a one-day seasonal or temporary assignment to trigger assessment.
No formal committee vote occurred; the committee closed the hearing after recording one written proponent (Vicky Mullins, Kansas PTA). The bill will proceed according to the committee’s agenda and any sponsor amendments under consideration.
