Kansas Senate Votes to Increase Death Benefit and Expand Pension System Investments in Alternative Assets

In Topeka, Kansas, the state Senate has voted to increase the lump-sum death payment for retirees in the Kansas Public Employee Retirement System (KPERS), as well as raise the maximum amount of the pension system’s portfolio tied to alternative private equity or infrastructure investments. The Senate voted 25-14 in favor of Senate Bill 172, which would raise the death benefit to $6,000 from the current $4,000. The cost of this adjustment over a 20-year period is estimated to be $108 million, to be covered by KPERS contributions and investment income. The death benefit has not … Read more