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Kansas House Bill HB2172

Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas House Bill HB2172 Compare Versions

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1-SENATE Substitute for HOUSE BILL No. 2172
2-AN ACT concerning water; establishing the water program task force to evaluate the state's
3-water program and funding for such program; requiring the task force to establish a
4-water planning work group and submit reports to certain legislative committees and
5-the governor.
1+Session of 2025
2+HOUSE BILL No. 2172
3+By Committee on Agriculture and Natural Resources
4+Requested by Representative Rahjes
5+1-30
6+AN ACT concerning water; establishing the water program task force to
7+evaluate the state's water program and funding for such program;
8+requiring a report thereon to the legislature and the governor.
69 Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
710 Section 1. (a) There is hereby established the water program task
811 force. The task force shall consist of:
9-(1) The following 13 voting members:
10-(A) The chair of the house of representatives committee on water
11-or the chair's designee;
12-(B) the chair of the house of representatives committee on
13-agriculture and natural resources or the chair's designee;
14-(C) the chair of the senate committee on agriculture and natural
15-resources or the chair's designee;
16-(D) the ranking minority member of the house of representatives
17-committee on water or the ranking member's designee;
18-(E) the ranking minority member of the senate agriculture and
19-natural resources committee or the ranking member's designee;
20-(F) one member of the house of representatives who does not sit
21-on the committee on water or the committee on agriculture and natural
22-resources appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives;
23-(G) one member of the senate who does not sit on the committee
24-on agriculture and natural resources appointed by the president of the
12+(1) The following 29 voting members:
13+(A) The chair of the house of representatives committee on water;
14+(B) the chair of the house of representatives committee on agriculture
15+and natural resources;
16+(C) the chair of the house of representatives committee on
17+appropriations;
18+(D) the chair of the senate committee on agriculture and natural
19+resources;
20+(E) the chair of the senate committee on ways and means;
21+(F) the ranking minority member of the house of representatives
22+committee on water;
23+(G) the ranking minority member of the senate agriculture and natural
24+resources committee;
25+(H) one member of the house of representatives appointed by the
26+speaker of the house of representatives;
27+(I) one Kansas resident appointed by the speaker of the house of
28+representatives;
29+(J) one member of the house of representatives appointed by the
30+speaker pro tem;
31+(K) one Kansas resident appointed by the speaker pro tem;
32+(L) one member of the house of representatives appointed by the
33+house minority leader;
34+(M) one Kansas resident appointed by the house minority leader;
35+(N) one member of the senate appointed by the president of the
2536 senate;
26-(H) four Kansas residents jointly appointed by the speaker of the
27-house of representatives and the president of the senate; and
28-(I) two Kansas residents jointly appointed by the minority leader
29-of the house of representatives and the minority leader of the senate;
30-and
31-(2) the following three nonvoting ex officio members:
32-(A) The director of the bureau of water of the department of health
33-and environment;
34-(B) the director of the Kansas water office; and
35-(C) the chief engineer of the Kansas department of agriculture
36-division of water resources.
37-(b) Each voting member of the task force who is not a member of
38-the legislature shall represent at least one of the following stakeholders:
37+(O) one Kansas resident appointed by the president of the senate;
38+(P) one member of the senate appointed by the vice president of the
39+senate;
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75+(Q) one Kansas resident appointed by the vice president of the senate;
76+(R) one member of the senate appointed by the senate minority
77+leader;
78+(S) one Kansas resident appointed by the senate minority leader;
79+(T) one member appointed by the Kansas farm bureau;
80+(U) one member appointed by the Kansas groundwater management
81+districts association;
82+(V) one member of a Kansas agricultural commodity organization
83+appointed by the secretary of agriculture;
84+(W) one member appointed by the Kansas livestock association;
85+(X) one member appointed by Kansas municipal utilities;
86+(Y) one member appointed by the Kansas association of counties;
87+(Z) one member appointed by the Kansas rural water district
88+association;
89+(AA) two members appointed by the Kansas chamber of commerce.
