This bill amends current education law in Kansas regarding the employment files of teachers. It authorizes school districts to request and receive an applicant teacher's employment files from another district if the teacher was previously employed there. A hiring school district must require the applicant to sign a written waiver that allows the disclosure of their employment files and releases the hiring district from liability related to this disclosure. If the applicant refuses to sign the waiver, they will not be considered for employment. The bill also establishes a timeline for the disclosure of these files, requiring that they be provided within 21 days of the request, and outlines conditions under which files may be withheld, particularly in relation to nondisclosure agreements.

Additionally, the bill clarifies the responsibilities of school districts as custodians of these employment files under the Kansas Open Records Act. It specifies that files obtained through this process are not subject to public inspection or copying requests directed at the hiring school district, and it designates the original school district as the official custodian of the records. The bill also includes provisions for redacting personally identifiable information of individuals other than the applicant teacher and grants immunity to school districts from civil suits related to the disclosure of these files if they acted in good faith. The existing section of K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 45-220 is repealed, and the new provisions take effect upon publication in the statute book.

Statutes affected:
As introduced: 45-220