Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas House Bill HB2151

Introduced
1/29/25  

Caption

Increasing the Kansas minimum wage to $15 an hour.

Impact

If enacted, HB2151 would significantly alter Kansas labor law by repealing existing minimum wage rates and instituting a new benchmark of $15 per hour. This change would broaden the financial security for employees currently earning less, potentially boosting consumer spending and stimulating the economy. However, it may also challenge employers, particularly small businesses, who may struggle with the increased payroll costs. The bill is positioned within a broader national trend of states and localities looking to enhance minimum wage standards.

Summary

House Bill 2151 proposes to increase the minimum wage in Kansas to $15 an hour, amending existing labor-related sections of state law. This ambitious measure aims to address wage stagnation and improve the living standards of low-income workers across the state. By raising the minimum wage, the bill seeks to ensure that full-time employees can earn a sustainable income, reflecting the cost of living and providing a pathway towards economic stability for many households.

Contention

There are likely points of contention surrounding this bill. Proponents argue that the increase is long overdue and necessary to combat rising living expenses, while opponents express concerns that it could lead to job cuts, reduced hours, or increased prices for consumers as businesses adapt to higher labor costs. Discussions surrounding the bill may highlight disparities between differing sectors, especially those heavily reliant on low-wage employment, such as hospitality and retail.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

KS HB2368

Enacting the making work pay act to increase the Kansas minimum wage.

KS SB70

Enacting the making work pay act to increase the Kansas minimum wage.

KS SB15

Increasing the maximum amount of yearly income tax credits available for purchases under the disability employment act from qualified vendors, continuing in existence such credits beyond tax year 2023 of eligible purchases available for such credit and further defining qualifying vendors and employees eligible for the credit, establishing a grant program to facilitate transitions by employers to minimum wage employment for persons with disabilities and creating the Kansas sheltered workshop transition fund.

KS HB2570

Substitute for HB 2570 by Committee on Commerce, Labor and Economic Development - Defining benefit year, temporary unemployment, wages and other terms in the employment security law, requiring electronic filing for certain employers, establishing qualifications for employment security board of review candidates, extending the deadline for new accounts following business acquisitions, making certain changes to the employer rate schedules and lowering rates for new employers, enabling employers to report claimant work search issues, confirming legislative coordinating council oversight for the new unemployment insurance information technology system implementation, authorizing the secretary to grant additional temporary unemployment in certain circumstances, requiring the secretary to publish certain information, abolishing the employment security interest assessment fund and providing relief for negative account balance employers.

KS HB2275

Increasing the maximum amount of yearly income tax credits available for purchases under the disability employment act from qualified vendors, continuing in existence such credits beyond tax year 2023 of eligible purchases available for such credit and further defining qualifying vendors and employees eligible for the credit, establishing a grant program to facilitate transitions by employers to minimum wage employment for persons with disabilities and creating the Kansas sheltered workshop transition fund.

KS HB2560

Enacting the Kansas money transmission act and the Kansas earned wage access services act, providing when applications under the state banking code are considered abandoned or expired, allowing an originating trustee to have such trustee's principal place of business outside of Kansas, authorizing any person to become a depositor or lessor of a safe deposit box, providing methods in which bank deposits may be withdrawn by a depositor and prohibiting banks from requiring a cosigner for an account of a child in the custody of the secretary for children and families, secretary of corrections or a federally recognized Indian tribe.

KS HB2776

Providing workers compensation act coverage for the Kansas national guard, limiting benefit reductions for retirement benefits, increasing dependents death benefits, reducing certain functional impairment requirements, increasing compensation for certain disability categories and for treatment without authorization, raising the evidentiary standard for future medical treatment, limiting certain procedures for post-award medical benefit claims, allowing benefit payment by funds transfer or payment cards, establishing procedures for neutral healthcare examinations, exchanges and admission of medical reports, extending employee injury notification deadlines, eliminating the deadline for motions to avoid dismissal for lack of prosecution, providing for expedited settlement and digital recording of hearings and other changes to the workers compensation act.

KS SB430

Providing workers compensation act coverage for the Kansas national guard, limiting benefit reductions for retirement benefits, increasing dependents death benefits, reducing certain functional impairment requirements, increasing compensation for certain disability categories and for treatment without authorization, raising the evidentiary standard for future medical treatment, limiting certain procedures for post-award medical benefit claims, allowing benefit payment by funds transfer or payment cards, establishing procedures for neutral healthcare examinations, exchanges and admission of medical reports, extending employee injury notification deadlines, eliminating the deadline for motions to avoid dismissal for lack of prosecution, providing for expedited settlement and digital recording of hearings and other changes to the workers compensation act.

KS SB558

Creating the Kansas medical cannabis act to authorize the cultivation, processing, distribution, sale and use of medical cannabis and medical cannabis products and the Kansas cannabidiol regulation act to regulate the testing and retail sale of cannabidiol products.

KS SB478

Defining benefit year, temporary unemployment and other terms in the employment security law, requiring electronic filing for certain employers, establishing qualifications for employment security board of review candidates, extending the deadline for new accounts following business acquisitions, making certain changes to the employer rate schedules, enabling employers to report claimant work search issues, confirming legislative coordinating council oversight for the new unemployment insurance information technology system implementation, authorizing the secretary to grant temporary unemployment, requiring the secretary to annually publish certain data and abolishing the employment security interest assessment fund.

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