Kansas 2023 2023-2024 Regular Session

Kansas House Bill HB2252 Introduced / Fiscal Note

                     
 
 
 
 
 
Division of the Budget 
Landon State Office Building 	Phone: (785) 296-2436 
900 SW Jackson Street, Room 504 	adam.c.proffitt@ks.gov 
Topeka, KS  66612 	http://budget.kansas.gov 
 
Adam Proffitt, Director 	Laura Kelly, Governor 
Division of the Budget 
 
March 6, 2023  
 
 
 
 
The Honorable Nick Hoheisel, Chairperson 
House Committee on Financial Institutions and Pensions 
300 SW 10th Avenue, Room 582-N 
Topeka, Kansas  66612 
 
Dear Representative Hoheisel: 
 
 SUBJECT: Fiscal Note for HB 2252 by House Committee on Financial Institutions and 
Pensions 
 
 In accordance with KSA 75-3715a, the following fiscal note concerning HB 2252 is 
respectfully submitted to your committee. 
 
 Under current law, the KPERS, Kansas Police and Fireman’s, and Judges retirement plans 
do not include a cost-of-living adjustment (COLA).  HB 2252 would provide a permanent, ad hoc 
COLA for retirees who have been retired for at least five years, as of July 1, 2022.  The COLA 
would be structured to provide the following: 
 
 	Retirement Ad Hoc 
 	Date Before COLA 
 
 	July 1, 2018 1.0% 
 	July 1, 2015 2.0% 
 	July 1, 2012 3.0% 
 	July 1, 2009 4.0% 
 	July 1, 2006 5.0% 
 
 The bill would cap the benefit from any COLA authorized with the bill at $200 per month.  
In addition, the bill would authorize a COLA for KPERS members on long-term disability. 
 
 According to the KPERS actuary, the enactment of SB 198 would make 90,969 retirees 
and beneficiaries (or 82.3 percent of the 110,586 KPERS retirees and beneficiaries, as of the 
December 31, 2021, actuarial valuation) eligible for a COLA.  The KPERS actuary completed a 
cost study of the COLA proposal and estimates the bill would increase the unfunded actuarial 
liability by $353.5 million for all KPERS retirement plans under current actuarial assumptions.   The Honorable Nick Hoheisel, Chairperson 
Page 2—HB 2252 
 
 
Although the bill does not specify the length of the amortization period to fund the COLA, the 
actuary assumed an amortization period of 15 years.  The following table summarizes the actuarial 
cost analysis by group: 
 
Estimated Fiscal Effect 
Dollars in Millions 
 
   Employer Additional 
  UAL Contribution First Year 
 KPERS Group Increase Rate Increase Contribution 
 State/School $254.4 0.42 % $22.6 
 KP&F—State  6.7 1.08 % 0.6 
 Judges      2.5 0.86 %    0.3 
   Subtotal—State  $263.6 $23.5 
 
 Local 	48.3 0.21 % 4.3 
 KP&F—Local    41.7 0.86 %    3.7 
   Subtotal—Local  $  90.0 $  8.0 
 
 Total 	$353.6 $31.5 
 
 The Division of the Budget notes that instead of amortizing the UAL over 15 years, the 
state could choose to fund its portion of the UAL increase with a lump-sum payment of $263.6 
million from the State General Fund to KPERS for the state groups in FY 2024.  With this scenario, 
the state would not have an additional employer contribution rate increase associated with the 
COLA or additional first-year contributions, as shown in the above table.  Any fiscal effect 
associated with HB 2252 is not reflected in The FY 2024 Governor’s Budget Report.  
 
 
 
 
 
 	Sincerely, 
 
 
 
 	Adam Proffitt 
 	Director of the Budget 
 
 
cc: Jarod Waltner, KPERS