Kansas Statutes Annotated

K.S.A. § 44-1002 (2026)

Definitions

✓ current as of May 2026

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44-1002. Definitions. When used in this act:

(a) "Person" includes one or more individuals, partnerships, associations, organizations, corporations, legal representatives, trustees, trustees in bankruptcy or receivers.

(b) "Employer" includes any person in this state employing four or more persons and any person acting directly or indirectly for an employer, labor organizations, nonsectarian corporations, organizations engaged in social service work and the state of Kansas and all political and municipal subdivisions thereof, but shall not include a nonprofit fraternal or social association or corporation.

(c) "Employee" does not include any individual employed by such individual's parents, spouse or child or in the domestic service of any person.

(d) "Labor organization" includes any organization which exists for the purpose, in whole or in part, of collective bargaining, of dealing with employers concerning grievances, terms or conditions of employment or of other mutual aid or protection in relation to employment.

(e) "Employment agency" includes any person or governmental agency undertaking, with or without compensation, to procure opportunities to work or to procure, recruit, refer or place employees.

(f) "Commission" means the Kansas human rights commission created by this act.

(g) "Unlawful employment practice" includes only those unlawful practices and acts specified in K.S.A. 44-1009, and amendments thereto, and includes segregate or separate.

(h) "Public accommodations" means any person who caters or offers goods, services, facilities and accommodations to the public. Public accommodations include, but are not limited to, any lodging establishment or food service establishment, as defined by K.S.A. 36-501, and amendments thereto; any bar, tavern, barbershop, beauty parlor, theater, skating rink, bowling alley, billiard parlor, amusement park, recreation park, swimming pool, lake, gymnasium, mortuary or cemetery which is open to the public; or any public transportation facility. Public accommodations do not include a religious or nonprofit fraternal or social association or corporation.

(i) "Unlawful discriminatory practice" means: (1) Any discrimination against persons, by reason of their race, religion, color, sex, disability, national origin or ancestry:

(A) In any place of public accommodations; or

(B) in the full and equal use and enjoyment of the services, facilities, privileges and advantages of any institution, department or agency of the state of Kansas or any political subdivision or municipality thereof; and

(2) any discrimination against persons in regard to membership in a nonprofit recreational or social association or corporation by reason of race, religion, sex, color, disability, national origin or ancestry if such association or corporation has 100 or more members and: (A) Provides regular meal service; and (B) receives payment for dues, fees, use of space, use of facility, services, meals or beverages, directly or indirectly, from or on behalf of nonmembers.

This term shall not apply to a religious or private fraternal and benevolent association or corporation.

(j) "Disability" means, with respect to an individual:

(1) A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual;

(2) a record of such an impairment; or

(3) being regarded as having such an impairment.

Disability does not include current, illegal use of a controlled substance as defined in section 102 of the federal controlled substance act (21 U.S.C. § 802), in housing discrimination. In employment and public accommodation discrimination, "disability" does not include an individual who is currently engaging in the illegal use of drugs where possession or distribution of such drugs is unlawful under the controlled substance act (21 U.S.C. § 812), when the covered entity acts on the basis of such use.

(k) (1) "Reasonable accommodation" means:

(A) Making existing facilities used by employees readily accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities; and

(B) job restructuring; part-time or modified work schedules; reassignment to a vacant position; acquisition or modification of equipment or devices; appropriate adjustment or modifications of examinations, training materials or policies; provision of qualified readers or interpreters; and other similar accommodations for individuals with disabilities.

(2) A reasonable accommodation or a reasonable modification to policies, practices or procedures need not be provided to an individual who meets the definition of disability in K.S.A. 44-1002(j)(3), and amendments thereto.

(l) "Regarded as having such an impairment" means the absence of a physical or mental impairment but regarding or treating an individual as though such an impairment exists. An individual meets the requirement of "being regarded as having such an impairment" if the individual establishes that such individual has been subjected to an action prohibited under this act because of an actual or perceived physical or mental impairment whether or not the impairment limits or is perceived to limit a major life activity. Subsection (j)(3) shall not apply to impairments that are transitory or minor. A transitory impairment is an impairment with an actual or expected duration of six months or less.

(m) "Major life activities" means:

(1) Major life activities include, but are not limited to, caring for oneself, performing manual tasks, seeing, hearing, eating, sleeping, walking, standing, lifting, bending, speaking, breathing, learning, reading, concentrating, thinking, communicating, and working.

