Kansas Legislature considers establishing paid family and medical leave program funded by employee payroll premiums

Original title: AN ACT concerning labor and employment; enacting the Kansas paid family leave act; relating to paid family leave for covered individuals; requiring notice by employers; establishing the family and medical leave insurance fund.

Last action · April 10, 2026: Died in CommitteeSponsors: Dan Osman and 16 others

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓

Introduced

Committee

Floor Vote

Passed

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What This Bill Proposed

Beginning July 1, 2027, covered employees and self-employed individuals in Kansas would gain access to paid family leave benefits funded by payroll premiums assessed by the state department of labor. The measure establishes a family and medical leave insurance fund, guarantees job restoration and health benefits during leave, and prohibits employer retaliation against workers exercising leave rights.

Why it matters

Workers would receive wage replacement up to $1,000 weekly for qualifying family and medical reasons while employers would face payroll deduction mandates, premium collection duties, and mandatory position-restoration requirements.

Background

State-administered paid family and medical leave programs are active in several U.S. states, typically funded through payroll taxes shared or split between employers and employees. context
House Bill 2598 was introduced in the 2025-2026 session of the Kansas Legislature and was referred to committee where it ultimately failed. context

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Employees

Employees gain access to paid family leave wage replacements and job protection rights, and are subject to payroll deductions for premium contributions.

Directly affected

Employers

Employers must collect premium deductions, maintain healthcare benefits during employee leaves, provide annual and hiring notices of rights, and restore returning workers to equivalent positions.

Directly affected

Self-employed persons

Self-employed individuals may elect to participate in the paid family leave program by paying assessed premiums and agreeing to income reporting terms.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who qualifies as a covered individual under the Kansas Paid Family Leave Act?

Covered individuals include employees who worked for an employer in the state for either 26 weeks at 20 or more hours per week or 175 days at less than 20 hours per week during the prior 12 months, self-employed persons who elect coverage, and other applicants meeting the act's requirements.

How are paid family leave benefits funded?

Benefits are funded through payroll premiums assessed on employees and participating self-employed individuals by the secretary of labor, collected via payroll deductions by employers, and deposited into the family and medical leave insurance fund.

What happens to an employee's job while they are on paid family leave?

Upon expiration of the leave, the employer is required to restore the employee to their former position or an equivalent position with equivalent seniority, pay, benefits, and terms of employment.

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Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died in committee.

Procedural history

3 actions

Apr 10, 2026House
Died in Committee
Jan 29, 2026HouseIntroduced
Introduced
Jan 29, 2026HouseCommittee
Referred to House Committee on Commerce, Labor and Economic Development

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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