Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas Senate Bill SB86 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	Session of 2025
2	2	SENATE BILL No. 86
3	3	By Committee on Transportation
4	4	1-28
5	5	AN ACT concerning the passenger rail service program; establishing the
6	6	intercity passenger rail service program; making transfers annually to
7	7	the passenger rail service revolving fund; amending K.S.A. 75-5089
8	8	and repealing the existing section.
9	9	Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
10	10	Section 1. K.S.A. 75-5089 is hereby amended to read as follows: 75-
11	11	5089. (a) The secretary of transportation is hereby authorized to establish
12	12	and implement a passenger rail service program.
13	13	(b) The secretary of transportation may, as part of such passenger rail
14	14	service program, do the following:
15	15	(1) Enter into agreements with Amtrak, other rail operators, local
16	16	jurisdictions and other states for the purpose of developing passenger rail
17	17	service, serving Kansas and other states interconnected and positioned on a
18	18	current or proposed route. The agreements may include any of the
19	19	following provisions:
20	20	(A) Cost-sharing agreements associated with initiating service, capital
21	21	costs, operating subsidies and other costs necessary to develop and
22	22	maintain service; or
23	23	(B) joint powers agreements and other institutional arrangements
24	24	associated with the administration, management and operation of
25	25	passenger rail service.
26	26	(2) Provide assistance and enter into agreements with local
27	27	jurisdictions along the proposed route of a midwest regional rail system
28	28	development or other passenger rail service operations serving Kansas to
29	29	ensure that rail stations and terminals are designed and developed in
30	30	accordance with the following objectives:
31	31	(A) To meet safety and efficiency requirements outlined by Amtrak
32	32	and the federal railroad administration;
33	33	(B) to aid intermodal transportation; and
34	34	(C) to encourage economic development.
35	35	(3) Provide loans or grants as provided under the provisions of
36	36	subsection (c).
37	37	(c) Pursuant to subsection (b), the secretary shall establish,
38	38	implement and administer an intercity passenger rail service program to
39	39	develop and provide funding in order to connect Kansas by rail to other
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76	76	member states of the midwest interstate passenger rail commission, the
77	77	midwest regional rail system, the national passenger rail network and any
78	78	other passenger rail service operations serving Kansas. The secretary
79	79	shall provide funding for the costs of qualifying projects and provide
80	80	operating support for Amtrak or any common rail carrier approved by the
81	81	federal railroad administration for operation of the service.
82	82	(d) (1) The secretary of transportation is hereby authorized to make
83	83	loans or grants to passenger rail service providers for the following
84	84	purposes:
85	85	(A) To provide assistance for the restoration, conservation,
86	86	improvement and construction of railroad main lines, branch lines,
87	87	switching yards, sidings, rail connections, intermodal yards, highway
88	88	grade separations and other railroad related improvements;
89	89	(B) for rail economic development projects that improve rail
90	90	facilities, including the construction of branch lines, sidings, rail
91	91	connections, intermodal yards, stations, equipment defined as locomotives
92	92	and rolling stock, including passenger coaches and other rail-related
93	93	improvements that spur economic development and job growth; and
94	94	(C) costs associated with the initiation, operation and maintenance of
95	95	passenger rail service.
96	96	(2) Passenger rail service providers, who desire assistance in the form
97	97	of a loan or grant under this section, shall submit an application to the
98	98	secretary of transportation. Applications shall be in such form and shall
99	99	include such information as the secretary of transportation shall require
100	100	and shall be submitted in a manner and at a time to be determined by the
101	101	secretary of transportation.
102	102	(3) Such loans or grants shall be made upon such terms and
103	103	conditions as the secretary of transportation may deem appropriate, and
104	104	such loans or grants shall be made from funds credited to the passenger
105	105	rail service revolving fund.
106	106	(4) The passenger rail service revolving fund is hereby established in
107	107	the state treasury which shall be for the purposes established under
108	108	subsection (c)(1) (d)(1). The secretary of transportation shall administer
109	109	the passenger rail service revolving fund. All expenditures from the
110	110	passenger rail service revolving fund shall be made in accordance with
111	111	appropriation acts upon warrants of the director of accounts and reports
112	112	issued pursuant to vouchers approved by the secretary of transportation or
113	113	by a person or persons designated by the secretary.
114	114	The secretary of transportation shall remit to the state treasurer, in
115	115	accordance with the provisions of K.S.A. 75-4215, and amendments
116	116	thereto, all moneys received by the secretary pursuant to this act. Upon
117	117	receipt of each such remittance, the state treasurer shall deposit the entire
118	118	amount in the state treasury to the credit of the passenger rail service
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162	162	revolving fund.
163	163	(5) The management and investment of the passenger rail service
164	164	revolving fund shall be in accordance with K.S.A. 68-2324, and
165	165	amendments thereto. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary, all interest
166	166	or other income of the investments, after payment of any management
167	167	fees, shall be considered income of the passenger rail service revolving
168	168	fund.
169	169	(d)(e) As part of the annual report required under K.S.A. 68-2315,
170	170	and amendments thereto, the secretary of transportation shall report on the
171	171	development and operation of the midwest regional rail system and the
172	172	state's passenger rail service program.
173	173	(e)(f) It is the intent of the state legislature that the enactment of this
174	174	act shall not affect the terms or duration of railroad assistance agreements
175	175	entered into under legislation enacted before the effective date of this act.
176	176	(g) On July 1, 2026, and each July 1 thereafter through July 1, 2029,
177	177	the secretary of transportation, in consultation with the director of the
178	178	budget, shall determine the amount of unencumbered moneys in the state
179	179	general fund, the state highway fund or any special revenue fund or funds
180	180	of the department of transportation that may be used for the intercity
181	181	passenger rail service program. The secretary of transportation shall
182	182	certify the amount from each such fund to the director of accounts and
183	183	reports, and upon receipt of each such certification, or as soon thereafter
184	184	as moneys are available, the director of accounts and reports shall
185	185	immediately transfer an aggregate amount of $5,000,000 each fiscal year
186	186	from such certified funds to the passenger rail service revolving fund. The
187	187	secretary of transportation shall transmit a copy of each such certification
188	188	to the director of legislative research and the director of the budget.
189	189	(f)(h) As used in this section "passenger rail service" means long-
190	190	distance, intercity and commuter passenger transportation, including the
191	191	midwest regional rail system development which is provided on railroad
192	192	tracks.
193	193	(g)(i) The secretary of transportation may adopt rules and regulations
194	194	for the purpose of implementing the provisions of this section.
195	195	Sec. 2. K.S.A. 75-5089 is hereby repealed.
196	196	Sec. 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
197	197	publication in the statute book.
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