Kansas Senate Bill SB198

Kansas 2023-2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/7/23
• Refer: 2/8/23
• Failed: 4/30/24

Caption

Providing a postretirement cost-of-living adjustment for certain KPERS retirants.

Impact

The enactment of SB198 is expected to have a positive impact on the financial well-being of retirees from the Kansas public employees retirement system, the police and firemen's retirement system, the state school retirement system, and the judges' retirement system. By providing a cost-of-living adjustment, the bill acknowledges the rising cost of living and aims to help retirees maintain their purchasing power over time. This provision is particularly significant as many retirees rely on fixed income from pensions that do not automatically adjust for inflation.

Summary

Senate Bill 198 aims to enhance the financial security of certain retirants by modifying the Kansas public employees retirement system to include a postretirement cost-of-living adjustment. This adjustment is designed for those who retired before July 1, 2018, and it provides a tiered increase based on the date of retirement, with a maximum possible adjustment of 5%. The bill stipulates that the annual increase will not exceed $200, ensuring that the adjustments remain manageable within the retirement system's budget constraints.

Contention

Despite the positive implications, there may be points of contention regarding the sustainability of such adjustments. Critics could argue about the long-term implications of funding these adjustments and the potential strain on the pension systems if additional costs burden the retirement funds. Discussions may also arise regarding the fairness of the tiered increase schedule, as it notably benefits those who retired earlier and may create disparities among recent retirees who opted into the retirement system under different financial realities.