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Top Kansas Lawmakers Expect To Revise Policy For Interns

Kansas Health Institute/File photo

Top Kansas lawmakers expect to revise a broad confidentiality agreement that legislative interns must sign over concerns that it could discourage them from reporting misconduct.

The Kansas City Star reportsthat legislative leaders are reconsidering the confidentiality agreement after employment law attorneys warned that it could have a chilling effect on the willingness of interns to report sexual harassment or illegal activity.

Leaders in both parties said Friday that confidentiality agreement needs to be rewritten and is being reviewed by the Legislature's staff.

House Speaker and Olathe Republican Ron Ryckman Jr. said he supports changing the agreement because, in his words, "We need to clear some things up."

The agreement says what occurs in legislative offices "stays there" and breaching that confidentiality will lead to an intern's immediate dismissal.

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