Kansas House Bill HB2063

Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 1/22/25
• Refer: 1/22/25
• Report Pass: 2/6/26

Caption

Establishing various conservation funds, allocating state moneys for conservation, requiring reports to the governor and legislature, and authorizing fund transfers and providing for the use of such funds by the Kansas department of agriculture and the Kansas department of wildlife and parks.

Summary

HB 2063 creates a new state conservation funding structure in Kansas by establishing four separate funds in the state treasury: the state conservation fund, the working lands conservation fund, the wildlife conservation fund, and the Kansas outdoors fund. The bill directs an annual $60 million transfer from the state general fund into the state conservation fund beginning July 1, 2025, then requires that fund’s balance to be split each year among the three program funds. The measure is designed to finance conservation-related grants and programs administered by the Kansas Department of Agriculture’s division of conservation and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks. The bill sets broad eligibility for public entities, including state agencies, local governments, tribal nations, conservation districts, recreation districts, and nonprofits, and it requires each grant program to be implemented through rules and regulations. The working lands fund focuses on conservation on agricultural and forest lands, the wildlife conservation fund targets habitat, species conservation, access, and fisheries, and the Kansas outdoors fund supports parks, outdoor recreation, environmental education, and tourism. Each fund must prioritize projects that leverage matching federal, private, or other nonstate dollars, and each is intended to supplement rather than replace existing appropriations.

Impact

HB 2063 would significantly alter state fiscal and conservation policy by creating dedicated, recurring funding streams for land, wildlife, and outdoor recreation projects. It would require annual transfers from the general fund and then redistribute those moneys into three specialized grant programs, while also restricting the conservation fund from being used for fee simple land acquisition by the federal or state government. The bill also imposes reporting requirements to the governor and legislature, mandates annual public reporting on expenditures and applications, and authorizes agencies to use a portion of the funds for administrative costs. In practice, the measure would expand the role of the Kansas Department of Agriculture and the Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks in distributing conservation grants and overseeing related programs.

Sentiment

Based on the bill’s structure and stated purpose, the overall sentiment appears strongly supportive of conservation investment, with an emphasis on stable, long-term funding for working lands, habitat, and outdoor access. The bill is framed as a budget and natural resources initiative and was requested on behalf of Kansans for Conservation, suggesting organized stakeholder support. No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of opposition or amendment debate in the available materials.

Contention

The main potential points of contention are fiscal and policy-related. The bill commits $60 million annually from the state general fund, which could draw scrutiny from lawmakers concerned about budget priorities or the size of the recurring transfer. Another possible issue is the restriction on using state conservation fund moneys for fee simple acquisition of land by the federal or state government, which may limit some conservation strategies while reassuring opponents of large-scale land purchases. There may also be debate over how grant priorities are set, since the relevant commissions and advisory bodies provide guidance but final approvals rest with agency leadership, and over whether the bill’s funding truly supplements rather than supplants existing appropriations.