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HB 2348

Providing that tenure at postsecondary educational institutions shall not be defined, awarded or recognized as an entitlement, right or property interest in a faculty member's current, ongoing or future employment by an institution.

2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas HB 2348: Tenure at public colleges is discretionary, not a guaranteed right, and may be revoked or changed by the institution.

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Bill Summary · HB 2348

Summary — HB 2348 (Kansas, 2025)

Title: Providing that tenure at postsecondary educational institutions shall not be defined, awarded or recognized as an entitlement, right or property interest in a faculty member's current, ongoing or future employment by an institution

Main purpose

HB 2348 clarifies that “tenure” at Kansas public postsecondary institutions is a discretionary, conditional employment feature that may confer benefits or preferences but does not create an entitlement, contractual right, or property interest in a faculty member’s continued employment.

Key provisions

  • Tenure is discretionary and conditional: An institution may grant tenure in recognition of meritorious performance, but that grant is subject to continued meritorious performance and institutional discretion.
  • No property/right/entitlement: The Board of Regents and any public postsecondary institution are prohibited from defining, awarding, or recognizing tenure as an entitlement, right, or property interest in a faculty member’s current, ongoing, or future employment.
  • Applies to existing awards: Tenure awards in existence on the bill’s effective date are not to be considered entitlements, rights, or property interests.
  • Revocation/modification: Any special benefits, processes, or preferences conferred by tenure may be revoked, limited, altered, or otherwise modified at any time by the awarding institution or by the Board of Regents.
  • Constitutional protections preserved: The statute must not be interpreted to infringe or abrogate faculty members’ otherwise constitutionally protected rights or interests.
  • Definitions provided:
    • “Faculty”: unclassified employees whose primary duties include teaching or research (excluding employees under an employment contract).
    • “Institution”: postsecondary institutions as defined in state law.
    • “State Board of Regents” and a functional definition of “tenure” (affirmative grant, conditioned on future meritorious performance).

Who is affected

  • Primary: Faculty at Kansas public postsecondary institutions (tenured and prospective tenure recipients).
  • Institutions: Kansas Board of Regents and public colleges/universities (policy and employment practice authority increased).
  • Potentially affected: Institutional budgets (legal and personnel actions), and state legal resources in the event of litigation.

Fiscal and legal notes

  • Office of Judicial Administration: no fiscal impact on Judicial Branch operations.
  • Office of the Attorney General: estimates approximately $250,000 in State General Fund expenditures in each of FY2026 and FY2027 to defend the statute, if needed.
  • Kansas Board of Regents: indicates the bill could have fiscal effects on the Board and institutions but cannot quantify them; impacts were not reflected in the FY2026 Governor’s Budget Report.

Procedural / timeline highlights

  • Introduced: February 3, 2025.
  • Heard in committee and advanced through the Legislature (multiple committee actions and readings listed).
  • Governor signed the bill: June 20, 2025.
  • Effective date (per legislative record): September 1, 2025.

Note: The collected documents provided also include unrelated HB 2348 texts from other states (Arizona and Illinois) sharing the same bill number; this summary pertains solely to the Kansas HB 2348 described above.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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