Session of 2025
HOUSE BILL No. 2172
By Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources
Requested by Representative Rahjes
1-30
AN ACT concerning water; establishing the water program task force to
evaluate the state's water program and funding for such program;
requiring a report thereon to the legislature and the governor.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
Section 1. (a) There is hereby established the water program task
force. The task force shall consist of:
(1) The following 29 voting members:
(A) The chair of the house of representatives committee on water;
(B) the chair of the house of representatives committee on agriculture
and natural resources;
(C) the chair of the house of representatives committee on
appropriations;
(D) the chair of the senate committee on agriculture and natural
resources;
(E) the chair of the senate committee on ways and means;
(F) the ranking minority member of the house of representatives
committee on water;
(G) the ranking minority member of the senate agriculture and natural
resources committee;
(H) one member of the house of representatives appointed by the
speaker of the house of representatives;
(I) one Kansas resident appointed by the speaker of the house of
representatives;
(J) one member of the house of representatives appointed by the
speaker pro tem;
(K) one Kansas resident appointed by the speaker pro tem;
(L) one member of the house of representatives appointed by the
house minority leader;
(M) one Kansas resident appointed by the house minority leader;
(N) one member of the senate appointed by the president of the
senate;
(O) one Kansas resident appointed by the president of the senate;
(P) one member of the senate appointed by the vice president of the
senate;
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(Q) one Kansas resident appointed by the vice president of the senate;
(R) one member of the senate appointed by the senate minority
leader;
(S) one Kansas resident appointed by the senate minority leader;
(T) one member appointed by the Kansas farm bureau;
(U) one member appointed by the Kansas groundwater management
districts association;
(V) one member of a Kansas agricultural commodity organization
appointed by the secretary of agriculture;
(W) one member appointed by the Kansas livestock association;
(X) one member appointed by Kansas municipal utilities;
(Y) one member appointed by the Kansas association of counties;
(Z) one member appointed by the Kansas rural water district
association;
(AA) two members appointed by the Kansas chamber of commerce.
One such appointment shall represent a business that is reliant on
groundwater, and one such appointment shall represent business that is
reliant on surface water; and
(BB) one member appointed by Kansans for conservation; and
(2) the following 10 nonvoting ex officio members:
(A) The secretary of agriculture or the secretary's designee;
(B) the director of the division of environment of the Kansas
department of health and environment or the director's designee;
(C) the director of the Kansas water office or the director's designee;
(D) the secretary of the department of revenue or the secretary's
designee;
(E) the director of the Kansas geological survey or the director's
designee;
(F) the chairperson of the state corporation commission or the
chairperson's designee;
(G) the director of the Kansas water institute or the director's
designee;
(H) the secretary of wildlife and parks or the secretary's designee;
(I) the director of the Kansas biological survey or the director's
designee and
(J) the chief engineer of the Kansas department of agriculture division
of water resources or the chief engineer's designee.
(b) Each member of the task force who is not a member of the
legislature shall represent at least one of the following stakeholders:
(1) A Kansas employer with a vested water right;
(2) a commercial user of a municipal or industrial water right;
(3) an agricultural producer;
(4) an economic development organization;
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(5) a water utility;
(6) a resident Kansas Indian tribe, Pottawatomie, Kickapoo, Iowa or
Sac and Fox;
(7) a rural water district;
(8) a state conservation district;
(9) an organization that focuses on environmental or wildlife
protection or conservation;
(10) a local water management entity, including, but not limited to, a
groundwater management district, water assurance district or ditch district;
(11) the Kansas agricultural banking or appraisal industry;
(12) a student at a state educational institution engaged in a course of
study related to water;
(13) a Kansas municipality;
(14) a provider of natural resources education;
(15) the Kansas agricultural commodity associations;
(16) the Kansas water authority or regional advisory committee;
(17) the Kansas livestock industry; or
(18) the Kansas grain and feed industry.
(c) (1) Members of the task force shall be residents of Kansas. The
task force shall consist of at least two members from all five conservation
regions of the state. Not more than two members of the task force shall
represent the same stakeholder enumerated in subsection (b).
(2) The speaker of the house of representatives and the president of
the senate shall ensure that the requirements of paragraph (1) are met.
(d) Members of the task force shall be appointed by April 30, 2025.
Any vacancy in the membership of the task force shall be filled by
appointment in the same manner prescribed by this section for the original
appointment.
(e) The speaker of the house of representatives shall select one
member of the task force who is a member of the house of representatives
to serve as co-chairperson of the task force. The president of the senate
shall select one member of the task force who is a member of the senate to
serve as co-chairperson of the task force.
(f) (1) The task force may meet at any time and at any place within
the state upon the call of either co-chairperson.
(2) A majority of voting members shall constitute a quorum of the
task force. All actions of the task force may be taken by a majority of
members present when there is a quorum.
(3) If approved by the legislative coordinating council, members of
the task force attending meetings authorized by the task force shall be paid
amounts for expenses, mileage and subsistence as provided in K.S.A. 75-
3223(e), and amendments thereto.
(4) The staff of the office of revisor of statutes, the legislative
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research department and the division of legislative administrative services
shall provide such assistance as may be requested by the task force.
(g) The water program task force shall:
(1) Evaluate major risks to the quality and quantity of the state's
water supply, including any impact on current and future economic growth
and population stability;
(2) steps that the state must take to define and achieve an ongoing,
multigenerational promise of water for Kansans; and
(3) evaluate current funding for water in the state and determine
whether such funding is sufficient to address the water issues included in
the state water plan, including the state's current and future water
infrastructure needs.
(h) The task force shall prepare and submit a report to the legislature
and the governor on or before January 31, 2026. Such report shall include
recommendations on:
(1) The water program's long-term structure to address the state's
current and future water needs, including, but not limited to:
(A) The roles and responsibilities of the state, municipalities and
regional entities;
(B) how the program's investments and successes should be
evaluated, including gathering any stakeholder input; and
(C) criteria to determine program investments, including geographic
diversity of such investments; and
(2) funding for the water program, including, but not limited to:
(A) New dedicated moneys or investments for the state water plan
fund;
(B) changes to any existing fees or moneys dedicated to the state
water plan fund; and
(C) any additional funding sources or tools necessary to ensure that
the financial resources are adequate to address the state's water issues.
(i) This section shall expire on July 1, 2027.
Sec. 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the Kansas register.
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