Many Kansans have answered the call to serve and protect our nation, both at home and abroad. Their loyalty to our country, its values, and its citizens is unparalleled. In return, we, as a state, greatly admire them for the many sacrifices they must make. The State of Kansas remains dedicated to doing everything possible to assist them and their families, not only while they are deployed, but also when they return home.
The military and their families play integral roles that extend beyond that of serving our nation--within our local communities they are role models, volunteers, and mentors. Because of their commitment to bravely serving our communities and country, Kansas is committed to serving them and their families.
Lieutenant Governor Mark Parkinson
The following is a list of services and benefits provided by the State of Kansas.
- Funeral Picketing
- Pay Differential
- Activation Payment
- Governor's Military Council
- Tuition Assistance
- In State Tuition
- In-State Tuition for Military Family Member
- Kansas Military Service Scholarship
- Refund or Credit for Tuition
- Free Hunting and Fishing Licenses
- Spouse Employment
- Emergency Relief
- State Hiring
- State Agency Review
- State Income Tax Filings
- Business Tax Credits
- Vehicle Registration
- Registration Grace Period
- Grants to Veteran Service Organizations
- Annual Hunting License
- Permit Refund
- Elk Draw
- Deployment Refund
- Free Vital Statistics Records
- Open Records
- Professional License
- Armory Renovations
- Kansas Lottery
- Veteran's Reunion
- Kansas Public Employees Retirement System Military Benefits
Funeral Picketing
- 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.
Pay Differential
- 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.
Activation Payment
- 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.
Governor's Military Council
- 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.
Tuition Assistance
- 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.
In-state Tuition
- In State Tuition: residents can return to Kansas within 60 months of departing the state and qualify for instate tuition.
In-state Tuition for Military Family Members
- 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.
Refund or Credit for Tuition
- 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.
Kansas Military Service Scholarship
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This scholarship is for soldiers who have served at least 90 days on active duty in Iraq or Afghanistan and can be redeemed at any Kansas public college or university or Washburn University. This scholarship is renewable up to 10 semesters.
The FY09 budget allocated $500,000 dollars to provide scholarships for the school year 2008-09.
This scholarship also will reviews the financial need of the student before awarding the scholarship. The student will need to have a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form on file with their school in order to be considered for this scholarship.
More information and application is available on the Kansas Board of Regents website under the Student Financial Aid tab or by clicking here.
Free Hunting and Fishing Licenses
- Free Hunting and Fishing Licenses: Free Hunting and Fishing Licenses: Kansas Guard Members can receive annual hunting and fishing licenses without charge.
Spouse Employment
- 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.
Emergency Relief
- 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.
State Hiring
- 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.
State Agency Review
- 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.
State Income Tax Filings
- 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.
Business Tax Credits
- 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.
Vehicle Registration
1. The owner must be in the full-time regular miltary service of the United States or a member of the reserve who has been ordered to ActiveDuty.
2. The owner must be deployed on the date of application for titling
or renewing of vehicle plate tags.
From form PV-PP-57 titled "Kansas Resident Military Personnel Affidavitfor Motor Vehicle Tax Exemption:
1. ... not more than two (2) motor vehicles may qualify for exemption
from property taxation in Kansas if the resident individual is "mobilized and deployed" on the date of the application for
registrationof the vehicle(s)...
2. ...For purposes of this exemption, full-time, regular military
meansa serviceperson, including a member of a reserve component who
has been mobilized (ordered to active duty)..."
Registration Grace Period
- 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.
Grants to Veteran Service Organizations
- Grants to Veteran Service Organizations: Veterans services are provided through organizations such as the American Legion and the Veterans of Foreign War.
Annual Hunting License
- 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.
Permit Refund
- 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.
Elk Draw
- Elk Draw: Fort Riley soldiers are given special consideration in drawing permits.
Deployment Refund
- 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.
Free Vital Statistics Records
- 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.
Open Records
- Open Records: Kansas Open Records Act exempts military discharge papers to openness requirements.
Professional License
- 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.
Armory Renovations
- Armory Renovations: Bonds to finance the renovation, reconstruction and repair of the 54 statewide armories.
Kansas Lottery
- 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 ($330,000).
- Fifty percent for the Kansas Soldiers’ Home, the Kansas Veterans’ Home, and the state veteran’s cemetery system ($307,000).
Veteran's Reunion
- Veteran's Reunion: Held at El Dorado State Park receives a special event permit and an average 25 percent discount on camping fees.
Kansas Public Employees Retirement System Military Benefits
- 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.