KS
Kansas House Bill HB2063

Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas House Bill HB2063 Compare Versions

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11 Session of 2025
22 HOUSE BILL No. 2063
33 By Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources Budget
44 Requested by Justin Cobb on behalf of Kansans for Conservation
55 1-22
66 AN ACT concerning natural resources; relating to state moneys for
77 conservation; establishing the state conservation fund, the working
88 lands conservation fund, the wildlife conservation fund and the Kansas
99 outdoors fund; providing for the use of moneys in such funds by the
1010 Kansas department of agriculture and the Kansas department of wildlife
1111 and parks; requiring that certain reports regarding such funds be made
1212 to the governor and the legislature; authorizing a transfer from the state
1313 general fund to the state conservation fund; authorizing transfers from
1414 the state conservation fund to the working lands conservation fund,
1515 wildlife conservation fund and the Kansas outdoors fund.
1616 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
1717 Section 1. (a) (1) There is hereby established in the state treasury the
1818 state conservation fund. All moneys credited to the state conservation fund
1919 shall be expended or transferred only for the purposes and in the manner
2020 provided by this section. All expenditures from the state conservation fund
2121 shall be made in accordance with appropriation acts for the financing of
2222 conservation programs. It is the intent of the legislature that the fund shall
2323 remain intact and inviolate for the purposes set forth in this section, and
2424 moneys in the fund shall not be subject to the provisions of K.S.A. 75-
2525 3722, 75-3725a and 75-3726a, and amendments thereto. Moneys credited
2626 to the state conservation fund shall be used to supplement existing
2727 appropriations and shall not be used to supplant state general fund or
2828 special revenue fund appropriations to the Kansas department of
2929 agriculture or the Kansas department of wildlife and parks.
3030 (2) Moneys transferred to and received from the state conservation
3131 fund shall not be used to fund any fee simple acquisition of land by the
3232 federal or state government.
3333 (b) On July 1, 2025, and each July 1 thereafter, the director of
3434 accounts and reports shall transfer $60,000,000 from the state general fund
3535 to the state conservation fund.
3636 (c) On July 15, 2025, and each July 15 thereafter, the director of
3737 accounts and reports shall transfer an amount equal to 50% of the balance
3838 in the state conservation fund to the working lands conservation fund
3939 established in section 2, and amendments thereto.
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7575 (d) On July 15, 2025, and each July 15 thereafter, the director of
7676 accounts and reports shall transfer an amount equal to 25% of the balance
7777 in the state conservation fund to the wildlife conservation fund established
7878 in section 3, and amendments thereto.
7979 (e) On July 15, 2025, and each July 15 thereafter, after making the
8080 transfers prescribed by subsections (c) and (d), the director of accounts and
8181 reports shall transfer the remaining balance in the state conservation fund
8282 to the Kansas outdoors fund established in section 4, and amendments
8383 thereto.
8484 Sec. 2. (a) There is hereby established in the state treasury the
8585 working lands conservation fund. The working lands conservation fund
8686 shall be administered by the director of the division of conservation
8787 established within the Kansas department of agriculture by K.S.A. 74-
8888 5,126, and amendments thereto. All expenditures from such fund shall be
8989 made in accordance with appropriation acts upon warrants of the director
9090 of accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by the
9191 director or the director's designee.
9292 (b) The division shall adopt rules and regulations to administer a
9393 grant program expending moneys from the working lands conservation
9494 fund.
9595 (c) The state conservation commission shall provide guidance to the
9696 division on priority criteria for applications, the final selection of awardees
9797 and the annual budget for the administration of the grant program. The
9898 secretary shall consider both the guidance of the commission and the
9999 recommendations of the division in making final approvals of awardees
100100 and the annual administrative budget.
101101 (d) Public entities, including, but not limited to, state agencies,
102102 municipalities, counties, state or federally recognized tribal nations,
103103 conservation districts, special park and recreation districts, recreation
104104 commissions and nonprofit entities shall be eligible to receive funding
105105 from the grant program.
106106 (e) Eligible grant applications shall benefit the natural resources of
107107 the state by promoting conservation on working lands or utilizing
108108 practices, including, but not limited to:
109109 (1) Irrigation efficiency;
110110 (2) grazing land management;
111111 (3) voluntary conservation agreements;
112112 (4) soil health practices;
113113 (5) practices that promote or regenerate soil ecosystems, biodiversity
114114 and native grasslands;
115115 (6) management of woody encroachment;
116116 (7) sustainable and regenerative timber management;
117117 (8) ecological restoration of lands;
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161161 (9) enhanced water quality or quantity; and
162162 (10) relevant educational programs, resources and services for adults
163163 and youth.
