Kansas HB 2345: Tax lid exception when budget was higher in prior five years.

Bill Text

Session of 2025
HOUSE BILL No. 2345
By Committee on Water
Requested by Representative Vaughn
2-7
AN ACT concerning natural resources; creating the Kansas office of
natural resources within the executive branch of government;
establishing the division of water resources, division of conservation
and division of water policy and planning therein; transferring certain
powers, duties and functions; abolishing the Kansas water office, the
Kansas department of agriculture, division of conservation and the
Kansas department of agriculture, division of water resources; updating
statutory references thereof; amending K.S.A. 2-1903, 2-1904, 2-1907,
2-1915, 2-1930, 2-1933, 12-541, 12-636, 12-761, 12-766, 12-2713, 19-
2963, 24-407, 24-418, 24-656, 24-659, 24-1202, 24-1204, 24-1211, 24-
1212, 42-701, 42-703, 42-722, 42-722a, 42-725, 68-1414, 68-2203, 74-
506b, 74-5,121, 74-2608, 74-2609, 74-99f04, 82a-301, 82a-301a, 82a-
303a, 82a-328, 82a-405, 82a-603, 82a-612, 82a-701, 82a-711, 82a-718,
82a-724, 82a-731, 82a-732, 82a-733, 82a-737, 82a-739, 82a-762, 82a-
767, 82a-770, 82a-771, 82a-773, 82a-902, 82a-905, 82a-906, 82a-907,
82a-910, 82a-911, 82a-915, 82a-920, 82a-922, 82a-923, 82a-932, 82a-
933, 82a-934, 82a-954, 82a-1021, 82a-1023, 82a-1042, 82a-1301, 82a-
1303, 82a-1311a, 82a-1315b, 82a-1315c, 82a-1332, 82a-1333, 82a-
1335, 82a-1345, 82a-1347, 82a-1348, 82a-1349, 82a-1360, 82a-1361,
82a-1362, 82a-1363, 82a-1364, 82a-1367, 82a-1368, 82a-1370, 82a-
1402, 82a-1502, 82a-1604, 82a-1605, 82a-1606, 82a-1608, 82a-1609,
82a-1703, 82a-1704, 82a-1803, 82a-1804, 82a-1805, 82a-1904, 82a-
1905, 82a-1906, 82a-2007, 82a-2101, 82a-2302, 82a-2303, 82a-2304,
82a-2305, 82a-2310, 82a-2311, 82a-2312, 82a-2313, 82a-2314, 82a-
2317, 82a-2324, 82a-2402, 82a-2403, 82a-2404, 82a-2406, 82a-2407,
82a-2408, 82a-2411, 82a-2412, 82a-2414, 82a-2415, 82a-2416 and
82a-2419 and K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 32-1403, 49-603, 49-606, 49-611, 49-
613, 49-618, 49-620, 49-621, 49-623, 55-153, 74-2622, 75-3036, 75-
37,121, 75-5133, 82a-220, 82a-326, 82a-708b, 82a-714, 82a-736, 82a-
903, 82a-1038, 82a-1041, 82a-1501, 82a-1602, 82a-1603, 82a-1607
and 82a-1702 and repealing the existing sections; also repealing K.S.A.
74-506a, 74-5,126, 74-5,127, 74-5,128, 74-5,129, 74-5,130, 74-5,131,
74-5,132, 74-5,132a, 74-2613, 82a-738 and 82a-1901.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
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HB 2345 2
New Section 1. (a) There is hereby established within the executive
branch of government the Kansas office of natural resources.
(b) The Kansas governmental operations accountability law shall
apply to the Kansas office of natural resources. The office shall be subject
to audit, review and evaluation under such law.
New Sec. 2. (a) (1) The Kansas office of natural resources shall be
administered under the direction of an executive director. The executive
director shall be appointed by the governor with the consent of the senate
as provided in K.S.A. 75-4315b, and amendments thereto. Except as
provided by K.S.A. 46-2601, and amendments thereto, no person
appointed as executive director shall exercise any power, duty or function
as executive director until confirmed by the senate.
(2) The executive director shall be in the unclassified service under
the Kansas civil service act and receive an annual salary to be fixed by the
governor. The executive director shall serve at the pleasure of the
governor.
(3) The executive director shall maintain an office in Topeka, Kansas,
and may maintain offices and facilities in other locations of the state to
carry out the functions of the office.
(b) Subject to this act, the executive director may organize the Kansas
office of natural resources in the manner that the executive director deems
most efficient. The executive director may establish policies governing the
transaction of the business of the office and the administration of each
division within the office. The director of each division of the office shall
perform such duties and exercise such powers as the executive director
may prescribe and such duties and powers as are prescribed by law. Such
directors shall act for and exercise the powers of the executive director to
the extent that authority to do so is delegated by the executive director.
(c) (1) The executive director shall have the legal custody of all
records, memoranda, writings, entries, prints or representations, or
combination thereof, of any act, transaction, occurrence or event of the
Kansas office of natural resources and any agency, division or office
abolished or transferred under this act.
(2) No suit, action or other proceedings, judicial or administrative,
lawfully commenced, or that could have been commenced by or against
any state agency mentioned in this act, or by or against any officer of the
state in such officer's capacity or in relation to the discharge of such
officer's duties, shall abate by reason of the gov