TOPEKA — A committee of the Kansas Legislature recommended the state Board of Nursing pay $100,000 in damages to a nurse sanctioned by the regulatory agency for “unprofessional conduct” after failing to pay a licensing fee on time.
Geriatrics nurse practitioner Amy Siple, who missed the deadline while caring for her husband during his cancer treatment, was ordered by the Board of Nursing to pay a $300 fine and have her name added to databases identifying wayward health professionals. The Board of Nursing’s decision undermined opportunities to return to work, she said, because information about her disciplinary case had to be disclosed to potential employers.
“I anticipated a late fee, but this board decided that I needed to be disciplined, and part of that discipline included giving me a red Scarlet Letter labeling me with unprofessional conduct. It was the same title you’d have given a nurse who sexually assaulted a client,” Siple said.
After rigorous debate Tuesday, House and Senate members of the Special Claims Against the State Committee voted 4-3 to recommend the 2027 Legislature direct the Board of Nursing to provide $100,000 in compensation to Siple. Her request for financial relief was associated with her loss of income during a 21-month period.
The committee’s decision followed the presentation by Jacob Schmidt, an attorney with Foulston Siefkin representing the Board of Nursing, suggesting the legislators deny Siple’s claim. He said the Board of Nursing’s regulatory decisions may have been unpopular, but he couldn’t “identify what the agency had done wrong with respect to the state of the law as it existed” in 2024 when Siple was sanctioned.
Schmidt said he was concerned the state would establish a precedent and open itself up to liability by granting Siple’s request for compensation. The action could trigger more than 500 comparable claims by nurses disciplined by the Board of Nursing, he said.
In 2026, the Legislature revised the definition of misconduct for nurse licensing. Lawmakers also directed the Board of Nursing to rescind punishments for approximately 525 current or former Kansas nurses subjected to aggressive sanctions for administrative infractions.
Sen. Brenda Dietrich, a Topeka Republican who chairs the claims committee, said she opposed the payment to Siple because it would set an expensive precedent.
“I worry we’ll open the floodgates,” she said.
Wichita Rep. Susan Humphries, a Republican and an attorney serving on the committee, said misconduct by administrators with the Board of Nursing required a meaningful response.
“There’s consequences to bad behavior,” said Humphries, who proposed an unsuccessful motion to pay Siple $104,000.
Sen. Stephen Owens, R-Hesston, said he had intended to recuse himself from voting on the issue because Siple was among his constituents. However, he said, the committee shouldn’t disregard financial consequences of egregious mistakes by government regulators.
“I can’t sit here and be quiet,” Owens said. “I think she has a very valid claim.”
Siple’s nightmare was among numerous reports from Kansans entangled in administrative investigations launched by the Board of Nursing. Some inquiries resulted from an individual simply checking the wrong box on a license application.
During the 2026 legislative session, lawmakers responded to the controversy by placing in statute a package, wrapped into House Bill 2528, compelling the Board of Nursing to rescind penalties imposed on nurses for nonpractice disciplinary violations dating back to 2005. The new law also established a 30-day license renewal grace period and prohibited retaliation against nurses by staff at the Board of Nursing.
Separate from the Legislature’s directive, a Shawnee County District Court judge directed the Board of Nursing to vacate disciplinary actions from Siple’s professional record. That preceded Siple’s request for compensation from the Legislature’s joint claims committee.
Siple, of Wichita, filed Kansas Open Records Act requests with the Board of Nursing for all written communications attached to her name. An initial review revealed 4,579 pages of material. A follow-up search found 417 additional pages. The Board of Nursing assessed, and Siple paid on Tuesday, a fee of $1,028 for copies of those records.
“There are 4,996 pages of internal communications involving me, just a lowly nurse in Kansas, in the past two years,” Siple said. “Tell me this wasn’t personal.”
This story previously appeared on the Kansas Reflector.
Copyright 2026 High Plains Public Radio.