90+One such appointment shall represent a business that is reliant on
91+groundwater, and one such appointment shall represent business that is
92+reliant on surface water; and
93+(BB) one member appointed by Kansans for conservation; and
94+(2) the following 10 nonvoting ex officio members:
95+(A) The secretary of agriculture or the secretary's designee;
96+(B) the director of the division of environment of the Kansas
97+department of health and environment or the director's designee;
98+(C) the director of the Kansas water office or the director's designee;
99+(D) the secretary of the department of revenue or the secretary's
100+designee;
101+(E) the director of the Kansas geological survey or the director's
102+designee;
103+(F) the chairperson of the state corporation commission or the
104+chairperson's designee;
105+(G) the director of the Kansas water institute or the director's
106+designee;
107+(H) the secretary of wildlife and parks or the secretary's designee;
108+(I) the director of the Kansas biological survey or the director's
109+designee and
110+(J) the chief engineer of the Kansas department of agriculture division
111+of water resources or the chief engineer's designee.
112+(b) Each member of the task force who is not a member of the
113+legislature shall represent at least one of the following stakeholders:
39114 (1) A Kansas employer with a vested water right;
40115 (2) a commercial user of a municipal or industrial water right;
41116 (3) an agricultural producer;
42117 (4) an economic development organization;
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43161 (5) a water utility;
44-(6) a resident Kansas Indian tribe, Potawatomi, Kickapoo, Iowa or
162+(6) a resident Kansas Indian tribe, Pottawatomie, Kickapoo, Iowa or
45163 Sac and Fox;
46164 (7) a rural water district;
47-(8) a local conservation district;
165+(8) a state conservation district;
48166 (9) an organization that focuses on environmental or wildlife
49167 protection or conservation;
50-(10) a local water management district;
168+(10) a local water management entity, including, but not limited to, a
169+groundwater management district, water assurance district or ditch district;
51170 (11) the Kansas agricultural banking or appraisal industry;
52-(12) a student at a state educational institution engaged in a course
53-of study related to water;
171+(12) a student at a state educational institution engaged in a course of
172+study related to water;
54173 (13) a Kansas municipality;
55174 (14) a provider of natural resources education;
56175 (15) the Kansas agricultural commodity associations;
57176 (16) the Kansas water authority or regional advisory committee;
58177 (17) the Kansas livestock industry; or
59178 (18) the Kansas grain and feed industry.
60179 (c) (1) Members of the task force shall be residents of Kansas. The
61-task force shall consist of at least one member from each of the five
62-conservation regions of the state. Not more than two members of the
63-task force who are not members of the legislature shall represent the
64-same stakeholder enumerated in subsection (b).
65-(2) The speaker of the house of representatives and the president SENATE Substitute for HOUSE BILL No. 2172—page 2
66-of the senate shall ensure that the requirements of paragraph (1) are
67-met.
68-(d) Members of the task force shall be appointed by April 30,
69-2025. Any vacancy in the membership of the task force shall be filled
70-by appointment in the same manner prescribed by this section for the
71-original appointment.
180+task force shall consist of at least two members from all five conservation
181+regions of the state. Not more than two members of the task force shall
182+represent the same stakeholder enumerated in subsection (b).
183+(2) The speaker of the house of representatives and the president of
184+the senate shall ensure that the requirements of paragraph (1) are met.
185+(d) Members of the task force shall be appointed by April 30, 2025.
186+Any vacancy in the membership of the task force shall be filled by
187+appointment in the same manner prescribed by this section for the original
188+appointment.
72189 (e) The speaker of the house of representatives shall select one
73-member of the task force who is a member of the house of
74-representatives to serve as co-chairperson of the task force. The
75-president of the senate shall select one member of the task force who is
76-a member of the senate to serve as co-chairperson of the task force.
77-(f) (1) The task force may meet at any time and at any place
78-within the state upon the call of either co-chairperson.
190+member of the task force who is a member of the house of representatives
191+to serve as co-chairperson of the task force. The president of the senate
192+shall select one member of the task force who is a member of the senate to
193+serve as co-chairperson of the task force.
194+(f) (1) The task force may meet at any time and at any place within
195+the state upon the call of either co-chairperson.
79196 (2) A majority of voting members shall constitute a quorum of the
80197 task force. All actions of the task force may be taken by a majority of
81198 members present when there is a quorum.
82-(3) If approved by the legislative coordinating council, members
83-of the task force attending meetings authorized by the task force shall
84-be paid amounts for expenses, mileage and subsistence as provided in
85-K.S.A. 75-3223(e), and amendments thereto.
199+(3) If approved by the legislative coordinating council, members of
200+the task force attending meetings authorized by the task force shall be paid
201+amounts for expenses, mileage and subsistence as provided in K.S.A. 75-
202+3223(e), and amendments thereto.