164164 (g) Applications providing an opportunity to capture federal, private
165165 or other nonstate matching moneys through a state or local match shall be
166166 prioritized. Matching moneys shall include cash contributions, noncash
167167 contributions, including land value donations, and in-kind contributions.
168168 (h) It is the intent of the legislature that all moneys allocated to the
169169 working lands conservation fund shall be:
170170 (1) Fully obligated to approved projects within 12 months of
171171 allocation to the fund; and
172172 (2) in addition to, and not supplant, existing appropriations.
173173 (i) On or before December 1 of each year, the division shall submit a
174174 report to the governor and the legislature, which shall be published on the
175175 division's website. Such report shall include:
176176 (1) An accounting of all moneys expended from the working lands
177177 conservation fund in the immediately preceding fiscal year and the current
178178 fiscal year to date; and
179179 (2) a brief description of all funding applications received with an
180180 explanation of why such applications were or were not funded.
181181 (j) The division may use a portion of moneys allocated to the working
182182 lands conservation fund to pay for relevant and necessary expenses of
183183 administering the grant program.
184184 (k) As used in this section:
185185 (1) "Director" means the executive director of the division.
186186 (2) "Division" means the division of conservation established within
187187 the Kansas department of agriculture by K.S.A. 74-5,126, and
188188 amendments thereto.
189189 (3) "Secretary" means the secretary of agriculture.
190190 (4) "Working lands" means lands used for farming, grazing or
191191 production of forest products.
192192 Sec. 3. (a) There is hereby established in the state treasury the
193193 wildlife conservation fund. The wildlife conservation fund shall be
194194 administered by the secretary of wildlife and parks. All expenditures from
195195 such fund shall be made in accordance with appropriation acts upon
196196 warrants of the director of accounts and reports issued pursuant to
197197 vouchers approved by the secretary of wildlife and parks or the secretary's
198198 designee.
199199 (b) The secretary of wildlife and parks shall adopt rules and
200200 regulations to administer a grant program expending moneys from the
201201 wildlife conservation fund.
202202 (c) The Kansas department of wildlife and parks commission shall
203203 provide guidance to the division on priority criteria for applications, the
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247247 final selection of awardees and the annual budget for the administration of
248248 the grant program. The secretary of wildlife and parks shall consider both
249249 the guidance of the commission and the recommendations of the division
250250 in making final approvals of awardees and the annual administrative
251251 budget.
252252 (d) Public entities, including, but not limited to, state agencies,
253253 municipalities, counties, state or federally recognized tribal nations,
254254 conservation districts, special park and recreation districts, recreation
255255 commissions and nonprofit entities shall be eligible to receive funding
256256 from the grant program.
257257 (e) Eligible grant applications shall benefit the natural resources of
258258 the state by promoting biodiversity or utilizing practices established in the
259259 state wildlife action plan, including, but not limited to:
260260 (1) Establishing quality habitat;
261261 (2) increasing access to diverse high-quality privately owned native
262262 grassland habitat for hunting through the expansion of walk-in hunting
263263 access;
264264 (3) increasing access to diverse high-quality native grassland habitat
265265 through the expansion and creation of wildlife management areas;
266266 (4) establishing diverse high-quality native grasslands for the benefit
267267 of upland birds in a manner that prioritizes science-based habitat
268268 investments to create the most significant outcomes for these species;
269269 (5) engaging in voluntary conservation agreements;
270270 (6) restoring habitat for threatened or endangered species or those
271271 species in need of conservation;
272272 (7) conserving or restoring native landscapes, such as forests,
273273 grasslands or state wetlands and streams;
274274 (8) improving fisheries, angler access and invasive species
275275 management; and
276276 (9) providing relevant educational programs, resources and services
277277 for adults and youth.
278278 (f) Applications providing an opportunity to capture federal, private
279279 or other nonstate matching moneys through a state or local match shall be
280280 prioritized. Matching moneys may include cash contributions, noncash
281281 contributions, including land value donations, and in-kind contributions.
282282 (g) Fee simple land acquisitions by a state agency shall be subject to
283283 the requirements in K.S.A. 32-833, and amendments thereto, at the time of
284284 acquisition and not the grant application.