(2) It also includes the operation of a major bodily function, including, but not limited to, functions of the immune system, normal cell growth, digestive, bowel, bladder, neurological, brain, respiratory, circulatory, endocrine and reproductive functions.

(n) "Genetic screening or testing" means a laboratory test of a person's genes or chromosomes for abnormalities, defects or deficiencies, including carrier status, that are linked to physical or mental disorders or impairments, or that indicate a susceptibility to illness, disease or other disorders, whether physical or mental, which test is a direct test for abnormalities, defects or deficiencies, and not an indirect manifestation of genetic disorders.

History: L. 1953, ch. 249, § 2; L. 1961, ch. 248, § 2; L. 1963, ch. 279, § 2; L. 1965, ch. 323, § 2; L. 1970, ch. 192, § 1; L. 1972, ch. 194, § 2; L. 1974, ch. 209, § 2; L. 1975, ch. 264, § 1; L. 1991, ch. 147, § 2; L. 1992, ch. 91, § 1; L. 1999, ch. 32, § 1; L. 2012, ch. 48, § 1; July 1.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 30 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1974–2021 · leading case: Seabourn v. Coronado Area Council, 891 P.2d 385 (Kan. 1995).

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Seabourn v. Coronado Area Council, 891 P.2d 385 (Kan. 1995). · cites it 6× “” K.S.A. 44-1002: "When used in this act: “(a) ‘Person’ includes one or more individuals, partnerships, associations, organizations, corporations, legal representatives, trustees, trustees in bankruptcy or receivers.”

Hutchings v. Kuebler, 5 F. Supp. 2d 1186 (D. Kan. 1998). · cites it 11× “See K.S.A. § 44-1002(b) (defining "employer” as any person employing four or more persons).”

Kansas Human Rights Comm'n v. Topeka Golf Ass'n, 856 P.2d 515 (Kan. Ct. App. 1993). · cites it 7× “21-46-2 is not valid, is the TGA a nonprofit fraternal or social association or corporation as that term is used in K.S.A. 44-1002(h)? In this opinion, we will limit our discussion to the question of whether the TGA is a nonprofit social association or corporation.”

Kansas Comm'n on Civil Rights v. Howard, 544 P.2d 791 (Kan. 1975). · cites it 3× “194, § 2) added the following language: "The term `unlawful discriminatory practice' also means any discrimination against persons in the full and equal use and enjoyment of the services, facilities, *252 privileges and advantages of any institution, department or agency of the…”

Padilla v. City of Topeka, 708 P.2d 543 (Kan. 1985). · cites it 4× “The handicap must be a substantial disability unrelated to the ability to engage in the particular job or activity (K.S.A. 44-1002[j]) or a physical impairment which substantially limits one or more of such person’s major life activities.”

Zion Lutheran Church v. Kansas Comm'n on Civil Rights, 821 P.2d 334 (Kan. Ct. App. 1991). · cites it 3× “In order to determine this issue, we must construe K.S.A. 44-1002(b), which defines employer as: “(b) The term ‘employer’ includes any person in this state employing four (4) or more persons, and any person acting directly or indirectly for an employer as herein defined, and…”

Bernard v. Doskocil Companies, Inc., 861 F. Supp. 1006 (D. Kan. 1994). · cites it 2× “K.S.A. § 44-1002(j) defines a “disability” as (1) A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual; (2) a record of such an impairment; or (3) being regarded as having such an impairment by the person or entity…”

Pulcino v. Fed. Express Corp., 9 P.3d 787 (Wash. 2000). “§ 378-1 ) (Michie)); Kansas ( Kan. Stat. Ann. § 44-1002 (j)); Louisiana (La.”

Human Rights Comm'n v. Benevolent & Prot. Order of Elks, 2003 VT 104 (Vt. 2003). “2003); Idaho Code § 18-7302 (e) (Michie 1997); Kan. Stat. Ann. § 44-1002 (h) (2000); Ky.”

Van Scoyk v. St. Mary's Assumption Parochial Sch., 580 P.2d 1315 (Kan. 1978). “44-1002(b) defines “employer” as follows: “The term ‘employer’ includes any person in this state employing four (4) or more persons, and any person acting directly or indirectly for an employer as herein defined, and labor organizations, nonsectarian corporations, and…”

Cessna Aircraft Co. v. Kansas Comm'n on Civil Rights, 622 P.2d 124 (Kan. 1981). · cites it 2× “See K.S.A. 1979 Supp. 44-1002( g ) and 44-1009( a ) and ( b ).”

