Opinion ID: 1210782
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Board's authority to modify agency decisions

Text: Humphreys contends that pursuant to K.S.A. 75-2929d(b), the Board's power to modify agency actions is provided by KAPA. Humphreys concludes that because the agency head has power to issue final orders under K.S.A. 77-526(c) of KAPA, the Board has all the powers of the agency head, which include the power to issue orders modifying unreasonable agency actions. For authority, Humphreys cites K.S.A. 75-2929d(b) of the Kansas Civil Service Act, which states, in part: Hearings shall be conducted in accordance within the provisions of the Kansas administrative procedure act. For purposes of the administrative procedure act, the state civil service board shall be deemed the agency head. (Emphasis added.) KDOT contends that KAPA provides only the procedures for civil service proceedings; thus, it provides procedural rather than substantive rights. KDOT argues that the rights at issue in this case are substantive rather than procedural. Therefore, according to KDOT, KAPA has no bearing on the issue in this case. KDOT's argument is based on K.S.A. 77-503(b) of KAPA, which provides: This act creates only procedural rights and imposes only procedural duties. They are in addition to those created and imposed by other statutes. We disagree with KDOT's analysis. This issue is one of first impression in Kansas. The procedure for judicial review of an administrative agency action is set out in the Kansas Judicial Review Act. K.S.A. 77-621(c)(4) permits judicial review when an agency has misinterpreted or misapplied the law. When a party disputes the district court's interpretation of a statute, the issue raised is a question of law. An appellate court's scope of review on questions of law is unlimited. See In re Tax Appeal of Boeing Co., 261 Kan. 508, Syl. ¶ 1, 930 P.2d 1366 (1997). Our analysis requires us to consider the administrative review procedures found at K.S.A. 75-2929e (Ensley 1984) of the Kansas Civil Service Act, the current administrative review procedures found in KAPA, and the power of the district court to review administrative actions under the Kansas Judicial Review Act. When the legislature revises an existing law, it is presumed that the legislature intended to change the law as it existed prior to the amendment. State v. Clint L., 262 Kan. 174, Syl. ¶ 2, 936 P.2d 235 (1997). Where a reading of a statute leaves its construction uncertain, the court may look to the historical background of the enactment, the circumstances attending its passage, the purpose to be accomplished, and the effect the statute may have under the various constructions suggested. State v. Gonzales, 255 Kan. 243, 249, 874 P.2d 612 (1994) (quoting Brown v. Keill, 224 Kan. 195, Syl. ¶ 3, 580 P.2d 867 [1978]). See Brown v. U.S.D. No. 333, 261 Kan. 134, 142, 928 P.2d 57 (1996) (interpreting the Kansas Administrators' Act). First, we note that prior to 1988, the Kansas Civil Service Act provided, as it does currently, that any permanent employee finally dismissed, demoted, or suspended, may request a hearing from the Civil Service Board to determine the reasonableness of such action. See K.S.A. 75-2949(f) (Ensley 1984); K.S.A. 75-2949(f). In 1988, the legislature amended the Kansas Civil Service Act to provide that hearings before the Board be conducted in accordance with KAPA. See L. 1988, ch. 356, § 301. In so doing, the legislature repealed K.S.A. 75-2929e (Ensley 1984), the section which had provided the procedure for administrative review in cases where an employee in the classified service of the State complained of a wrongful dismissal. See Pecenka v. Alquest, 232 Kan. 97, 99, 652 P.2d 679 (1982). K.S.A. 75-2929e had provided the language that is the subject of the controversy in this case: The state civil service board ... after hearing and consideration of the evidence shall affirm, modify or reverse a case on its merits and order any other action it deems appropriate. (Emphasis added.) Because the Board had authority prior to 1988 (and still has that same authority) to determine the reasonableness of an agency's disciplinary action, it cannot be said that the Board's authority to determine the reasonableness of an agency's disciplinary action was a provision specifically crafted by the legislature in 1988 to limit the Board's present authority on review of agency actions to affirm or reverse. As noted previously, the legislature repealed K.S.A. 75-2929e to adopt the KAPA review procedures for agency actions. Therefore, this court must look to KAPA to ascertain the scope of the Board's authority to review agency employee disciplinary decisions. K.S.A. 77-526(c) of KAPA provides that the Board shall, upon review of an agency action, render a final order which shall include findings of fact, conclusions of law and policy reasons for the decision if it is an exercise of the state agency's discretion, for all aspects of the order, including the remedy prescribed and, if applicable, the action taken on a petition for stay of effectiveness. Findings of fact, if set forth in language that is no more than mere repetition or paraphrase of the relevant provision of law, shall be accompanied by a concise and explicit statement of the underlying facts of record to support the findings.... Clearly, a final order authorized by KAPA is more than an affirmance or disapproval of the agency action. The Board is empowered to prescribe a remedy. Under KAPA, the Board has the authority to affirm, modify, or reverse a case on its merits and to order any other action it deems appropriate. Pursuant to K.S.A. 77-526(c) of KAPA, the Board's order modifying KDOT's disciplinary action was a final order. Although the district court had authority pursuant to K.S.A. 77-622(d) of the Kansas Judicial Review Act to remand the case to the Board, the district court erred in concluding the Board acted outside its jurisdiction. The district court's determination that the Board was without jurisdiction to modify the agency's dismissal is reversed. The Board's subsequent affirmance of the agency's action on remand of the district court is set aside. The case is remanded to the district court for further action pursuant to K.S.A. 77-622.