KS HB2160

Municipal employees in Kansas counties, cities, and unified school districts are protected from disciplinary action (dismissal, demotion, suspension, reprimand, etc.) for reporting violations of law, discussing public concerns with governing bodies or auditing agencies, or disclosing malfeasance and misappropriation of funds

Employees do not need to notify supervisors before reporting violations and may report to any person, agency, or organization

Protections do not apply to disclosures the employee knows are false, made with reckless disregard for truth, involve legally exempt or privileged information, or are motivated by corruption rather than good faith

Employees may file a court action within 90 days of alleged retaliation to seek damages and equitable relief, with prevailing parties potentially awarded attorney fees and costs; municipalities with administrative appeal processes must allow appeals to those bodies instead

Municipalities must prominently post a copy of the act where all employees can reasonably see it