Dayton Christian Schs., Inc. v. Ohio Civil Rights Comm'n, 766 F.2d 932 (6th Cir. 1985). “§ 22-9-l-3(h) (West 1978); Kan.Stat.Ann. § 44-1002(b) (1975); La. Rev.”

Show all 30 citing cases →

— K.S.A. § 44-1002(1) — 1 case

Kansas Comm'n on Civil Rights v. Topeka Unified Sch. Dist. No. 501, 755 P.2d 539 (Kan. 1988).

— K.S.A. § 44-1002(b) — 9 cases

Zion Lutheran Church v. Kansas Comm'n on Civil Rights, 821 P.2d 334 (Kan. Ct. App. 1991). “In order to determine this issue, we must construe K.S.A. 44-1002(b), which defines employer as: “(b) The term ‘employer’ includes any person in this state employing four (4) or more persons, and any person acting directly or indirectly for an employer as herein defined, and…”

Dayton Christian Schs., Inc. v. Ohio Civil Rights Comm'n, 766 F.2d 932 (6th Cir. 1985). “§ 22-9-l-3(h) (West 1978); Kan.Stat.Ann. § 44-1002(b) (1975); La. Rev.”

Parsells v. Manhattan Radiology Grp., L.L.P., 255 F. Supp. 2d 1217 (D. Kan. 2003).

Hutchings v. Kuebler, 5 F. Supp. 2d 1186 (D. Kan. 1998). “See K.S.A. § 44-1002(b) (defining "employer” as any person employing four or more persons).”

— K.S.A. § 44-1002(g) — 1 case

Cessna Aircraft Co. v. Kansas Comm'n on Civil Rights, 622 P.2d 124 (Kan. 1981). “See K.S.A. 1979 Supp. 44-1002( g ) and 44-1009( a ) and ( b ).”

— K.S.A. § 44-1002(h) — 2 cases

Seabourn v. Coronado Area Council, 891 P.2d 385 (Kan. 1995). “” K.S.A. 44-1002: "When used in this act: “(a) ‘Person’ includes one or more individuals, partnerships, associations, organizations, corporations, legal representatives, trustees, trustees in bankruptcy or receivers.”

Kansas Human Rights Comm'n v. Topeka Golf Ass'n, 856 P.2d 515 (Kan. Ct. App. 1993). “21-46-2 is not valid, is the TGA a nonprofit fraternal or social association or corporation as that term is used in K.S.A. 44-1002(h)? In this opinion, we will limit our discussion to the question of whether the TGA is a nonprofit social association or corporation.”

— K.S.A. § 44-1002(i) — 2 cases

— K.S.A. § 44-1002(i)(2) — 1 case

— K.S.A. § 44-1002(j) — 6 cases

Bernard v. Doskocil Companies, Inc., 861 F. Supp. 1006 (D. Kan. 1994). “K.S.A. § 44-1002(j) defines a “disability” as (1) A physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more of the major life activities of such individual; (2) a record of such an impairment; or (3) being regarded as having such an impairment by the person or entity…”

Hutchings v. Kuebler, 5 F. Supp. 2d 1186 (D. Kan. 1998). “See K.S.A. § 44-1002(b) (defining "employer” as any person employing four or more persons).”

Padilla v. City of Topeka, 708 P.2d 543 (Kan. 1985). “The handicap must be a substantial disability unrelated to the ability to engage in the particular job or activity (K.S.A. 44-1002[j]) or a physical impairment which substantially limits one or more of such person’s major life activities.”

Unified Sch. Dist. No. 259 v. Kansas Comm'n on Civil Rights, 640 P.2d 1291 (Kan. Ct. App. 1982).

Andrews v. Jones Truck Lines, 741 F. Supp. 867 (D. Kan. 1990).

— K.S.A. § 44-1002(j)(1) — 2 cases

Hutchings v. Kuebler, 5 F. Supp. 2d 1186 (D. Kan. 1998). “See K.S.A. § 44-1002(b) (defining "employer” as any person employing four or more persons).”

Dunegan v. City of Council Grove, Kansas Water Dep't, 77 F. Supp. 2d 1192 (D. Kan. 1999).

— K.S.A. § 44-1002(j)(3) — 2 cases

Hutchings v. Kuebler, 5 F. Supp. 2d 1186 (D. Kan. 1998). “See K.S.A. § 44-1002(b) (defining "employer” as any person employing four or more persons).”

Seaman Unified Sch. Dist. No. 345 v. Kansas Comm'n on Human Rights, 990 P.2d 155 (Kan. Ct. App. 1999).

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