75-4370. Officers and employees of certain closed state institutions; procedures and benefits; preference, qualifications; time limit; notice; rules and regulations. (a) In establishing certified pools of eligible candidates under the Kansas civil service act, a preference shall be given to each state officer or employee who (1) (A) is in the classified service under the Kansas civil service act and is employed by an institution that is closed or abolished or otherwise ceases operations or that is scheduled for such closure, abolition or cessation of operations and has a budget reduction imposed that is associated with such closure, abolition or cessation of operations, and (B) is laid off from employment with such institution for the reason of such closure, abolition or cessation of operations or such imposition of a budget reduction, and (C) remains in such employment until the date the officer or employee is laid off or (2) (A) is in the classified service under the Kansas civil service act and is laid off from employment at the Topeka correctional facility due to the transfer of the reception and diagnostic unit from the Topeka correctional facility to the El Dorado correctional facility, and (B) remains in such employment until the date the officer or employee is laid off.

(b) To qualify for the preference established by this section, a person described in subsection (a) also shall meet the requirements for the vacant position. In addition to other applicable provisions of the Kansas civil service act and rules and regulations and policies adopted thereunder, the preference established by this section (1) shall place the person into the reemployment pool, (2) shall provide an opportunity for an interview for any vacant position in the same or higher pay grade than the position from which the person was laid off and for which the person meets the qualifications, and (3) shall grant a right of first refusal for any vacant position. No state agency shall be required to interview more than seven applicants for any one position. The right of first refusal shall allow the person the right to accept the first position applied for by the person for which the person meets the qualifications and for which the pay grade is the same as or lower than the pay grade of the position from which the person was laid off. The right of first refusal may be exercised only one time and must be exercised within the 24 months following the date of layoff.

(c) The secretary of administration shall give a global notice of layoff to all state officers and employees, who are employed by an institution that is scheduled for closure, abolition or cessation of operations, up to 180 days prior to such closure, abolition or cessation of operations. The global notice of layoff shall be effective for all such state officers and employees, including any state officer or employee who is transferred to or employed by such institution within 180 days of the date of such closure, abolition or cessation of operations, for all purposes of lay off procedures under K.S.A. 75-2948, and amendments thereto, except each such officer or employee receiving the global notice of layoff shall also be given an individual notice of layoff which specifies such officer or employee's individual date of layoff.

(d) Notice of layoff pursuant to K.S.A. 75-2948, and amendments thereto, shall be given to state officers and employees whose proposed layoff is caused by the transfer of the reception and diagnostic unit from the Topeka correctional facility to the El Dorado correctional facility.

(e) The secretary of administration shall adopt rules and regulations necessary to implement the provisions of this section.

(f) This section shall be part of and supplemental to the Kansas civil service act.

History: L. 1996, ch. 255, § 1; L. 2000, ch. 152, § 28; May 25.