285285 (h) It is the intent of the legislature that all moneys allocated to the
286286 wildlife conservation fund shall be:
287287 (1) Fully obligated to approved projects within 12 months of
288288 allocation to the fund; and
289289 (2) in addition to, and not supplant, existing appropriations.
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333333 (i) On or before December 1 of each year, the Kansas department of
334334 wildlife and parks shall submit a report to the governor and the legislature,
335335 which shall be published on the department's website. Such report shall
336336 include:
337337 (1) An accounting of all moneys expended from the wildlife
338338 conservation fund in the immediately preceding fiscal year and the current
339339 fiscal year to date; and
340340 (2) a brief description of all funding applications received with an
341341 explanation of why such applications were or were not funded.
342342 (j) The Kansas department of wildlife and parks may use a portion of
343343 moneys allocated to the wildlife conservation fund to pay for relevant and
344344 necessary expenses of administering the grant program.
345345 Sec. 4. (a) There is hereby established in the state treasury the Kansas
346346 outdoors fund. The Kansas outdoors fund shall be administered by the
347347 secretary of wildlife and parks as part of the parks division of the Kansas
348348 department of wildlife and parks. All expenditures from such fund shall be
349349 made in accordance with appropriation acts upon warrants of the director
350350 of accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved by the
351351 secretary of wildlife and parks or the secretary's designee.
352352 (b) The secretary, in consultation with the division, shall adopt rules
353353 and regulations to administer a grant program expending moneys from the
354354 Kansas outdoors fund.
355355 (c) The advisory board shall provide guidance to the division on
356356 priority criteria for applications, the final selection of awardees and the
357357 annual budget for the administration of the grant program. The secretary
358358 shall consider both the guidance of the advisory board and the
359359 recommendations of the division in making final approvals of awardees
360360 and the annual administrative budget.
361361 (d) Public entities, including, but not limited to, state agencies,
362362 municipalities, counties, state or federally recognized tribal nations,
363363 conservation districts, special park and recreation districts, recreation
364364 commissions and nonprofit entities shall be eligible to receive funding
365365 from the grant program.
366366 (e) Eligible grant applications shall benefit the natural resources of
367367 the state by promoting outdoor access, environmental education and
368368 recreation or utilizing practices established in the state comprehensive
369369 outdoor recreation plan, including, but not limited to:
370370 (1) Increasing access to and numbers of natural areas for nature
371371 appreciation, camping, hiking, trail use, boating, kayaking, canoeing and
372372 other outdoor recreational pursuits;
373373 (2) engaging in voluntary conservation agreements;
374374 (3) improving local, county and state recreational facilities and parks;
375375 (4) enhancing outdoor tourism opportunities; and
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419419 (5) providing relevant educational programs, resources and services
420420 for adults and youth.
421421 (f) Applications providing an opportunity to capture federal, private
422422 or other nonstate matching moneys through a state or local match shall be
423423 prioritized. Matching moneys may include cash contributions, noncash
424424 contributions, including land value donations, and in-kind contributions.
425425 (g) It is the intent of the legislature that all moneys allocated to the
426426 Kansas outdoors fund shall be:
427427 (1) Fully obligated to approved projects within 12 months of
428428 allocation to the fund; and
429429 (2) in addition to, and not supplant, existing appropriations.
430430 (h) On or before December 1 of each year, the division shall submit a
431431 report to the governor and the legislature, which shall be published on the
432432 division's website. Such report shall include:
433433 (1) An accounting of all moneys expended from the Kansas outdoors
434434 fund in the immediately preceding fiscal year and the current fiscal year to
435435 date; and
436436 (2) a brief description of all funding applications received with an
437437 explanation of why such applications were or were not funded.
438438 (i) The division may use a portion of moneys allocated to the Kansas
439439 outdoors fund to pay for relevant and necessary expenses of administering
440440 the grant program.
441441 (j) As used in this section:
442442 (1) "Division" means the parks division established within the Kansas
443443 department of wildlife and parks.
444444 (2) "Advisory board" means the statewide local recreation advisory
445445 board established by the parks division within the Kansas department of
446446 wildlife and parks pursuant to K.S.A. 32-825, and amendments thereto.
447447 (3) "Secretary" means the secretary of wildlife and parks.
448448 Sec. 5. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
449449 publication in the statute book.
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