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Kansas Military Bill of Rights
and other services provided by the State
The following is a list of services
and benefits provided by the State of Kansas.
- Funeral Picketing: requires protesters to
stay at least 150 feet from any entrance to a cemetery, church, mortuary
or other location where a funeral is held or conducted. The bill also
prevents demonstrations from occurring within one hour prior to, during
and two hours following the commencement of a funeral service. It
is also unlawful for any person to knowingly obstruct funeral services or
a funeral procession.
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- Pay Differential: For state employees, the
state will make up any difference between the pay and allowances Kansas
National Guard members and reservists receive from the military and their
state salary at the time they were called to active duty. The maximum amount
paid is $1,000 per month.
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- Activation payment: There is a one time
payment of $1,000 made to state employees upon activation for 180 days or
more. These payments will be made retroactively to all National Guard members
and reservists who have been activated since September 11, 2001.
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- Governor's Military Council: An executive
order was signed in early 2006 to revamp this council following the decommissioning
of the Governor's Strategic Military Planning Commission. The new council
has the primary duties of supporting members of the military stationed in
Kansas, promoting the important role of the military in the state, protecting
and growing our military presence in Kansas and advocating for improved
quality of life for the military in Kansas.
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- Tuition Assistance: The tuition to attend
state universities, community colleges, or vocational technical colleges
will be covered for dependents of Kansas residents who are killed in the
line of duty while in the United States Armed Forces or the Kansas National
Guard. Tuition assistance is also provided for former Prisoners of War.
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- In State Tuition: residents can return to
Kansas within 60 months of departing the state and qualify for instate tuition.
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- In-state Tuition for Military Family Members: Any
dependent of a member of the United States Armed Forces stationed in Kansas
will be allowed to qualify for in-state tuition; their tuition status will
not change to out of state as long as they are consecutively enrolled at
a regent institution even if their sponsor's status changes due to a new
assignment.
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- Refund or Credit for Tuition: The Board
of Regents has enacted a system-wide policy stating that when a member of
the United States Armed Forces who is a student in a Kansas regent institution
is activated and must leave school, that person will be given a refund or
credit for the tuition paid.
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- Complimentary Tuition: The state will provide up to 10
semesters of free college tuition to soldiers who have served at least 90
days on active duty in Iraq or Afghanistan, can be redeemed at any Kansas
public college or university.
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- Free Hunting and Fishing Licenses: Free
Hunting and Fishing Licenses: Kansas Guard Members can receive annual hunting
and fishing licenses without charge.
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- The First Time
Homebuyers Program (FTHB) provides down payment assistance to qualified
Kansas buyers for the purchase of their first home. The program is for
persons who have incomes at or below 80 percent of the median income for
their area. The loan may be from 15 to 20 percent of the purchase price
of the home, awarded on a sliding scale, depending on the applicant’s
income level. Buyers are expected to make a minimum investment of $500
or two percent of the sale price, whichever is greater. Private lenders
process the second mortgages in conjunction with the first mortgage financing.
This program is provided through the Kansas
Housing Resources Corporation.
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- Spouse Employment: Kansas statute considers
military spouses who are forced to leave their position due to their spouse's
military orders as an involuntary separation from work and therefore eligible
for unemployment insurance.
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- Emergency Relief: Available to members of
the Kansas National Guard and Reserves and their families that are Kansas
residents to make ends meet during emergency situations in which other avenues
of support have been exhausted.
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- State Hiring: Any veteran who is eligible
for veteran’s preference and who meets the minimum requirements for
a posted vacant state position is offered an interview.
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- State Agency Review: The Governor and Lt.
Governor have called on all state agencies to review their policies and
procedures to identify additional assistance that can be given to any members
of the military.
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- State Income Tax Filings: The Secretary
of Revenue shall continue reviewing to ensure full compliance with federal
law extending tax return filing dates and other required payments and reports
for military personnel serving in a combat zone and their families.
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- Tax Credits: Tax credits for businesses
which employ a member of the Kansas Army or Air National Guard or United
States Reserves who was unemployed when they were deployed and returns home.