86203 (4) The staff of the office of revisor of statutes, the legislative
87-research department and the division of legislative administrative
88-services shall provide such assistance as may be requested by the task
89-force.
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247+research department and the division of legislative administrative services
248+shall provide such assistance as may be requested by the task force.
90249 (g) The water program task force shall:
91250 (1) Evaluate major risks to the quality and quantity of the state's
92-water supply, including any impact on current and future economic
93-growth and population stability;
94-(2) steps that the state must take to define and achieve a future
95-supply of water for Kansans; and
251+water supply, including any impact on current and future economic growth
252+and population stability;
253+(2) steps that the state must take to define and achieve an ongoing,
254+multigenerational promise of water for Kansans; and
96255 (3) evaluate current funding for water in the state and determine
97-whether such funding is sufficient to address the water issues included
98-in the state water plan, including the state's current and future water
256+whether such funding is sufficient to address the water issues included in
257+the state water plan, including the state's current and future water
99258 infrastructure needs.
100-(h) The task force shall prepare and submit a preliminary report on
101-or before January 31, 2026, and a final report on or before January 31,
102-2027, to the house of representatives committees on agriculture and
103-natural resources and water and the senate committee on agriculture
104-and natural resources or any successor committees and the governor.
105-Such reports shall include recommendations on:
259+(h) The task force shall prepare and submit a report to the legislature
260+and the governor on or before January 31, 2026. Such report shall include
261+recommendations on:
106262 (1) The water program's long-term structure to address the state's
107263 current and future water needs, including, but not limited to:
108264 (A) The roles and responsibilities of the state, municipalities and
109265 regional entities;
110266 (B) how the program's investments and successes should be
111267 evaluated, including gathering any stakeholder input; and
112-(C) criteria to determine program investments, including
113-geographic diversity of such investments; and
268+(C) criteria to determine program investments, including geographic
269+diversity of such investments; and
114270 (2) funding for the water program, including, but not limited to:
115271 (A) New dedicated moneys or investments for the state water plan
116272 fund;
117273 (B) changes to any existing fees or moneys dedicated to the state
118274 water plan fund; and
119-(C) any additional funding sources or tools necessary to ensure
120-that the financial resources are adequate to address the state's water
121-issues.
122-(i) (1) On or before June 30, 2025, the co-chairs of the task force
123-shall jointly appoint five individuals to a water planning work group.
124-Such individuals may be members of the water program task force but
125-are not required to be members of the task force. The individuals shall
126-be attorneys, engineers, hydrologists, natural resource planners or
127-others with relevant experience with Kansas water issues.
128-(2) The work group shall meet regularly as may be necessary to
129-conduct a study of the state water resource planning act, K.S.A. 82a- SENATE Substitute for HOUSE BILL No. 2172—page 3
130-901 et seq., and amendments thereto, and develop draft legislation that
131-proposes modernization of such act. The work group shall work under
132-the direction of the task force and submit ongoing reports to the task
133-force relating to:
134-(A) How the state water plan is created;
135-(B) what the state water plan should prioritize;
136-(C) how the state water plan is implemented;
137-(D) how recommendations for state water plan appropriations are
138-made to the legislature;
139-(E) any future studies that might be undertaken; and
140-(F) any other related or relevant matters.
141-(3) If approved by the legislative coordinating council, members
142-of the work group shall be paid amounts for expenses, mileage and
143-subsistence as provided in K.S.A. 75-3223(e), and amendments thereto.
144-(4) The staff of the office of revisor of statutes, the legislative
145-research department and the division of legislative administrative
146-services shall provide such assistance as may be requested by the work
147-group.
148-(5) Any state agency or entity that is involved in the management
149-or study of water in Kansas shall provide information and support to
150-the work group upon request.
151-(j) This section shall expire on July 1, 2027.
275+(C) any additional funding sources or tools necessary to ensure that
276+the financial resources are adequate to address the state's water issues.
277+(i) This section shall expire on July 1, 2027.
152278 Sec. 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
153279 publication in the Kansas register.
154-I hereby certify that the above BILL originated in the
155-HOUSE, and was adopted by that body
156-
157-HOUSE adopted
158-Conference Committee Report
159-
160-Speaker of the House.
161-
162-Chief Clerk of the House.
163-Passed the SENATE
164- as amended
165-SENATE adopted
166-Conference Committee Report
167-
168-President of the Senate.
169-
170-Secretary of the Senate.
171-APPROVED
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173-
174-Governor.
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