Kansas House Bill HB2283

Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/5/25
• Refer: 2/5/25

Caption

Requiring at least one member of the Kansas state fair board to be a resident of Reno county.

Summary

HB 2283 revises the membership structure of the Kansas State Fair Board. The bill keeps the existing ex officio members and several governor-appointed seats tied to nominations from industry groups, but changes the seven “general public” seats so that they are appointed by legislative leaders and the governor rather than solely by the governor. Under the bill, one seat would be appointed by the Speaker of the House, one by the House Majority Leader, one by the House Minority Leader, one by the Senate President, one by the Senate Majority Leader, one by the Senate Minority Leader, and one by the governor. The bill also requires that the governor-appointed at-large member be a resident of Reno County. The measure preserves the board’s regional representation by extension area and keeps the staggered initial terms for the newly designated appointments. It also retains the board’s authority to create a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation to receive donations, grants, and other funds and to conduct fundraising for the benefit of the Kansas State Fair. The bill amends and repeals the existing version of K.S.A. 2024 Supp. 74-520a and would take effect upon publication in the statute book.

Impact

HB 2283 would amend Kansas law governing the Kansas State Fair Board by shifting appointment authority for the general public seats from the governor alone to a mix of legislative leaders and the governor, while also adding a statutory residency requirement for one at-large member from Reno County. The bill would therefore alter the composition and selection process of the board, but would not change the board’s core duties or its authority to establish a nonprofit fundraising entity for fair-related support.

Sentiment

Based on the bill text and available context, the bill appears to be framed as a governance and representation measure rather than a controversial policy change. The caption emphasizes the Reno County residency requirement, suggesting a local-interest or fair-location-related rationale. No committee transcript or vote record was provided, so there is no documented debate or recorded support/opposition to indicate broader sentiment beyond the bill’s apparent administrative purpose.

Contention

The main point of potential contention is the redistribution of appointment power. By giving the Speaker of the House, House Majority Leader, House Minority Leader, Senate President, Senate Majority Leader, and Senate Minority Leader appointment authority over most of the general public seats, the bill reduces the governor’s exclusive control over those appointments. Another possible point of discussion is the requirement that one at-large member be a Reno County resident, which may be viewed as ensuring local representation for the fair’s host county but could also be seen as narrowing the pool of eligible appointees. No specific objections or supporters are identified in the provided materials.