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- Vehicle Registration: If a solider is stationed
in the state and claims Kansas as their permanent residence then they can
have up to two motor vehicles registered and not pay property taxes. Or
if a solider is a Kansas resident and they are deployed to another state
and their motor vehicle is in another state then they do not have to pay
property tax on up to two motor vehicles. Or if a solider does not claim
Kansas as their permanent residence while they are in the state then they
are not subject to personal property tax under the Federal Soldier's and
Sailor's Civil Relief Act.
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- Registration Grace Period: Returning deployed
military personnel with an expired registration have a seven day grace period
to properly register their vehicles in their home county.
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- Grants to Veteran Service Organizations: Veterans
services are provided through organizations such as the American Legion
and the Veterans of Foreign War.
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- Annual Hunting License: Active duty military
personnel stationed in Kansas can purchase all annual state resident licenses,
permits and stamps.
- Active duty military who were Kansas residents at the time
of entering the military and immediate family members domiciled with them
may purchase resident licenses, permits and stamps, except lifetime licenses.
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- Permit Refund: Big game permit fees may
be refunded to any United States Armed Forces personnel experiencing a change
of duty prior to the first day of season, preventing the use of the permit.
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- Elk Draw: Fort Riley soldiers are given
special consideration in drawing permits.
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- Deployment Refund: The Department of Wildlife
and Parks can reissue big game or turkey limited draw permits to military
personnel forced to forfeit their limited draw permit due to deployment.
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- Free Vital Statistics Records: Requests for
vital statistic records by all members of the Kansas National Guard who
have received an alert notice of pending active duty or have already been
placed on Federal active duty for mobilization and their dependents shall
be fulfilled without charge.
- Veterans may receive a free copy of their vital statistics
records if they apply through the Kansas Commission on Veterans Affairs.
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- Open Records: Kansas Open Records Act exempts
military discharge papers to openness requirements.
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- Professional License: Shall continue to
be valid while an individual is in military service and for six months following
their release. No licensee shall be required to pay a renewal fee, submit
a renewal application, obtain continuing education or meet other conditions
while on active duty. Also, no license shall expire, lapse or be canceled,
revoked or suspended while an individual is on military service. Within
six months after their release from active duty or within two weeks of engaging
in activities that require a license, the licensee must file the completed
application and renewal fee to maintain licensure. They have one year to
complete required continuing education requirements.
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- Armory Renovations: Bonds to finance the
renovation, reconstruction and repair of the 54 statewide armories.
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- Kansas Lottery: Launched two instant games,
$2 Sunflower Salute and $1 Veterans Cash. All net profits were used for:
- Fifty percent to Kansas National Guard Education Assistance
Act scholarships.
- Fifty percent for the Kansas Soldiers’ Home, the Kansas
Veterans’ Home, and the state veteran’s cemetery system.
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- Veteran's Reunion: Held at El Dorado State
Park receives a special event permit and an average 25 percent discount
on camping fees.
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- Service Credit: Additional service credit
increases the amount of a member’s monthly retirement benefit and
possibly allows them to retire earlier.
- Granted Military Service Credit: Kansas
Public Employees Retirement System (KPERS) can grant active military service
at no cost to members if their military service interrupts their public
service. They must be employed in a covered position immediately before
and immediately after the active military service.
- Purchased Military Service Credit: Members
can purchase year for year of active military service and one quarter of
service credit for each year of military reserve service.
- Basic Life Insurance: Active KPERS members
receive basic life insurance equal to 150 percent of their annual gross
income. Employers pay for the cost of this benefit. If a member goes on
military leave, their basic life insurance coverage continues for the duration
of the military leave at no cost to the employee.
- Optional Life Insurance: Optional life
insurance coverage is provided in addition to the basic life insurance.
Employees pay their own premiums for this coverage at group rates, depending
on the amount of coverage.
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- National Guard Foundation: Established to help families/soldiers
with needs which the Guard is not authorized to pay or doesn’t
have other programs to cover.
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- Kansas Family Programs Office is in the Adjutant General’s
Dept. It provides a place for the military to go for help to get their questions
answered. They put together the reintegration training, pre-deployment training,
and also are responsible for coordinating Family Readiness Groups around
the state to support families while their soldiers are deployed. The Family
Readiness Groups are typically lead by a spouse of a deployed soldier and
that call each other spouses in a certain region to offer support, get together
for activities, etc. The Family Programs Office also has Family Assistance
Centers throughout the state which provide help to the military member and
their family and help connect them with resources.
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Last Updated
April 11, 2008
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